A 1991 survey of Directors of Special Education in Kansas indicated a shortage of deaf education teachers and problems with retention of deaf education teachers in rural areas. In addition, 15 of 22 respondents documented an increase in the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) children in their districts. Project Rural Education is a program…

The ability to conduct field-based research is a particularly valuable tool for special education teachers working in isolated rural areas. To address this need, the University of Kentucky's Developmental and Behavioral Disorders Program focuses on preparing graduate-level special education personnel to work in diverse settings; provide…

Examined changes in one elementary physical educator's pedagogy and content as a function of experience. Interviews and observations of the educator's teaching in years 2 and 6 indicated similarities in pedagogical organization of lessons but differences in content. Managerial and instructional routines and professional isolation remained the…

A survey of 300 college faculty across disciplines suggested that many faculty encounter conditions that hinder collegiality concerning undergraduate teaching issues. These difficulties include faculty isolation and fragmented communication, constrained resources, and inappropriate evaluation and reward systems. Results also suggest ways in which…

A study investigated the effects of major social, economic, and political disruption on the perceptions of 232 Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) teachers concerning their professional lives and identities. Teachers believed they were transmitters of information and values, but felt that those outside the school did not understand the stresses and nuances…

Historically, rural General Practitioners (GPs) in Australia tended to be male, Anglo, middle-class and in nuclear family structures, whereas the contemporary workforce demographic is increasingly female and of diverse ethnicity. Demographic trends and changing social values of university-educated professionals directly affect services in rural…

The author discusses teaching early child mathematics in an environment of unique challenge in a remote region of Western Australia. The challenges include: (1) a high proportion of transient students; (2) a student population that is forty percent aboriginal, many for whom English is a second language; (3) students who consistently perform below…

Small communities require the services of professionals such as doctors and teachers, but most professionals are trained in metropolitan areas. Urban-trained professionals are seldom prepared for the social and cultural differences that confront them when they move to rural communities. Such newcomers frequently experience culture shock--the…

Australian society in the 1990s has been marked by the gradual disenfranchisement of rural communities due to the urban bias of political and economic decision-makers. In Victoria, curriculum changes based on strategic centralism, consumer capture, and educational accountability were accompanied by a more controlled, urban-biased approach to…

Stresses the need for research examining the critical shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in rural Canada. Results of a survey of 87 speech language pathologists in rural British Columbia and Saskatchewan (Canada) were similar to earlier American studies in that employment practices, employment benefits, lifestyle, and other personal…

Problems encountered by first-year social science doctoral students in adjusting to their new status as novice researchers are examined, including intellectual solitariness, professional and social isolation, new work organization requirements, anxiety concerning time and productivity, intellectual life, and supervision. Factors contributing to…

A beginning teacher appointed to a remote Aboriginal school in the Northern Territory (Australia) describes experiences that led him to question his worth as a teacher, including social and professional isolation, his idealistic expectations of becoming a teacher, and difficulties in teaching students of various ages and academic levels. (LP)

Advances in computer technology offer opportunities for rural social workers to reduce their isolation and enhance professional communication and for social work educators to stay in touch with the real-world environment of practitioners. Development of an online journal to enhance professional competence is discussed, focusing on meaningful…

This publication is intended for teachers attempting to handle stress at school as well as for administrators seeking to help and encourage teachers, and teacher trainers. The book consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 defines teacher stress, explores stress symptoms, and describes how to create a personal stress profile. Chapter 2 suggests 30 areas…

The Regional Inservice Training Model (RIST-M) was used to develop a weeklong inservice summer training program at Idaho State University for professionals working with deaf and hearing-impaired students in rural Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. There were several reasons for offering inservice training on a regional basis: a mission of…