Higher education institutions now depend on learning management systems to deliver their academic programs. Implementing them poses challenges in rural areas and at universities serving historically marginalised communities. This study investigates how undergraduate students use a learning management system to access their curriculum materials at a rural university serving historically marginalised students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study investigates students' access to digital learning materials through perceptions of system usefulness and operational simplicity, platform access and educational equality, and system participation. The researchers used a qualitative research approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with forty undergraduate students who used the institutional Learning Management System. The researchers used thematic analysis to examine the research material. The findings show that students understand the pedagogical benefits of learning management systems, as they help them access study materials, submit their work, and continue their studies. The research identified multiple structural and economic obstacles which hinder students from adopting the system. Students face obstacles such as inconsistent internet service, expensive data plans, and restricted access to digital tools. Their educational institutions provide different levels of assistance. The existing limits create ongoing access problems that prevent students from fully participating in academic programs, even though institutions have promised to develop digital learning systems. The research shows that educational institutions should balance their technological needs with their social responsibility to develop equitable learning environments, as users receive educational content through learning management systems. The article concludes that meaningful integration of learning management systems in rural universities requires not only user-focused technological design but also sustained structural interventions.
Educational inequality in rural contexts requires professional development programs that address both teaching competencies and teachers’ quality of life. This study evaluated the Khruwattanawithi program for beginning rural teachers in Thailand using Kirkpatrick’s model. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods evaluation design was employed with 67 participants who completed surveys and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results indicated consistently high ratings across all levels, with Reaction receiving the highest scores and Learning slightly lower, while Behaviour and Results showed strong evidence of training transfer and school-level impact. No significant differences were found across gender, field of study, school type, teaching assignment, or debt level, confirming the program’s broad applicability. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations among all levels, with the strongest link between Behaviour and Results, supporting the theoretical transfer chain. Qualitative evidence further demonstrated gains in digital literacy, classroom research, reflective practice, and systems thinking, which contributed to enhanced student engagement, school innovation, and professional advancement. The findings suggest that holistic, practice-oriented professional development integrating pedagogical competence and well-being support can promote teacher sustainability and educational equity in disadvantaged rural areas, offering insights for scaling similar initiatives in comparable contexts.
Generative artificial intelligence has become a transformative presence in higher education. The incorporation of generative artificial intelligence into educational frameworks has reshaped how students acquire knowledge, educators teach, and educational institutions operate. This study presents the qualitative findings on how students in rural and regional higher educational settings use generative artificial intelligence for their academic endeavours. A qualitative design was used in this study with a web-based survey asking open-ended questions, providing insights into student perspectives. This paper argues that generative artificial intelligence creates tension in rural and regional higher education: it can expand learning support and flexibility for students who are geographically and socially distant from campus, while simultaneously risking the amplification of existing digital divides, cultural biases, and equity gaps. Using students’ accounts from a multi-campus regional university, the study addresses insight into how generative artificial intelligence is incorporated into study practices and how this use intersects with persistent issues of access, support, and digital inclusion. These findings contribute new evidence to guide equitable and ethical generative artificial intelligence implementation in rural and regional higher education. The findings suggest that while generative artificial intelligence can enrich the educational experience by adapting to diverse learning styles, it necessitates robust frameworks to manage ethical issues ensuring equitable access. This study highlights the need for policy interventions that provide necessary infrastructure and foster an environment where generative artificial intelligence complements traditional educational methods, supporting an inclusive learning environment. Such measures may ensure these benefits are realised across diverse geographical and socioeconomic contexts.
This issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education demonstrates the depth and burgeoning state of research in our field. It showcases research from places as diverse as Pakistan, Spain, Australia, Indonesia, and Chile, to name a few. It is a real statement of the strength, richness and diversity of our field; and hopefully of the health of this journal in being an outlet for this mosaic of voices in rural education. But what is the link between these articles and research beyond the obvious topic of rural education? What are these researchers telling us from every corner of the globe? Surely, they are speaking to us about the hot topics in our field: for example, the impact of Artificial Intelligence in rural and regional higher education, teacher preparation, matters of boarding schools for Indigenous youth, and concerns with equity and leadership. After excavating in the depths of each article, we believe this collection of research implicitly and explicitly addresses issues of agency in rural and regional schooling, higher education, policy and community. Agency in rural education, sometimes takes a backseat against matters of structure, resources, funding, and inequality.
The Indonesian government implemented a new educational strategy known as Deep Learning in 2025. Participation in the associated training programme is limited to selected teachers. This study primarily explores the perspectives of educators in rural Indonesia to identify potential inequities arising from current policy practices, with urban teachers included for comparison. Drawing on Critical Policy Theory, the study analysed the views of 15 educators from rural and urban settings through semi-structured interviews. The interview data were transcribed and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings show that rural educators experience limited access to training, insufficient institutional support, and perceive discriminatory effects linked to the policy. Rural teachers also reported a limited understanding of the policy and described classroom practices as sub-optimal due to inadequate support. Overall, the findings suggest that current policy practices disproportionately disadvantage rural educators while privileging those in urban settings. These results highlight the need to revise existing policy frameworks to ensure more equitable and inclusive implementation, with particular emphasis on the development of rural education.
