Abstract:
Individuals who reside in the rural areas of Australia may benefit from an array of education delivery modes that include distance and online delivery to facilitate their engagement with tertiary courses. Educational attainment outcomes are considered significant in research and government policy; in terms of anticipated outcomes for both individuals and their communities. Despite the stated importance of educational attainment in the lives of residents and their communities, there is a scarcity of research knowledge that understands the perceptions of adult learners who reside in the rural areas of Australia. This study changes what is known in research by reporting the findings of a PhD project that examines the perceptions of learners who are engaged in tertiary education, illuminating their ideas about both their rural communities and their engagement with education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 contributors occupying rural towns in Australia to gather their perceptions about their towns, communities and educational endeavours. In addition, the interviewees were able to inform on the dynamic intersections between individual educational engagement and the social aspects of rural communities. An analysis of the interviewees accounts shows their ideas about the education options that are available to them; their experience of campuses that are located in rural towns and; the supportive mechanisms they have encountered within their educational institutions. Appreciating their perceptions of available learning options, local education experiences and institutional support demonstrates some of the ways in which educational establishments may facilitate or restrict the educational attainment of learners as residents in rural areas. Suggestions are made that seek to bridge the expanse between individuals living in rural towns and their distant institutions.