Forming networks between rural schools and their local areas: shared projects and their impact in the Asturian context

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2024.v14n1p156-182

Keywords:

rural school, collaborative project, local development, leadership

Abstract

Rural schools play an important role in their local areas, helping stimulate the community and promoting activities with economic, social, and cultural impact on the area. This study aimed to identify the projects undertaken by 44 rural schools in Asturias (Spain) in collaboration with local agents and organizations by consulting the school management teams. It also sought their opinions about the impact of these projects. The study used a mixed methodology: quantitative, analyzing the data collected from a semi-open questionnaire, and qualitative, listing and describing the projects. The questionnaire included questions about the organizations the schools collaborated with, the goals and subjects of the shared projects, and funding sources, and it asked for their opinions about their impact. The results indicate that rural schools in Asturias have undertaken projects covering various subjects in collaboration with local authorities, cultural centers, libraries, public health centers, small businesses, and On-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The respondents were very satisfied with the activities. They viewed their schools as a stimulus for their areas, stating that the projects encouraged a sense of belonging to the area and helped construct a collective identity. They also felt that they responded to shared needs, offered services to the community, allowed people to settle or remain in the area, and, to a lesser extent, helped local businesses and the local economy. Finally, the study concludes that these schools play an active role in their local areas, and highlights the importance of external support to implement initiatives that benefit the rural population.

Author Biographies

María Esther del-Moral-Pérez, University of Oviedo (Spain)

Dr. María Esther del Moral-Pérez is a University Professor at the Faculty of Education (Deparment of Education) of the University of Oviedo (Spain). She teaches ICT applied to Education. She has 4 six-year research periods. She coordinates the TECN@ Research Group: Technology and Learning. Principal investigator of competitive projects, author of impact articles in prestigious journals. Their research areas are: media, digital literacy, TV and childhood, video games, social networks, augmented reality, digital applications, gamification, education in rural areas, etc. She carried out research stays in: Calgary (Canada), Poitiers (France), Freiburg (Germany), ITD Genoa (Italy). She taught courses in Latin American universities (Chile, Mexico and Peru).

Nerea L´`ópez-Bouzas, University of Oviedo (Spain)

Nerea López-Bouzas is a PhD student in Education and Psychology with a University Teacher Training Scholarship (FPU) at the Faculty of Education of the University of Oviedo (Spain). She has a Teacher of Early Childhood Education and a Master's in Research and Innovation in Early Childhood and Primary Education. She collaborates with the Department of  Education and is a member of the TECN@: Technology and Learning research group at the University of Oviedo. Her lines of research focus on the integration of technological resources in the teaching-learning process, inclusive education, digital applications, augmented reality, gamification, analysis of audiovisual narratives, etc.

Jonathan Castañeda-Fernández , University of Oviedo (Spain)

Dr. Jonathan Castañeda-Fernández, is a lecturer at the Faculty of Education (Department of Education) of the University of Oviedo (Spain), where he is attached to the area of ​​Research and Diagnosis Methods in Education (MIDE). He has a Degree in Pedagogy (obtaining the National Prize for the Completion of University Studies) and a Doctorate with international mention from the University of Oviedo, achieved thanks to a University Teacher Training scholarship (FPU) and predoctoral research stay at the Universidade Lusiada de Lisboa. At the teaching level, he has taught subjects primarily linked to educational research and evaluation. At the research level, he has participated in various projects (lines: evaluation of training activities, learning approaches, ecosystems to build global citizenship, etc.) and is currently part of the "TECN@: Technology and Learning" research group of Oviedo University.

María del Rosario Neira-Piñeiro, University of Oviedo (Spain)

Dr. María del Rosario Neira-Piñeiro, is a university lecturer at the Faculty of Education (Department of Education) of the University of Oviedo (Spain). She teaches courses in the Area of Didactics of Language and Literature and is a member of the TECN@ Research Group: Technology and Learning. She has participated in research projects on educational technology and language teaching. Her research areas are Children's literature in education, cinema and audiovisual media, ICT in education, and ICT in literary education.

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Published

2024-06-27

How to Cite

del-Moral-Pérez, M. E., L´`ópez-Bouzas, N., Castañeda-Fernández , J., & Neira-Piñeiro, M. del R. (2024). Forming networks between rural schools and their local areas: shared projects and their impact in the Asturian context. Theory & Practice in Rural Education, 14(1), 156–182. https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2024.v14n1p156-182

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2024): Vol. 14 No. 1 (2024): Theory & Practice in Rural Education

Section

Research Forum

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Copyright (c) 2024 M. Esther del-Moral-Pérez, Nerea L´`ópez-Bouzas, Jonathan Castañeda-Fernández , María del Rosario Neira-Piñeiro

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