Teachers in the bush: Supports, challenges and professional learning

A free response survey was administered to 100 self-identified mid and late career teachers in regional New South Wales to determine why they had chosen to work in a rural location, and identify the positive and negative aspects of their choice. This paper focuses on the 53 survey responses from these mid and late career teachers. A range of reasons was given for teaching in rural NSW, some altruistic, some opportunistic, with others related to a lifestyle choice. The teachers also reported on their perceived professional learning needs and the extent to which these had been addressed. An action research model of professional learning is proposed to address some of the professional learning challenges facing teachers in rural Australia.