Abstract:
Michael Corbett, John Halsey and I were pleased to have the opportunity to write together and draw on our shared passion for research in the field of rural education. In this presentation I shall present a summary of our conversion, or trialogue, as four themes, and progress a little further on thinking about method in researching rural education. Firstly, there is much to say about diversity and rural researchers. Our backgrounds and links with rural life shape how we each approach rurality and issues around rural education. We noted that like researchers in general, we also bring different theoretical lenses to our research, as an outcome of our orientations to rurality and our research goals. These need to be acknowledged in research work, in planning, conducting, and in communicating research findings. A second theme, in our conversation revolved around engagement, objectivity and criticality. That is, we see that it is important our relationships with rural participants in our research are based on genuine engagement with them as individuals, and on at least some knowledge of their rural situation, rather than allowing a research project to be seen as a set of actions with the researcher as the main or only beneficiary. Information about rural people, including the grey literature, needs to be read critically to avoid acceptance of inaccurate data, skewed background information, or inappropriate interpretations based on clichés about rurality. Transparency about objectivity is important or the rural researcher may find their research dismissed, either as an insider or an outsider. Thirdly, we considered the importance of working to ensure the impact of our research on rural education. Rural research based on hope for the future, can be rooted in the rhythms and realities of current rural circumstances, and then becomes infused with energy and an active seeking of ways to champion, change or adapt. The fourth theme is the value of collaboration amongst researchers and the sharing of ideas. We gained from the seeking of clarification of ideas, the challenging of each other's standpoint points and our diversity of experiences of the rural. This presentation will enlarge on each of these themes and ways they can contribute to quality and thoughtful research within and for rural communities in the future.