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1. Defining Rural: Rural Teachers’ Perspectives and Experiences

   https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060645  

   Inouye, Martha; Macias, Meghan; Boz, Tugba; Lee, Min Jung; Hammack, Rebekah; Iveland, Ashley; Johansen, Natalie (June 2024, Education Sciences)

   Public agencies and other funding organizations have often defined rural in reference to “urban” and using parameters such as population density, access to cities, and distance to market areas. Using such definitions of rurality within the context of K-12 education as a way to support these systems is challenging because of the diverse geographic and socio-cultural identities of these places despite a common “rural” designation. This study aims to analyze elementary teachers’ perceptions of their school context and role within that context to better understand the diversity of what it means to be rural. Semi-structured interviews with 3rd–5th-grade teachers (n = 35) were used. Data sources also included identity and community walk slides created by these teachers. Structured interview prompts were tailored to these activities. A priori and emergent coding analyses were used to examine teachers’ conception of their rural context and their role within that context. The results show that rural, as defined by teachers, is a diverse and connected place in which diverse community assets support teachers in their instruction in unique ways. By better understanding the diversity of what it means to be rural, we begin to understand the ways in which context shapes experience and best determine how to support rural educational experiences for both teachers and students. 

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2. Designing from the rural

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3328487  

   Hardy, Jean; Phelan, Chanda; Vigil-Hayes, Morgan; Su, Norman Makoto; Wyche, Susan; Sengers, Phoebe (June 2019, Interactions)

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3. Co-designing a rural research practice partnership to design and support STEM pathways for rural youth

   https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2022.v12n2p45-70  

   Bhaduri, Srinjita; Biddy, Quentin; Elliott, Colin Hennessy; Jacobs, Jennifer; Rummel, Melissa; Ristvey, John; Sumner, Tamara; Recker, Mimi (November 2022, Theory & Practice in Rural Education)

   Rural students, schools, and communities have unique challenges that hinder academic achievement, growth, and opportunities, compared to other locales. While there is a need to study this community more, there is also a pressing need to bring the local community members together to support the future generation of learners in developing pathways that lead them to future career opportunities. This article focuses on how a Research Practice Partnership (RPP) can be developed in rural communities to support STEM pathways for local middle-school youth. RPPs are often described as long-term collaborations between both researchers and practitioners in which the participating partners leverage research to address specific persistent problems of practice. We present findings from a developing design-based RPP focused on bringing community members and organizations together to co-design opportunities for underserved youth in rural mountain communities. 

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4. Rural selection drives the evolution of an urban–rural cline in coat color in gray squirrels

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10544  

   Cosentino, Bradley_J; Vanek, John_P; Gibbs, James_P (October 2023, Ecology and Evolution)

   Abstract Phenotypic differences between urban and rural populations are well‐documented, but the evolutionary processes driving trait variation along urbanization gradients are often unclear. We combined spatial data on abundance, trait variation, and measurements of fitness to understand cline structure and test for natural selection on heritable coat color morphs (melanic, gray) of eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) along an urbanization gradient. Population surveys using remote cameras and visual counts at 76 sites along the urbanization gradient revealed a significant cline in melanism, decreasing from 48% in the city center to <5% in rural woodlands. Among 76 squirrels translocated to test for phenotypic selection, survival was lower for the melanic than gray morph in rural woodlands, whereas there was no difference in survival between color morphs in the city. These results suggest the urban–rural cline in melanism is explained by natural selection favoring the gray morph in rural woodlands combined with relaxed selection in the city. Our study illustrates how trait variation between urban and rural populations can emerge from selection primarily in rural populations rather than adaptation to novel features of the urban environment. 

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5. Nurturing STEM talent in rural setting

   https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217211065823  

   Lakin, Joni M.; Stambaugh, Tamra; Ihrig, Lori M.; Mahatmya, Duhita; Assouline, Susan G. (December 2021, Phi Delta Kappan)

   Rural schools, especially smaller ones, offer enormous opportunities for teachers to get to know their students and to cultivate their academic talents. However, students with potential in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) face specific obstacles to having their talents fully realized in rural schools. Joni Lakin, Tamra Stambaugh, Lori Ihrig, Duhita Mahatmya, and Susan G. Assouline describe the STEM Excellence and Leadership project from the University of Iowa, which seeks to equip rural teachers in grades 5-8 with the skills and knowledge to recognize and grow STEM talent in rural areas. Examples of success and lessons learned are shared. 

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