The shortage of school psychologists nationally is problematic for myriad reasons and has been well documented in literature (Castillo et al., 2016; Castillo et al., 2017; Eklund et al., 2017; Eklund et al., 2020; Merrell, Ervin, & Peacock, 2012; National Association of School Psychologists, 2021). Due to such shortages, consultations are more…

Many researchers have argued that teachers are the most important school-related factor to increasing a student's academic performance. In turn, schools often turn to professional development (PD) to strengthen educators' performance and knowledge levels. Indeed, PD can be a prime tool to improve school performance. However, its efficacy is…

Nationwide, low numbers of students are entering STEM-related fields. This is especially true for underrepresented populations and students from rural areas where access to STEM enrichment programs is limited. This qualitative study researched the impact of Micro STEM Fests on 1st to 5th grade students and investigated participating teachers'…

This qualitative study examines preparation of pre-service teachers for altering rural teaching through transformative curriculum and pedagogy. The study gathered the perspectives of 45 participants belonging to two universities in Tanzania, namely University of Dar es Salaam (Dar es Salaam University College of Education) and Sokoine University…

South Africa has low literacy levels and teachers face multiple challenges in their endeavours to elevate levels of literacy. This is especially prevalent in rural and township schools where teachers face the additional challenges of isolation, limited resources and access to professional development. This article reports on the findings and…

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners are encouraged to implement play pedagogies and their views of play as a pedagogy in rural settings have not been captured widely. They are the main role players in implementing play pedagogies for learners' learning and development. The commitment to play can be traced through theory and…

Background: With the growing integration of technology in education, the adoption of blended learning (b-learning) has gained attention. B-learning combines traditional classroom teaching with online components, holding potential to enhance student outcomes and educational efficiency. Yet, current research predominantly concentrates on higher…

Since at least 2015, public education has experienced declining numbers in the quality of students' education as well as educator and student retention (Finn, 2019; Joubert, 2020). The problem is that due to limited financial resources, school districts need nonmonetary options to incentivize teachers and campus administrators to improve job…

Minority teachers are not in abundance in our nation. For the few that exist (compared to the vast number of Caucasian teachers), some are moving to small and rural predominantly White communities. For a person of color, this can bring a set of challenges unique to that person which can determine their desire to stay. Inquiry into the challenges,…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive design study was to explore the perceptions of faculty, staff, and students regarding how academic and social integration affected student retention. The theoretical framework used for this study was Tinto's theory of student integration. The two research questions focused on how faculty, staff, and…

Teacher retention in the rural setting is a topic of concern. Teachers are choosing to leave the profession for a variety of reasons. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify factors teachers in a rural school district in Mississippi perceived as promoting teacher retention. Additionally, this study examined teachers' perceptions…

K-3 teachers face challenges in meeting the learning needs of their emergent bilingual (EB) students in rural southeastern schools in the United States. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K-3 teacher perspectives on challenges to meet the English language learning needs of their EB students and to identify what K-3 teachers…

Rural, economically disadvantaged students in Southern Appalachia experienced numerous situations that could negatively affect them socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. Educators who routinely worked with rural, economically disadvantaged students should understand the difficulties these students experienced, as well as employ…

The current literature documents the historical peripheralization of rural communities and the deficit narratives often imposed upon their schools, students and families. Research further suggests this history of peripheralization is often internalized by those identifying with these communities and that this internalization of deficit…

Background: Teachers in developing countries face a complex challenge at work--teaching students who are first-generation learners, in classrooms with wide heterogeneity in learning levels, and in frequently resource-poor settings (Muralidharan et al., 2019; World Development Report, 2018). The presence of many of these potentially binding…