Teacher job satisfaction and retention in small rural schools: A theory of recognition approach

Abstract

Small rural schools have been the focus of intensive research in Australia and internationally over the past few decades. The foci often have been on school closure/amalgamation, school leadership, curriculum and pedagogy, and school-community relationships. A less trodden research path has been the connection between small schools and rural teaching retention. This is surprising given that staffing has been a perennial challenge for rural schools. Using a theory of recognition approach, this article provides evidence of the impact of small schools on teachers’ job satisfaction and their decision to stay working and living in a rural area. A theory of recognition offers a normative grammar t..