Graeme Lock

Regenerating Rural Social Space? Teacher Education for Rural—Regional Sustainability

The complex interconnection among issues affecting rural—regional sustainability requires an equally complex program of research to ensure the attraction and retention of high-quality teachers for rural children. The educational effects of the construction of the rural within a deficit discourse are highlighted. A concept of rural social space is modelled, bringing together social, economic and environmental dimensions of (rural—regional) sustainability. This framework combines quantitative definitional processes with more situated definitions of rural space based on demographic and other social data, across both geographic and cultural formations. The implications of the model are examined in terms of its importance for teacher education.

The influence of ecological citizenship and political solidarity on Western Australian student teachers’ perceptions of sustainability issues

ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of a qualitative research study on student teachers’ perceptions of sustainability, specifically influenced by ecological citizenship and political solidarity. Research was conducted with 18 Graduate Diploma of Education (Primary) student teachers at one university, as they only have one year in which to train as teachers. A clear conceptualisation of Education for Sustainability is required for teachers to effectively implement the Australian Curriculum, which has sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority. Subsequently, Education for Sustainability is a key issue for teacher education and particularly within the short Graduate Diploma course. The findings showed that student teachers’ perceptions of sustainability are shaped by aspects of ecological citizenship and political solidarity, and are informed by the local context. The findings also showed that the student teachers were moving from a more environmentally-centred conception of sustainability to a definition that included the other pillars of economic and socio-political sustainability. This article concludes with an argument for integrating the complex concepts of ecological citizenship and political solidarity within teacher education, so that student teachers graduate with the appropriate content knowledge to explore global citizenship and the ecological space with their future primary students.

The Western Australian Art and Crafts Superintendents’ advocacy for years k-12 Visual Arts in education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to record Visual Arts education in Western Australia (WA) as it underwent significant change between 1967 and 1987, in administration, policy, curriculum and professional development. Design/methodology/approach – A narrative inquiry approach was utilized to produce a collective recount of primary Visual Arts teacher education, based on 17 interviews with significant advocates and contributors to WA Visual Arts education during the aforementioned period. Findings – This paper underscores the history of the role of Western Australian Superintendents of Art and Crafts and the emergence of Visual Arts specialist teachers in primary schools, from the successful establishment of a specialist secondary Visual Arts program at Applecross Senior High School, to the mentoring of generalist primary teachers into a specialist role, as well as the development and implementation of a new Kindergarten through to Year 7 Art and Crafts Syllabus. It also discusses the disestablishment...