Organizational Challenges for Schools in Rural Municipalities: Cross-National Comparisons in a Nordic Context

Autor/inn/en	Lind, Tommy; Stjernström, Olof
Titel	Organizational Challenges for Schools in Rural Municipalities: Cross-National Comparisons in a Nordic Context
Quelle	In: Journal of Research in Rural Education, 30 (2015) 6, (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1551-0670
Schlagwörter	Rural Schools; Information Technology; Municipalities; Elementary Schools; Semi Structured Interviews; Educational Change; Foreign Countries; Administrator Attitudes; School Closing; Social Capital; Costs; Political Influences; Social Influences; Case Studies; Educational Trends; Trend Analysis; Geographic Location; Enrollment Trends; Distance Education; Educational Strategies; Population Trends; Cross Cultural Studies; Finland; Norway; Sweden + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Informationstechnologie; Magistrat; Elementary school; Grundschule; Volksschule; Bildungsreform; Ausland; School closings; Schließung; Schließung (von Schulen); Sozialkapital; Cost; Kosten; Political influence; Politischer Einfluss; Sozialer Einfluss; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Bildungsentwicklung; Trendanalyse; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Lehrstrategie; Bevölkerungsprognose; Cultural comparison; Kulturvergleich; Finnland; Norwegen; Schweden
Abstract	In this study, the spatial structure of primary schools and alternative organizational frameworks are studied in a number of rural municipalities in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The aim of the study is to investigate how the spatial structure of schools has changed between the years 2008 and 2013 in these municipalities, what strategies the municipalities have developed to adapt their schools to changing conditions, and what constraints there are to apply the strategies at the local level. To answer these questions, semi-structured interviews with municipal representatives were conducted. Substantial changes to the spatial structure of school organizations through closures and mergers can be observed. The overall strategy for the future in all three national settings is a spatial structure with well equipped and well staffed schools in municipal centers and as few small village schools as possible, using information and communication technology (ICT) as a distance-bridging technology. The constraints to applying these strategies are on three different spatial levels. At the state level, the state places constraints regarding what municipalities and schools can and cannot do. At the municipal level, local politicians do not want to close schools for fear of losing the next election. At the community level, the constraints mainly lie in the resistance and strong social capital of the inhabitants who are focused on keeping their schools open irrespective of per capita costs. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Penn State University College of Education, Center on Rural Education and Communities. 310B Rackley Building, University Park, PA 16802. Tel: 814-863-2031; Web site: http://www.jrre.psu.edu/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01