教育现代化背景下乡村小学教学质量管理的现实困境与改进对策：基于文献研究、问卷调查与访谈

—This research aimed at finding an implementation regarding quality management in elementary level of schools located in rural areas. This research is qualitative research which observed the phenomena to find the data and information related to quality management implemented in some elementary schools in Desa Goarie Kecamatan Marioriwawo Kabupaten Soppeng, Sulawesi Selatan . The source of the data was collected by several techniques, including in-depth interview with some principals in the mentioned area, observation related to teaching and learning activities as well as any other outside-class activities, and documentation study to find specific and detailed information. The population of data resources was chosen using purposive sampling. The researcher presented the data using descriptive method before defining a conclusion. This research was conducted mainly with the expectation of contribution in management quality in some education units, especially in those schools located in rural areas. The result of the research showed that in order to manage the school quality in the rural areas, the schools apply and implement some efforts, such as: 1) conducting learning processes in common in accordance to the national curriculum, 2) utilizing existing resources, especially the human resources, such as skilled teachers, 3) focusing on extracurricular activities, 4) conducting some visitation or comparative studies to schools located in urban areas that have complete facilities on a regular basis, and 5) striving for the availability of adequate facilities to support student learning.

To ensure inclusive, equitable quality education, and encourage educational opportunities for lifelong learning worldwide; the United Nations set sustainable development goals (SDG) to achieve quality education. Thus, using SDG 4 quality education and system theory, this research seeks to identify the effects of educational management on quality education in rural and urban primary schools in Ghana. Moreover, the mediating role of internet facilities in educational management and quality education relationhsip has been discussed. Thus, 745 urban and 471 rural head teachers and teachers from Ghana participated in an online survey. The data was compiled and executed by structural equation model using SPSS-AMOS. The result reveals that educational management has a positive effect on quality education in urban and rural schools. In addition, urban schools have more quality education than rural schools. Although internet facilities have a positive effect on quality education their absence weakens the quality of education in urban and rural schools. Moreover, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education should arrange professional training for supervisors and head teachers to boost their monitoring and supervision strategies. Furthermore, Parents Teacher Associations can provide funding to support the monitoring and supervision activities to achieve success. Lastly, quality internet facilities should be built with limited charges in rural and urban schools.

The School Management Team (SMT) as constituted in the new educational dispensation that ushered in the Outcome Basic Education System (OBE) is a new structure with the sole function of giving leadership guidance, direction and assistance in the teaching/learning situation. In this paper we deliberately sought to understand how the STM in a rural school environment exercises its leadership role. We followed the qualitative approach with an interview schedule which was prepared by the Unisa’s College of Education for use by all the teams that were dispatched to the 500 schools the Basic Education Department had targeted for this project. Rural schools are terribly challenged because it is trite fact that they lack the requisite facilities for education to take place unhindered and also optimally. For the SMT to be effective they are expected to be able to improvise by way of creating the much needed teaching/learning aids/materials that will ensure that the educative activity takes place effectively. In our research project we actually looked for anything that could dramatically convince us that the SMT was innovative and creative enough to initiate inviting teaching/learning environments that make learners to enjoy and participate in the lesson. What we found was not discouraging but needed some improvement here and there especially that the SMT was made of people who are ready to learn. Our intention is to go back to the school and give a hand of assistance in the areas we have identified as in need of further strengthening and development. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n7p367

Various scholars have demonstrated the intricate and diverse nature of social disparities in South Africa. These inequalities are evident in dividing schools into urban and rural settings and distinguishing between well-equipped and inadequately equipped institutions. This division significantly impacts learners' performance across the nation's schools. Of particular disadvantage are rural schools, which grapple with constrained resources. This scarcity poses challenges for stakeholders involved in curriculum management and effective delivery within these schools. The legacy of apartheid has further compounded the hurdles faced in curriculum management within rural schools. The lingering imbalances from that era remain primarily unresolved, evident in the deficient resourcing and infrastructure prevalent in many rural schools. This study embraced an interpretivist perspective to gain insight into the experiences of 40 school principals from rural educational institutions in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Employing semi-structured interviews, researchers analysed audio recordings through thematic analysis. The findings disclosed a pronounced need for more clarity in curriculum management as a principal impediment to efficiently handling resources and sustaining infrastructure. Moreover, the study uncovered a novel social phenomenon of collusion between principals and suppliers, which detrimentally impacts the education system by restricting access to quality and sufficient resources. Thus, the study proposes that school principals adopt pragmatic and transparent strategies in resource management. It further advocates for implementing suitable oversight mechanisms to ensure accountability and effective infrastructure utilisation in curriculum execution.

This study aimed to evaluate the application of technology in educational management in rural schools, focusing on infrastructure challenges, teacher readiness, digital resource integration, and their impact on academic outcomes. Using a qualitative research approach, we analyzed secondary data from various rural schools across Indonesia. Thematic analysis was employed to identify recurring themes and patterns. The findings revealed significant infrastructure barriers, including unreliable internet connectivity, insufficient digital devices, and inconsistent electricity supply. Teacher readiness emerged as a critical factor, with many educators lacking the necessary skills and confidence to integrate digital tools effectively. Despite these challenges, the successful integration of technology in some schools led to improved student engagement and learning outcomes. The study underscores the need for targeted investments in infrastructure and comprehensive professional development programs to equip teachers with digital competencies. Addressing these barriers is essential to harness the benefits of technology, reduce disparities between urban and rural education, and improve overall educational outcomes. The research contributes valuable insights and recommendations for policy interventions and future research in the context of rural education.

… attempt to improve education quality. This study uses field research in a rural district of Malawi to assess how community and parent participation differs between schools, the intentions …

In the process of building a well-off society in an all-round way, the modernization of rural education plays an important role in overall. Without the modernization of rural education, it is difficult to realize the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. Compulsory education is the top priority of education and a basic public undertaking that must be prioritized. The implementation of the rural revitalization strategy puts forward new requirements for the overall improvement of school conditions and quality of education in rural compulsory education. Promoting the integration of urban and rural compulsory education in the county is an inevitable choice for improving the quality of education and promoting education equity in the new era. Keywords—educational modernization; compulsory education; educational equity

… quality; (4) an accurate allocation based on the remote and backward degree of rural schools; (5) and "digital empowerment" to normalize urban and rural teacher communication. …

Most rural schools are victims of poor planning coupled with a lack of oversight from leadership of the school management team (SMT). However, the classification of schools as Section 21 without function C exacerbated the challenge of poor resource provision experienced by rural schools. Most Section 21 schools are rural, semi-rural, semi-urban and farm schools that experience the worst form of financial and physical resource deprivation. This study seeks to understand bottlenecks that derail equitable resource allocation and distribution to these schools. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) delegates fiduciary responsibility to the SMT to address all matters related to resource allocation guided by equity and social justice principles. Critical emancipatory research underpins this study and uses the contextual approach to unpack underlying assumptions that hinder equitable resource allocation within the schools in a rural context. There is also troubling evidence of a disconnect between the DBE and SMT, enabling the deliberate sabotage of rural education. Financial and physical resource allocation to rural schools provides extra motivation for school functionality by linking resources and learning. Rural schools, by design, are facing a plethora of challenges to resource allocation while the government opened up a policy of access to redress past imbalances.

Imbalances in allocating public service resources are a universal problem worldwide, especially in urban and rural areas. As a developing country with a significant imbalance between urban and rural areas, China is representative of the unbalanced allocation of public service resources. Presently, China has entered the county urbanization stage. Therefore, this study can provide a new way to realize the equalization of urban and rural public services with the county as the basic unit. Taking counties as the primary study area, this paper analyzes the new trends of population mobility in China’s counties. It combines large-scale questionnaires and field surveys to investigate the new demand of rural residents for public services and the shortcomings of public service resource allocation. First, the county seat attracts a concentration of the county’s rural residents and returning population, whose high expectations for the county seat’s education and medical services have not yet been met. Second, the township assumes the vital function of elementary school education and medical services in rural areas, and the rural children have a great demand for elementary school education services in the township. However, there are still apparent shortcomings in support of teaching facilities and the quality of education services. Third, the problem of aging and hollowing out in rural areas is serious, and the education, medical and elderly service needs of left-behind children and the elderly are difficult to be guaranteed. Finally, this paper proposes targeted planning strategies and policy recommendations for allocating county public service resources at three levels based on the “county–town–village” hierarchy.

Indonesia faces significant challenges in providing equitable access to education, particularly in rural areas. The disparities in access to educational services between urban and rural areas in Indonesia are varied, encompassing social, economic, and cultural aspects. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of state administration in enhancing access to education in rural areas of Indonesia.The research methodology employs a literature study using qualitative data analysis techniques, starting with coding and categorization. Researchers then conduct thematic analysis by identifying thematic patterns emerging from the literature. Synthesis and interpretation from various literature sources are then performed to provide a comprehensive overview of the state's administrative performance.The research findings indicate that the government must continuously develop inclusive policies, ensure adequate budget allocation, conduct effective supervision and evaluation, and encourage active community participation. Based on the literature review on the role of state administration in improving access to education in rural areas of Indonesia, several key conclusions can be drawn: the government should implement inclusive policies, allocate and manage resources effectively, perform supervision and evaluation, develop teacher human resources, and collaborate with the community.

Abstract In the realm of education, the efficacy of human resource management (HRM) is paramount in determining the quality of instruction, enhancing learners’ experiences and driving overall educational success. Despite its importance, existing research on HRM in education has predominantly been from an administrative or policy perspective. Consequently, this study purposed to fill this research void by exploring the perceptions of HRM practices amongst 97 rural English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and offering tangible recommendations for enhancement based on these teachers’ insights. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach of questionnaires and interviews, the research disclosed that many rural EFL teachers exhibited an indifferent attitude towards HRM practices. However, a detailed analysis from interviews uncovered areas for potential enhancements in HRM, specifically in job satisfaction, professional development, motivation and performance recognition. This paper concludes by outlining practical recommendations, such as enhancing communication conduits between teachers and human resource departments to better acknowledge and address teachers’ concerns, and proposes further research on other potential factors that might affect teachers’ perceptions of HRM practices.

In the context of rural revitalization and education digitalization, rural education faces the dilemma where “hardware investment is not equal to education quality.” Existing research often adopts an “external transfusion” perspective, overlooking endogenous characteristics and cultural context. While artificial intelligence (AI) offers new potential, its application frequently falls into the shallow pattern of “technology grafting.” To explore deeper integration, this study constructed a “resources-culture-subjects” trinity framework and conducted a questionnaire survey with 100 students and 100 teachers, collecting data on cultural identity, resource status, and technology acceptance. Results show that students hold deep affection for their hometown culture (81 % like it very much) and strong expectations for AI-enhanced learning (85%). Teachers, however, note a clear “urbanization” bias in existing digital resources (67%) and find local resources inconvenient to access (only 25 % find it convenient). Based on these findings, the study builds a “culturally adaptive AI educational resource allocation model,” redefining AI from a “resource allocator” to a “cultural activator” and “subject enabler.” We conclude that the deep integration of technology and humanities is key to leveraging AI for optimizing rural education resource allocation. A systematic implementation path is proposed across technological, organizational, and institutional dimensions to shift rural education from “passive reception” to “active construction,” thus supporting the transition from “external transfusion” to “endogenous hematopoiesis.”

… in urban and rural schools. Most research into the causes of China’s urban-rural achievement gap … In contrast, the current study examined differences in school organization processes …

Abstract The number of rural teachers has decreased substantially, especially in deep poverty areas in China, due to the limited governmental political and financial support. This study used the observation of filed visits and semi-structured interview data of rural teachers, rural school principals and county-level local officials to provide insider perspectives on rural teachers’ problems, needs and strategies at deep poverty areas of Liangshan prefecture, Sichuan province in China. It finds that the structural shortage of rural teachers, the imbalanced outflow of rural teachers, the dilemma between “teaching and training”, and the weak teaching capacity of rural teachers contribute to decreasing the development of rural teachers at deep poverty areas. The insider stakeholders suggested that enriching the training approach, breaking down the institutional barriers and ensuring the rationality of teacher mobility, decentralization of training authority and construction of county-level teacher education system, and using information technology all contribute to exploring the rationale of rural teachers development in deep poverty areas in China. Understanding local context rural school actual needs, internal features and functions, as exemplified by the means of analysis on rural teachers at deep poor areas, which provide heterogeneous, accounting for their status, resources and contexts within and between various areas in China.

… in rural China, we believe that the contextualised description of challenges faced by the principal in this school will … experts who would assist in modernising school management and …

This study aims to explore the challenges faced by principals in rural schools in Taiwan and the professional support they require to improve leadership and school management. Utilizing focus group interviews, data was collected from 16 participants (7 women and 9 men), focusing on issues such as limited cultural capital, student retention, teacher shortages, poor student performance, and insufficient school funding. This research highlights the specific challenges of teacher retention, student mobility, and administrative burdens. The key professional support identified includes targeted professional development, curriculum inspection, parental engagement, and collaboration with colleagues and experienced principals. This study suggests that creating professional development communities, fostering collaborative networks, and increasing administrative support can significantly enhance rural school leadership and improve education quality. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers to tailor support systems to meet the unique needs of rural school principals in Taiwan, drawing on successful strategies from both local and international contexts to ensure sustainable educational leadership and development.

Rural teacher recruitment and retention has become a common concern globally including in China. In order to understand the underlying reasons that cause rural teachers’ attrition, this study aims to explore the school culture and professional development of the teachers from urban and rural areas of China provinces, by examining three study objectives: teaching location and socio-demographic factor; challenges faced by rural teachers; and strategies to develop teaching professionalism in rural schools. A mixed-method approach involving survey forms and interview sessions was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS and ATLAS.ti which included inferential and thematic analysis. A number of 1547 teachers under Compulsory Education in Jiangxi, China were involved as participants. Results indicated that teaching location is significantly related to the socio-demographic condition. Additionally, five challenges reported by rural school teachers include parental involvement, working environment, salary, personal growth, and family environment. Meanwhile, three main strategies used for professional development are educational beliefs, collaboration relationships, and teacher self-training. The outcome of this study would contribute towards effective and feasible measures to stabilize rural teachers, promote educational and social equity, and promote the integration of urban and rural teachers. Findings conclude the importance to explore further and propose the corresponding measures to improve the working and living status of rural teachers.

… take charge of arts teaching, but also Chinese class and school management. From the interview data, it is found that almost every young teacher undertakes two or more work tasks …

Based on a survey of rural school districts in Western China… governance and school district management, most particularly on how managerial power is distributed in the rural education …

The purpose of this research is to examine how the local community views the local school and higher education from the viewpoint of school leaders. Learning ‘using’ technologies has become a global phenomenon. The Internet is often seen as a value-neutral tool that potentially allows individuals to overcome the constraints of traditional elitist spaces and gain unhindered access to learning. Additionally, the study looks at the peculiarities of rural regions that are sparsely inhabited. The data came from a survey of 1270 Chinese school administrators. According to school leaders, local schools and higher education often score best in major cities and lowest in sparsely populated rural towns, revealing considerable disparities across the four categories of international urban regions. The articles also disclose certain information about sparsely populated rural places, such as a different sort of expectation of the local school, but also its worth, and establish a positive relationship between the school and the community. School staff have likewise expressed low expectations for the local school. These findings relate to continuing conversations in Asian nations about school leadership and education. The national governments and nongovernmental agencies who fund educational endeavors in developing countries have advocated the use of new technologies to reduce the cost of reaching and educating large numbers of children and adults who are currently missing out on education. This paper presents an overview of the educational developments in open, distance, and technology-facilitated learning that aim to reach the educationally deprived populations of the world. It reveals the challenges encountered by children and adults in developing countries as they attempt to access available educational opportunities.

The paper presents the methodology of education quality management based on the identication of teachers’ professional deficits. The methodology for evaluating the formation of subject and methodological competencies is described. Assessment materials are developed in accordance with the requirements of the professional standard of the teacher and the Federal state educational standards of basic general and secondary general education. It is supposed to implement an automated identification of professional deficits within teaching staff. The article presents empirical data on the results of the approbation of this technique. 624 teachers from rural and urban educational organizations of the Republic of Bashkortostan and 90 students of pedagogical specialties of the university participated in the testing. The analysis of the approbation results of the methodology and assessment materials showed that the developed methodology is applicable to identify professional deficits of teachers and students of teacher-training institutions for further construction of individual educational trajectories of the approbation participants.

… The purpose of the study was to assess the status of the instructional leadership in primary schools in Botswana since the launching of the PSMDP. The study covered the following …

… rurality is marginalised in the relentless move to modernity. China provides a unique opportunity to … The Action Plan for Revitalising Education was drafted, outlining rural-centric policies …

Rural revitalization to promote sustainable rural development is a key strategy promoted by the Communist Party of China. We conducted a comprehensive policy analysis to explore the development of sustainable rural education for promoting rural revitalization in China. Integrity, openness, and endogeneity are critical in the development of sustainable rural education. We investigated the formulation and implementation of sustainable development policies supporting rural education in China through an in-depth analysis of the rural education policy circle (policy design, content, and implementation) and administered a survey among rural education administrators and teachers to elicit their perspectives. Education personnel employed in rural areas within 10 provinces, including school and education administrators, teaching staff and researchers, and teachers (in kindergartens, primary schools, and middle schools) were recruited for the study. A total of 741 questionnaires were sent out and returned (a recovery rate of 100%). Our findings indicated that the policy design was unreasonable, and its focus on rural-based care was inadequate. Moreover, integration and symbiosis of policy content was lacking, and the governance system was also inadequate, leading to poor policy implementation associated with insufficient support of teacher resources. In addition to addressing the above issues, we suggest that the policy should have a rural orientation to enhance integration and symbiosis, with a focus on building and consolidating the ranks of rural teachers.

Abstract The reform of school district system is an important measure in promoting the high-quality, balanced development of compulsory education, as well as promoting the modernization of regional educational governance systems and governance capabilities. China’s school districts exhibit characteristics differing from Europe and the United States in terms of their functional orientation, management system, and structural configuration. Reforms to the Chinese school district system have been designed from the top down on the level of policies at the national and local level, giving shape to four models on the practical level, including the bundling model, the trusteeship model, the network model, and the expanded model. In existing research, the topic of discussion largely consists of research from the perspective of equity, and in the future, it will be necessary to carry out systematic, in-depth exploration of regional educational governance systems in the context of the school district system on the level of governance, the impact of the school district system on schools’ operational autonomy, as well as the future trends of development of the school district system, and other areas. The existing types of research tend to consist of descriptive research, and in the future, it will be necessary to increase explanatory research based on influencing factors and mechanisms of influence as well as evaluative research based on proposals for reforms. In terms of research methods, in the future, it will be necessary to carry out empirical research based on large-scale questionnaire survey studies as well as qualitative research based on in-depth interviews.

… organizational structure of their schools and the demographics and educational needs of their … of rural schools to attract and retain highquality teachers. I conclude with an assessment of …

This article describes the approach of a five-year initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, to improve the teaching of mathematics and science in 10 rural school districts of Missouri. Traditional challenges of improving the professional practice of teachers are addressed through a regional partnership. External project evaluation results reveal specific teacher challenges, the change strategy of the Ozark Rural Systemic Initiative (ORSI), and what teachers value most. Continuous, regional content-specific professional development; follow-up technical assistance to schools; administrative walk-throughs; assistance of lead teachers; and external evaluation reinforce that what counts most are effective teaching practices in classrooms with students. School district leadership and regional partners will be the key to continued success and long-term sustainability of the evolving learning communities and new teaching practices in schools.  

… By recognising and promoting ‘what works’ in rural schools—what is considered quality and successful—we can continue to push back against pervasive deficit discourses. …

This study explores the integration of localized Quality Assurance (QA) practices within rural education systems, focusing on their impact on educational outcomes and the perceptions of stakeholders, including school leaders, teachers, parents, and local authorities. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research investigates how context-specific QA practices, adapted to the unique needs of rural schools, influence student engagement, academic performance, and overall school effectiveness. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and field observations across several rural schools in [insert region]. The findings suggest that localized QA practices, such as tailoring curricula to local cultural, social, and economic contexts, significantly improve student participation and learning outcomes. However, challenges such as limited resources, teacher training, and infrastructure were identified as barriers to the successful implementation of these practices. Despite these challenges, the integration of localized QA approaches was widely supported by stakeholders, who noted improved educational engagement and a stronger connection between students and their learning material. The study concludes that adapting QA frameworks to local contexts can enhance the relevance and effectiveness of education in rural settings, with policy recommendations for greater resource allocation, teacher professional development, and ongoing evaluation of localized approaches

This article reports a study of rural school principals’ assessment leadership roles and the impact of rural context on their work. The study involved three focus groups of principals serving small rural schools of varied size and grade configuration in three systems. Principals viewed assessment as a matter of teacher accountability and as a focus for the school professional team. They saw themselves as teachers first, stressing their importance as sources of teacher support, serving a ‘buffer role,’ ameliorating external constraints to effective assessment and learning. Bureaucratic environments and trappings of large-scale assessment were seen to be incompatible with the familial nature of rural professional contexts. Other constraints were the logistical challenges of small student populations, higher instances of multi-graded classrooms, and the absence of grade-alike professional interaction. Conversely, smallness enabled professional interaction and transformational leadership. Finally, the quality of system-level support emerged as a critical catalyst for assessment leadership at the school level.  

This article is based on a study conducted by the National Rural Education Research Consortium. It was developed specifically for a June 1985 presentation to the U.S. Department of Education Intra-agency Committee on Rural Education. The complete study is available upon request.

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that can impact the adoption of mobile apps for teaching-learning process focusing on the girls’ school in rural India. The hypotheses were proposed and a conceptual model has been developed. There is a survey work conducted to collect the data from different respondents using a convenience sampling method. The model has been validated statistically through PLS-SEM analysis covering feedbacks of 271 effective respondents. The study highlights the impact of different antecedents of the behavioural intention of the students of using mobile applications for teaching-learning process. The results also show that among other issues, price value has insignificant influence on the intention of the girl students of the rural India. During survey feedbacks have been obtained from the 271 respondents, which is meagre compared to vastness of the population and school of rural India. Only few predictors have been considered leaving possibilities of inclusion of other boundary conditions to enhance the explanative power more than that has been achieved in the proposed model with the explanative power of 81%. The model has provided laudable inputs to the educational policy makers and technology enablers and administrators to understand the impact of the mobile applications on the rural girls’ school of India and facilitate the development of m-learning. Very few studies been conducted to explore the impact of mobile applications on the school education of rural India especially focusing on the girls’ schools.

… , empirical educational research into the particular problems and needs of America's small and rural schools … to be typical in rural schools, school administrators bent on consolidation …

Purpose: The objective of this study is to provide an overall national portrait of elementary and secondary teacher shortages and teacher turnover in rural schools, comparing rural schools to suburban and urban schools. This study utilizes an organizational theoretical perspective focusing on the role of school organization and leadership in the causes of, and solutions to, teacher shortages and staffing problems. Data/Methods: The study entailed secondary statistical analyses of the nationally representative Schools and Staffing Survey, its successor the National Teacher Principal Survey, and their supplement the Teacher Follow-Up Survey, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. Findings: The analyses document that, contrast to urban and suburban schools, the student population and teaching force in rural schools has dramatically shrunk in recent decades, that despite this decrease in students, and demand for teachers, rural schools have faced serious difficulties filling their teaching positions, and that these teacher staffing problems are driven by high levels of preretirement teacher turnover. Moreover, the data document that teacher turnover varies greatly between different kinds of schools, is especially high in high-poverty rural schools, and is closely tied to the organizational characteristics and working conditions of rural schools. Implications: Research and reform on teacher shortages and turnover have focused on urban environments because of an assumption that schools in those settings suffer from the most serious staffing problems. This study shows that teacher shortages and teacher turnover in rural schools, while relatively neglected, have been as significant a problem as in other schools.