"A bull stole my bike": Teachers' experiences of belonging in regional, rural and remote Australian communities

Christina Gray
Edith Cowan University, Australia
Kirsten Lambert
Murdoch University, Australia
Mary-Anne Macdonald, Marnie Harris
Edith Cowan University, Australia
Takei Beard
Pilbara Universities Centre, Australia
Kelly Jackson
Edith Cowan University, Australia
Sarah Booth
Victoria University, Australia

Workforce shortages in the education sector have reached crisis levels, particularly in regional, rural and remote (RRR) communities. While teacher attrition is the subject of much critical research and public debate, understanding the reasons teachers remain in these communities is less frequently explored. Our phenomenological study, based on interviews with 21 teachers from six RRR schools in Western Australia, reveals that the merging of personal and professional identities fosters a sense of validation and belonging. The profound impact of strong bonds with colleagues, students, and their families significantly enriches these teachers' lives and is a key reason for their decision to stay.
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Authors: Dr Christina Gray is a drama educator and works in initial teacher education coordinating the dance and drama program at Edith Cowan University. She is a passionate advocate for quality Arts education and preparing the very best teachers for the profession. Christina's current research seeks to understand ways of combatting isolation and disconnection in schools and cultivating a sense of belonging and community. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8464-1961 Email: c.gray@ecu.edu.au Dr Kirsten Lambert is a Senior Lecturer in English and Graduate Research and is the Academic Chair of Primary Education at Murdoch University. Kirsten is passionate about creative, embodied and equitable approaches to education. Kirsten's research exists at the intersection of education, power, gender and becoming. Central to her approach to education is a passion for equity, creativity and belonging. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7910-2373 Email: kirsten.lambert@murdoch.edu.au Dr Mary-Anne Macdonald is a lecturer in Initial Teacher Education at Edith Cowan University, and a former schoolteacher. Her research explores critical pedagogies that enable educators to develop a post-colonial worldview. She applies quantitative and qualitative methodologies informed by sociology, psychology and critical theory to examine the forces that shape student and teacher experience in a globalised and localised world. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7869-9355 Email: m.macdonald@ecu.edu.au Ms Marnie Harris is a Primary Professional Experience Coordinator and lecturer at Edith Cowan University's South West Campus, Bunbury, Western Australia. Her interests include professional experience in regional, rural and remote locations and pre-service teacher well-being. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4052-1500 Email: marnie.harris@ecu.edu.au Ms Takeia Beard is the Coordinator at the Pilbara Kimberley University Centres [https://www.pkuc.edu.au/] Study Hub in Port Hedland. She primarily supports education students and pre-service teachers. Takei is also a multidisciplinary teacher and has worked in both primary and secondary schools in remote and regional areas of the Pilbara. Email: takeia@pkuc.edu.au Kelly Jackson is a doctoral candidate at Edith Cowan University, teaching and working within the fields of psychology and criminology. Passionate about social change, she has assisted with research in a number of diverse areas including cognitive and social psychology, criminogenic rehabilitation, education, and tourism. Kelly embraces varied research as beneficial for developing and maintaining a holistic perspective of social issues. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0131-9924 Email: k.jackson@ecu.edu.au Dr Sarah Booth works in initial teacher education at Victoria University, unit coordinating a variety of units including Indigenous Perspectives and the Arts. Through her teaching and research she emphasises the importance of culturally reflective and reflexive teaching; understanding the complexities around student identities; and how place influences learning. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3787-8143 Email: sarah.booth@vu.edu.au Please cite as: Gray, C., Lambert, K., Macdonald, M.-A., Harris, M., Beard, T., Jackson, K. & Booth, S. (2025). "A bull stole my bike": Teachers' experiences of belonging in regional, rural and remote Australian communities. Issues in Educational Research, 35(1), 160-180. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/gray.pdf