PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON LEARNING IN A RURAL SCHOOL
by
Linda Rummel
B.Ed. McGill University, 1993

PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION

© Linda Rummel, 2003
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
July 2003

All rights reserved. This work may not be
reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy
or other means, without the pennission of the author.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA
LIBRARY
Prfnce George, BC

RURAL EDUCATION

u

Abstract
Rural schools may be perceived by parents as ineffective in providing appropriate social and
academic skills for children at their respective grade levels. The findings obtained from three
separate parent interviews provided data from their own children' s experiences in a rural school.
According to parents' feelings, opinions, experiences and attitudes on rural education, there is
an increased opportunity for academic learning for their children in the rural classroom, as well
as more teacher availability for each student. From the parents' perspective, the benefit of the
enriched learning is a well-educated child. Parents also believe that community member
interaction within the rural school setting provides a unique social learning opportunity for
students. More research would provide information on the strengths and weaknesses of both the
educational and social opportunities available to students of rural schools as perceived by
parents.

RURAL EDUCATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract

11

Table of Contents

Ill

Chapter One

Introduction
Problem Statement

1
5

Chapter Two

An Historical Perspective of Rural Education

5

Chapter Three

Design and Methodology
Procedures
Site Selection
Sampling
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Limitations

12
12
12
12

Findings of the Study
Introduction
The Research Question
The Respondents
Experiences, Beliefs, Opinions, Attitudes
Urban School Experiences
Social Activities for Students Within the
Rural Community
Social Interaction Among Students Within the
Multi-Grade Classroom
Academic Learning in the Multi-Grade Classroom
The Rural School Closure
Interpretation of the Data

17
17
17
18
18
18

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Summary
Conclusions
Researcher Conclusions
Implications for Further Research

13

15
16

19
22
26
32
34

38
38
39

40

42

References
Appendix A

Interview Questions
Questions to Establish Rapport
Questions on Social Activities
Questions on Academic Activities

44
44
44
46

Appendix B

Letters of Consent

48

iii

RURAL EDUCATION

AppendixC

Letter oflnformal Consent

51

Sample Case Study Narrative
Respondent Background
Experiences
Beliefs, Opinions, Attitudes

52
52
53

54

iv

RURAL EDUCATION

Chapter 1
Introduction
This project emerged from my belief that parents may perceive that there exist
difficulties in the academic and social learning of students in rural one-room schoolhouses.
There is evidence to support the claim that rural schools are perceived as being ineffective in
providing appropriate social and academic skills for children at their respective grade levels.
However, some parents defend a rural education as being superior in quality to the education
practices of urban area schools. In essence, I asked two questions about parents' perceptions:
First, is a one-room, rural education for K to seven students, perceived as key in
strengthening or weakening their academic success? Second, does a rural education help
foster well-educated individuals? For purposes of this study, a rural education comprises
education in an isolated one-room, multi-grade setting.
Integral to any child's scholarly development is the importance of both their academic
and social growth. The British Columbia Ministry of Education 1995, (hereafter, the
Ministry) states the rationale for the provision of a well-rounded education to all students,
and refers to the requirement of an academic and social curriculum as integral to a child's
personal development regardless of the school' s geographic placement. Moreover, the
Ministry states that the development of a well educated student "is grounded in the
recognition that emotional and social development are as important to the development of
healthy and active educated citizens as academic achievement and the development of
intellectual and physical skills" (p. 2). An introduction to my teaching background in a rural
school provides a foundation for my questions about parent perceptions. My experience
involved two separate years of teaching Grades four to seven. In the first year I taught 12

RURAL EDUCATION

2

children, in the second year I taught nine. Parents sometimes commented that in previous
years, their children's academic grade-level requirements had not been met. In particular,
they remarked that their children were weak in math and science, also in their reading and
writing abilities. A study by Kinsey (2001) supports these parents' anecdotal comments that
although multi age grouping may prove beneficial for students in rural schools, there may
remain some difficulty with academic learning. Kinsey suggests that, " in light of consistent
positive benefits for multiage grouping in the socioemotional realm, inconsistent outcomes in
the academic realm are surprising" (n.p.). Previous research may not have looked at the
problem of a rural education from the parents' perspectives. Therefore, findings obtained
from parent interviews would be worthwhile in providing data from their own children' s
experiences in a rural school.
During my own two-year experience as a rural school instructor, several parents
readily stereotyped a lack of adequate academic and social instruction as being a typical
problem of their one-room school. When probed for further comment, they pointed to the
quandary of providing adequate academic instruction to eight different grade-levels in the
same classroom. The problem, in their opinion, was that since each grade-level required
specific academic and social instruction all of the students' educational needs could not be
met. On the other hand, several parents felt that their children were being afforded the
increased academic and social benefits of an enhanced one-on-one education through the
primary K to three, and intermediate four to seven, multi-age classrooms. In addition, they
reported that the instilling of community values through a multi-grade classroom
environment had played an integral role in their child' s scholarly development. However,
there is also evidence to support the claim that rural schools are perceived as being

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3

ineffective in providing appropriate social and academic skills for children at their respective
grade levels. In a study by Sher (1981), "Someone wishing to describe these institutions
[small rural schools] as ineffective, stifling, third-rate, or worse will have little trouble
finding schools that fully deserve such criticisms" (n. p. ). Sher' s study ( 1981) also supports
the claim that a rural education is unique as "another person desirous of portraying small
rural schools as innovative, high-performance, delightful places will have equal ease in
justifying such a glowing assessment" (n.p.).
The one-room school in which I taught is a typical example of a rural school seeking
to meet the diverse educational needs of its students. At the time this study was conducted,
the closure of the rural school in the community in which I live was imminent. The closure
was a sensitive issue for the entire community. The school had remained open and survived
over the years because there had always been a minimum often school-aged children
receiving instruction from K to seven. The consolidation of this school with an elementary
school to the west of the community was a contentious issue with parents and had been for
several years. The reasoning behind consolidation was mainly economic. It is an idea that
has been repeatedly put forward by the School District's administration but has always been
met with resistance from parents. Indeed, their spirit of cooperation and persistence in
fighting to keep the school open can be viewed as a demonstration of the strength of rural
community living.
\ There is research that has investigated the unique characteristics and diversity of
teaching and learning available in small, rural schools. Included in these studies is research
conducted on the strengths and weaknesses of the levels of academic instruction received in
a one-room, multi-grade classroom. Community values are also commonly noted as being

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4

integral to the health and productivity of small rural schools. According to Kinsey (200 1),
data from teacher questionnaires and interviews suggest two major components of the multiage classroom contribute to academic achievement:
... first, the family-like atmosphere_that reduces the incidence of social isolation and
encourages risk taking that is associated with meaningful learning (Johnson &
Johnson, 1994); and, second, the dynamic ofthe returning older students (who have
more classroom and educational experience) engaging in cross-age interactions in
learning activities. (n.p.)
t In light of the previous information, it becomes clear that mixed feelings exist in both

the research and many parents' views on the efficacy of education received in rural, multiage schoolhouses. Some will defend it as being superior in quality to the education
practices of urban area schools, while others will argue that rural schools lack many
academic and social opportunities for their children. As Kinsey (200 1) remarks, "Most
research examining the impact of multi-age grouping has not made clear whether the multiage classroom provides a unique advantage in either the affective or academic realm" (n.p.).
The reports on the efficacy of rural, multi-grade education remain mixed indeed, and
the results of further studies could bring clarification to opposing opinions. Therefore, an
investigation of parents' perceptions on multi-grade education becomes intriguing, and a
worthwhile topic of study for its educational implications. For example, the insight gleaned
from a case study may provide the School District's administration with a better
understanding of the multi-faceted challenges of rural education. A comprehensive inquiry
would show the results of parent opinions, otherwise not clearly interpreted through other
research approaches alone. Also, the project becomes significant when interpreted from a

RURAL EDUCATION

contemporary research approach. Raywid ( 1999), argues that "a number of case studies of
particular small schools have been undertaken [and] many bear out large-scale quantitative
studies .... Other in-depth studies of individual small schools are being published to display
specific features and attributes [of innovative curriculum]" ( n. p.).
Problem Statement
Parents may feel that the instruction their children receive in a rural school is
ineffective. My experience as a rural educator and the literature suggests a problem exists.
Therefore, I asked parents if they felt that the instruction their children received in a one
room rural school setting is effective in providing them with the academic and social skills
their children require. Also, did they perceive the remoteness of the school as being a
positive factor that promotes unique academic and social opportunities for their children?
Included in this study are points of view on parent concerns regarding the consolidation of
rural schools. That is, if the one room rural school is forced to consolidate with another
urban school for economic purposes, do the parents view the consolidation as a solution that
may contribute toward a better education for their children?

5

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6

Chapter 2

An Historical Perspective ofRural Education
A better understanding of rural schools is provided when one learns more about the
history of remote communities in the interior ofBritish Columbia. The goldrush of the
1860s brought thousands of pioneers to the interior of British Columbia, and as a result,
gold-rush communities were built almost overnight. In time, the fledgling settlements often
included a schoolhouse, library and church. According to the Ministry (1981), "These
public institutions [schoolhouse, library and church] worked against the prevailing
demoralization of primitive camp life" (p. 26).
The town ofBarkerville, located 80 kilometres from Quesnel, is a prime example of
an historic gold-rush community. In 1871, the opening of the first one-room, multi-grade
schoolhouse helped establish Barkerville as a civilized locale. The Cariboo Sentinel (1871 ,
June 17), the local newspaper at the time, reported on the enthusiasm ofthe opening of the
new school in the town. "The first public school in the Cariboo was opened on Monday
morning ... the School Board purchased the building formerly known as the Half-way House,
at the mouth of Stout's Gulch, which is in the most convenient situation for the pupils from
Barkerville and Richfield, and proceeded to have it properly fitted up" (n.p.).
The idealism and work ethic of the first rural teachers helped form a template and set
the tone for our understanding of rural education in the Cariboo. The young colonial
settlement ofBarkerville had a diversity of ethnic school children whose education had been
received in a one-room school environment. Their formation as citizens of the booming
province began in rural schools such as the ones in the gold-rush towns of the Cariboo.
Indeed, the school was instrumental in creating community leaders for the town's future.

RURAL EDUCATION

7

One such individual, Lottie Bowron, was a pioneer woman who grew up in the colonial gold·rush town. According to Wilson (1995), "Lottie Mabel Bowron was born in Barkerville on
20 November 1879, the daughter of John Bowron, one of the original Overlanders in 1862
who had settled in the Cariboo the following year. She received her early education in
Barkerville" (p. 287). Wilson depicts Lottie Bowron as a woman who spearheaded a role as

•

an official in the province' s Department of Education. He continues, "Personal autonomy
was a characteristic Bowron displayed throughout her life ... her approach to problem-solving
was highly individualistic" (p. 302). Wilson tells of her work with the Department as an
Inspector of Schools, providing support to rural women teachers throughout the Cariboo.
"She was a counsellor rather than an inspector, .. . she was extremely successful in tending to
her "girls" social and psychological needs" (p. 302). "Her chief concern was to aid her
"girls," to make their lives a little easier and more bearable in their often remote locations"
(p. 301). Lottie Bowron' s work did not end with her role as counsellor. Wilson's historical
account relates how "Bowron lived on for another thirty years, returning each summer to
Barkerville where she became a vocal supporter of the government restoration of the historic
gold rush community" (p.30 1).
Students of the era, like Lottie Bowron, received their instruction in the form of
essentialism in education. That is, information was passed on from teacher to pupil in a
restricted manner. The transmission of knowledge, such as basic values, acted as a
foundation on which higher education could be built upon in the student' s future. It helped
shape the children into becoming productive contributors of the new province as Canadian
citizens. In this way, rural instructors of the 1870s to 1920s not only taught the basics, but

RURAL EDUCATION

8

played important roles in helping to transpose community values to generations of school
children.
According to Wilson and Stortz (1988), the post-war society of British Columbia of
the 1920s was eventually "embodied in the 'New Education' movement. Every structural
and philosophical assumption underlying the school system was coming into question, and
the rural school was given special consideration as a unique form of education" (p. 26). At
that time, new aspirations of progressivism in education supplied the local developing goldrush communities with merchants, and the ethos of the period was that higher education
practices were best left to schools of urban areas. Another consideration of rural schools in
the era was whether the strength of learning received in a one room, multi-grade schoolhouse
was deemed advantageous toward a student' s pursuit of higher learning. According to
Wilson and Stortz ( 1988),
Miss Mary Pack, who taught in a one-room schoolhouse in 1923, seems to have
remembered the ultimate purpose for schooling, whether rural or urban:
' It was a new experience for all of us - I don't think my pupils gained a high standard
of scholarship ability or profound knowledge, but we did learn how to share and to
give, to take and to lead, to read and to seek.' (p. 58)
During the 1930s, new communities evolved rapidly in the Cariboo with some
attaining populations of several thousands; it was the second wave of the Cariboo goldrush.
In 1941, a school was built in the gold mining town of Wells and when it opened, it boasted a
student population of Ill , Grades one through six. Over the years, fluctuating student
numbers forced the gold-rush communities of Wells and Barkerville to decide on the

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9

consolidation of their rural schools. The following comment by H. King, a former resident of
Barkerville, illustrates the opposing points of view on consolidation at the time.
In those (days) there was the Barkerville School Board and the Wells School
board ... I got the idea of bussing the Children from Barkerville to the new school at
Wells, forming one School District. .. it took a lot of diplomacy to persuade both the
Wells people and the Barkerville people that it was in their joint interest to form one
School board ... finally they agreed upon it and for years a small bus transported the
children from Barkerville to Wells. (Drinkwater, 1991, p. 39)
Another issue of rural school education at the time was parent concerns over adequate
instruction of academic skills to their children. The Superintendent of Education ( 19411942), noted:
The problems of the rural school curriculum are not to be solved merely by the
drawing up of a special rural school Programme of Studies. The conditions of life
and the nature of the communities differ so greatly that no prescriptive programme
would fit rural British Columbia as a whole. The problem is one of adjustment and
adaptation. (p. B33)
One solution to the academic inadequacy of rural instruction came in the form of a
"tailor made" version of instruction. Education was made available to suit the learning styles
of individual students. Motivated instructors could make adjustments to the B.C. curriculum
taught in the rural school, thus enriching the quality of academic learning received by each
student. The Superintendent of Education (1943) summarized the concept as follows:

It is stated in the different official bulletins that the programme should be adjusted to
individual pupils, classes, and communities. No one can make these adjustments but

RURAL EDUCATION 10

the class-room teacher. Many or most of the difficulties teachers have in curriculum
matters come from the old notion that the curriculum is a fixed body of knowledge
which has to be administered to all pupils alike. (p. B 33)
Thus, historical documentation acknowledges the idea that rural-school instructors
were able to meet with the challenges of teaching in a one-room schoolhouse by modifying
the curriculum. It can be argued, but not concluded, that instruction adapted to suit
individual student needs is a demonstration of the strength of education received in a rural
schoolhouse.
Then again, the education received in Cariboo gold-rush communities from 1936 to
1942 may not have been particularly motivating for all students. A former Wells resident
made the following observation,
School in a mining town tends to be a little bit unique. . . . I can't begin to include all
my memories of six years of school but one thing I would like to pass on. One of our
male teachers had a favourite saying whenever he would hand out a particularly
difficult assignment. It was "Success is only obtained after horrible drudgery."
(Brown, n.d., p. 6)
As with any rural school today, there are many challenges to be met in providing
adequate academic skills. This includes the educational material requirements for special
and gifted students, or finding the resources for every day learning programs and having to
cope with a lack of network availability for teachers and parents is as prevalent a problem
for one-room schools at present as it was in the 1940s. In a more contemporary report, the
interests of rural schools such as the Wells, Barkerville, Bowron Community School are
noted by the Ministry (2002):

RURAL EDUCATION 11

The Minister plans to introduce legislation to revise the School Act to accommodate
the new funding structure [allocation of funding to school boards]. ... The
Supplement for Unique Geographic Factors recognizes the varying physical and
environmental conditions faced by districts to deliver the same level of service to
students. (pp. 2-3)
The new student-based funding system may help ensure that the unique conditions for
instruction in a one-room, multi-grade schoolhouse will continue to be met by motivated
instructors. In this case, parents may feel confident that opportunities for academic learning
in a remote school will be comparable to that of an urban area school.
Therefore, based on my experience and a review of the literature, I arrived at the
following two questions to be investigated: First, is a one-room, multi-grade education for K

to seven students, perceived by parents as key in strengthening or weakening academic
success? Second, does a rural education help foster well-educated individuals? .As with
other research-based knowledge, these important questions when pursued may encourage the
stimulation of new ideas in rural education.

RURAL EDUCATION 12

Chapter 3
Design and Methodology
Procedures
Site Selection. The school in which this study took place was a multi-grade one-room
schoolhouse in a small rural community in central British Columbia. It is a typical example
of a rural school, and was suitable for a single-site study on parent concerns about the
efficacy of rural education. The rural school selected for the study had one full time teacher
and fewer than 20 students from Kindergarten through to Grade seven. Before commencing
the fieldwork, I requested permission to proceed with my study from the School District's
Superintendent of Education as well as the school principal and submitted the proposal to
the Ethics Review Board of the University of Northern British Columbia. All three parties
granted permission for the research to be undertaken.
Sampling
A typical-case sampling of three parents whose children attend the one-room
schoolhouse provided an adequate selection for separate face-to-face interviews. I secured
the participant's informed consent encouraging their free choice of participation and ensured
their anonymity and confidentiality in a letter to them (see Appendix B).
The reason for the purposeful sampling procedure was to gamer valid, informationrich responses to the questions being asked. This provided sufficient variability in interview
results. Interviewing parents about their children's rural school experience rather than
interviewing the children provided an excellent perspective from which to gather
information. For example, when the respondent Mrs. Black commented on the social skills
of some of the students, she answered that "you kind of get a kid's view, perspective, of

RURAL EDUCATION 13

how they see the other kids." In broadening the interviews to include the parents'
perspective on their children's rural education, the final evaluation was more descriptive.
Data Collection
The parents participated in separate interviews of approximately one hour in duration.
The time frame selected for the interview process was between the months of August and
September, 2002 (at the participant's convenience). The interview instrument was designed
to probe the parent's thoughts and opinions of their children' s school experiences in an
atmosphere of confidentiality and respect. The relaxed atmosphere of an informal
conversational approach in each parents' home fostered a better discussion of their
children's school experiences. A selection of parents whose children I never taught while
employed at the rural school reduced any interviewer bias and thus increased research
credibility. This strategy was undertaken with openness and respect and lent a voice to the
concerns of parents regarding the opportunities for social uniqueness, and academic
effectiveness of rural education for their children. Patton ( 1987) suggests that
a number of basic questions may be worded quite precisely in a predetermined
fashion, while permitting the interviewer more flexibility in probing and considerable
freedom in determining when it is appropriate to explore certain subjects in greater
depth, or even to undertake whole new areas of inquiry that were not originally
included in the interview instrument. (p. 114)
For example, at the beginning of interview, the following questions were used to help
establish rapport with the respondents: (a) I would like you to describe any activities
outside of the school that your child participates in that are not part of their schooling~ (b)
What does your child enjoy about these activities? Why? ~ (c) Do any of these activities

RURAL EDUCATION 14

motivate your child toward any classroom activities? Explain; (d) In what way do the
activities you have described benefit yoUr child' s every-day learning at school? and (e) Why
do you feel this way? (see Appendix B).
In order to ensure the validity of an interview, the data collected from the three
different parents was tape-recorded. In this way, the verbatim accounts of participant
language were used as descriptive data to illustrate parent perceptions on rural school
education. The previously mentioned steps cultivated an interactive approach to the
interview process, thus assisting with the collection of descriptive in-depth data for the
study. To that end, the interviews were undertaken via an informal conversational approach,
in combination with an interview guide. The added spontaneity of the interview approach
cultivated the development of questions and information rich answers. Patton ( 1987)
recommends that the questions should be "aimed at eliciting descriptions of experiences,
behaviours, actions, and activities" (p. 115). This method was convenient for tpe
reformulation of questions for clarity during the interview.
McMillan and Schumacher ( 1997) also recommend that adjustments be made "in the
interviewer' s techniques of establishing rapport and trust and in the order and phasing of
questions/statements during the interviews" (p. 402). For instance, neutrality on my part as
interviewer helped communicate an atmosphere of respect and openness toward the
participant's answers to my questions. Also, a field journal containing a record of any
decisions, modifications and strategies used in the emerging interview process with parents
was used to help justify any changes made in the drafts of the written project.
In my role as interviewer, the questions were formulated around the following
questions: First, do the parents deem a one-room, multi-grade education for their children as

RURAL EDUCATION 15

key in strengthening or weakening their children's academic success? Second, does a rural
education help foster well-educated individuals?
Data Analysis
At the data analysis stage, minimizing researcher bias on the parents' perspectives
was paramount. Patton argues that in a qualitative study, a "concern is getting at the truth.
A search for TRUTH suggests a single right answer. Qualitative methods, however, assume
multiple perspectives and multiple 'truths' depending on different points of view" (p. 166).
In this research study, the respondents' perspectives helped serve any existing and
future research on the strengths and weaknesses of rural education. That is, the experiences
revealed in the research could be compared with the experiences of parents elsewhere,
whose children attend typical one-room, rural schoolhouses. Further, I reviewed and
modified my written assessment in the same manner as McMillan and Schumacher ( 1997)
who suggest asking the participant "to review a transcript or synthesis of the data obtained
from him or her .... Then, the data obtained from each interviewee [was] analyzed for a
comprehensive integration of findings" (p. 408). Following the interviews, I transcribed the
tapes and deleted any unnecessary information. The remaining data was collated and then
examined for re-occurring themes or patterns. The different categories that emerged from
the answers to questions in the parent interviews were carefully searched for meaning by
further questioning and were then described in the final write-up.
Limitations
The design for this project proposal met with certain limitations not foreseeable when
the fieldwork began. For example, the site selection for the study limited all conclusions to
that particular school only. It cannot be concluded that what the parents from that school

RURAL EDUCATION 16

said applies to all one-room schools. Limitations also existed with the interview design for
the data collection. That is, the small school size limited the possibility of parent interviews
to three parents only. Therefore, the choice of three parents as a typical-case sample for
interviews limited the availability of information-rich responses to the interview questions.
Throughout the interview process, I proceeded respectfully with different probes used to
elicit responses, albeit all three parents remained guarded or neutral at times in different
areas of the interview that may have been sensitive to them. However, for the final data
analysis, all of the observations, field-notes and tape-recorded discussion results collected
during the relatively short interviews made the qualitative study pertinent for researchers,
educators and parents alike.

RURAL EDUCATION 17

Chapter 4
Findings of the Study
Introduction

The interview data from the three case studies were organized into a readable,
narrative format. An example of an individual case study narrative has been included as
Appendix C. The analysis of the data involved searching for significant relationships and
linkages among the respondents' comments. Following the analysis of the data, the
respondents comments and observations were interpreted in order to seek common or
reoccurring themes and patterns in the interview data. This interpretation brought into
specific focus for the final evaluation many common perceptions held by the parents. The
interview questions used in the study involved the parents in a conversation that revealed
answers, insights, and nuances that focused the final analysis of the interview data into a
comprehensible report of parent perceptions on academic and social learning for their
children in the multi-grade, rural, one-room schoolhouse. The description permits the
reader to develop an understanding of parents' perceptions on what happened in the
program, what it was like for the parents' children to be in the program, and what particular
events or activities in the program were like. The parents' comments and perspectives on
the rural school closure are also discussed. To ensure anonymity, pseudonyms are used
throughout these case studies for both the parents being interviewed and their child.
The Research Question

Is a one-room, multi-grade education for K to seven students perceived as key in
strengthening or weakening their academic success? Second, does a rural education help
foster well-educated individuals? The research question established a connection between

RURAL EDUCATION 18

parents' responses and my interpretation. Parent differences in beliefs, opinions and attitudes
as well as similarities with individual rural school experiences were evident throughout the
analysis of the final data.
The Respondents

Three parents were asked to express their views about their child's experiences on
learning in a multi-grade, rural school. Throughout the interview process each parent
appeared comfortable and willing to express their views on their child's rural school
experience. For example, Mrs. Adam is self-employed and new to the area. Mrs. Black is a
long time resident of the town an:d employed seasonally. Her child now attends school in an
urban area. Mr. Clarke has been an active community member for several years. The
following descriptive responses provided the data required for the interpretation of the
participants' children's experiences, beliefs, opinions and attitudes.
Experiences, Beliefs, Opinions, Attitudes
Urban School Experiences. The parents were eager to relate their child' s learning

experience in a multi-grade classroom. In response to a question about their child's
learning, they first compared the rural school experience to that of an urban area school.
Mrs. Adam implied approval of rural schools when she stated that schooling in urban areas
was "horrible." When they had lived in an urban area, Jane "just didn't want to go to school.
Didn't care." Mrs. Adam revealed that "learning lacked" in an urban classroom because
"unfortunately, the teacher just couldn't spend the time with Jane and it showed."
Mrs. Black's response provides insight into the community life of a rural area. "I
miss it. I always knew what went on in the school." Of the urban centre school that Sally
now attends she states, "I don't have a clue what's going on there." Mr. Clarke, a politically

RURAL EDUCATION 19

active figure in the rural community, believes that if Ben were "in a larger town or school"
his schooling would be different.
Two of the parents describe positive aspects of urban area schooling when comparing
it to their children's rural school experience. Mrs. Black affirms that in terms of choice "I
have more opportunities closer to a bigger centre where there's more options for Sally .... I
guess that I can offer Sally more now." Mrs. Black observed that she is ''just starting to see
changes now that [we] have Sally in a bigger school." She reminisces fondly on life in the
rural community because "it was a wonderful school to start Sally off in." Mr. Clarke states
that Ben "would like to move to a larger community" to attend an urban centre school.
Social Activities for Students Within the Rural Community
I asked each parent if outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and curling motivated
their children toward better learning practices in the rural school. Mrs. Adam responded
that when Jane comes home, "she has better sleeps. She has exercised. The more exercise
the better for a child anyway, she gets outside way more with fresh air." Mrs. Adam pointed
out that, consequently, "Jane seems to enjoy school more." She supports "extra-curricular
activities in and out of school" for Jane because "they have just helped her incredibly." She
enthusiastically added that Jane "looked forward to Monday, Tuesday, because she knew
she would be able to go skiing for the whole day."
According to Mrs. Black, Sally "can't get enough" of outdoor activities in the rural
community. Sally often "did some PE outside in the schoolyard, skiing as well." Mrs.
Black reports that recently, Sally has "been asking for dance lessons but living in [a rural
area] we [didn't] have that opportunity." Mr. Clarke confirms that his son "enjoy[s] the
outdoor activities just because it allows Ben free time to play and develop." In addition,

RURAL EDUCATION 20

Ben enjoys "skiing and lots of tobogganing, swimming too." Mr. Clarke believes Ben' s
"free activities [have] a physical exercise component that helps Ben to relieve stress and
helps Ben [to study] in school. " As a parent, Mr. Clarke feels that "these outside activities
facilitate easier learning." Mr. Clarke thinks that Ben "enjoy[s] it quite a bit." He adds that
social activities within the rural community have "been very beneficial" for Ben' s
development in the multi-grade classroom.

Mrs. Adam describes Jane' s reaction to the learning activities she had participated in
at school with members of the rural community. "Let's see, what would you hear her say?
' Wow, Mom! That was so cool!' That's what she would say." Mrs. Adam supports
learning interactions at the school with people of the rui-al community. "The only thing that
I think [Jane] really enjoyed was when she came home with the cutting board and key
holder. She made them herself with some assistance from the one of the woodworking
instructors. She used the saws by herself; she was shown how." Mrs. Adam explains that
since the session on woodworking, Jane has demonstrated an increased knowledge of the
world around her. According to Mrs. Adam "even the pine chips, she can walk through the
forest and say, ' Hey that's a pine tree. I know that because that's what your bread board's
made of Mom. ' So, that's kind of cool."
Mrs. Black explains how Sally "thought it was fabulous" to learn with members of
the community at school. The social activities "were all things she thoroughly enjoyed."
Mrs. Black described several occasions in which there were "community people coming to
do woodwork with the kids, doing ski programs with the kids. " The pupils "had somebody
coming to do weaving with them. " According to Mrs. Black, when students and community
members worked together, "they all had a fabulous time. "

RURALEDUCATION 21

Mr. Clarke has observed that Ben "does have an interest in what different people do
in the community, and (he wants] to meet them and have them come to the school." He
explains that Ben "is eager to learn." Mr. Clarke describes Ben's learning opportunities
with members of the community as "help[ing] to build self-confidence in [his] abilities."
He states that Ben is "always very keen on the information that they get and how [to] apply
it" in real life situations. Mr. Clarke points to the downhill skiing program as an example.
He explains that this "is another case where, as a group, they decide who they would like to
ski with, and [take] the lessons [with]." Mr. Clarke adds that Ben also "enjoy[s] going to
curling, bingos." He believes that the practice of team decision-making among students in
the rural school is a "very good" idea.
He believes that an education in a rural area school is a very good learning experience
for Ben because, "I think that being in a small community that they've got to know the
RCMP, the fire brigade, the storekeepers, and the gas station people, everyone on a first
name basis. It helps to personalize relationships." Mr. Clarke is proud that Ben is able to
"talk to different members of the community and ask questions .. . .I think all the children
enjoy that."
Social Interaction Among Students Within the Multi-Grade Classroom
Mrs Adam. Mrs. Adam believes that the dynamics of learning and working with
other students in the multi-grade classroom are an important component of their education.
She discussed how Jane "talks about working with older classmates all the time." For
example, Mrs. Adams recalls Jane coming home with her journal and when asked, "'Wow,
did you do this?", Jane said that 'No, so-and-so helps me."' Mrs. Adam noted that in a multigrade environment "the kids from the grade five, six or sevens helped Jane with her math, her

RURAL EDUCATION 22

English, her spelling." Mrs. Adam explains that "the other kids always give extra help.
When they are finished their homework, they sit down and give [the younger children] a
hand to help them get through their school work quicker." Mrs. Adam makes it clear that,
"of course [this] would not happen in any other school."
Mrs. Adam relates another example of her child's learning experience with older
classmates in the rural school. "The same with gym, when she needs a hand with certain
things, they would always be there to help her." Mrs. Adam claims that because of the extra
assistance, Jane has "thoroughly enjoyed the experience" of learning in a rural school. Jane
"comes home and tells me all the time how great that day was, because so

n ~so sat down

and helped me today. It is kind of nice to see." Mrs. Adam states how Jane would in turn
"actually help a lot of the older kids." For example, "in classroom art, painting, she would
get her stuff and then walk over and say, 'Let's try this.' Or something, or 'Use this, that's
not a good glue, try this one." Mrs. Adam beams at the memory adding that Jane, "has been
able to come home with greater self-esteem on art days because she says, 'Guess who I
helped today'?" Mrs. Adam is proud of her daughter and is delighted by the recollection of
Jane assisting others in the multi-grade classroom.
I asked Mrs. Adam about her opinion of students' social skills in the multi-grade
classroom. She replied, "the students in the multi-grade class are very ... smart ... . [but] I
find that they have a hard time relating to a lot of others." Mrs. Adam reasons that the
students' "interests are very, very different" in the multi-grade classroom, and that Jane
"doesn't have a whole lot of friends because [of] the age [difference], even during recess and
lunch, the older kids tend to go amongst their little ways, do their little things, hang out, talk
about this, that and the next thing. They just have extremely different interests in life."

RURAL EDUCATION 23

Mrs. Adam explains how the students "are so used to having the kids here, they've
grown up with them, they've seen them their whole lives, they can't really relate to other
kids, at least that's what I've sort of come to the conclusion with over the period." I asked
her about Jane' s interaction at school with the students. She replied that Jane was shy and
"wasn't as outspoken as almost all the kids here are, she could be pushed around and
manipulated by other kids." Mrs. Adam suggests it is because "in rural schools you don't
often have that luxury to be able to spend time with the friends your own age group, and that
is one thing that I have really noticed." Mrs. Adam' s perspective is that "this is a small
community; you have to deal with social skills and let it go, and continue living in harmony.
Otherwise, you're going to have a really, really hard time living in a community where you
are all living beside each other. Jane is developing her social skills so that she can actually
let it go, that's something that you have to keep to yourself, make the best of it, smile and
walk away."
Mrs. Adam concluded with some insights she had gained from Jane' s rural school
experience. "I think having them all together is wonderful." Mrs. Adam's reasoning
stemmed from her conviction that "they all learn more" because they are not "segregated
[by grade levels] in any way, they are all together." She continues, " Yes, they are all given
different work and they are all given different times, they are all given different everything,
but the younger kids, the kindergarten, they are put together with the grade-ones or the
grade-twos, or the grade-threes are always bumped up to the next grade, and they all work
as a group. They all understand the younger groups. They help the younger kids." Mrs.
Adam insists that in the classroom, "the older kids are always supportive, almost always
supportive, as much as they can." Of her child' s peer interactions in the rural school Mrs.

RURAL EDUCATION 24

Adam states, "Socially, its had its ups and downs, that is one of the only detrimental things
that I can see, Jane would like more friends her own age."

Mrs Black. In experiences similar to those of Mrs. Adam and her daughter Jane, Mrs.
Black explains her perspective. For example, buddy reading is an excellent opportunity for
interaction and learning between students of a multi-grade classroom. Mrs. Black explains
that "Sally had reading where the little ones pair up with the bigger ones and they read their
stories." As Mrs. Black stated, "I think that [buddy reading] was a great thing to do, it was
always in a small group that Sally could read out loud, and she doesn't mind doing it
either."
Mrs. Black also recalls other occasions of students learning and sharing in the rural
school. "A lot was just interactive stuff with other kids that Sally [told] me, 'So-and-so did
this, and that kid did that, and that kid helped this kid' and who helped her with classroom
stuff." Mrs. Black describes Sally as a student who enjoys social interactions with others,
stating she "would probably say something like, her shoe was untied when she was in the
gym and an older kid helped her tie her shoe." Mrs. Black notes that for Sally, this "was
quite the normal thing to hear."
Mrs. Black commented on the social skills of some of the students. She reflected that
"you get a funny, funny view of some of the kids in school. That boy is strong, and this boy
is teasing the little [one], and that kid is doing this and you kind of get a kid's view,
perspective, of how they see the other kids, is what I hear most from Sally after school."
Mrs. Black described how the lack of interaction amongst the students was a problem at
times: "Of course the bigger ones would say that the little [younger students] aren't much
help, they can't do a lot of the reading and researching." Mrs. Black then provided an

RURAL EDUCATION 25

example of the student's teamwork when it is successful and stated, "Even if they only do
the highlighting, [the younger students] were still part of [working and sharing together]
and the bigger kids accepted that, which was great." Mrs. Black feels that in the multi-grade
class, "it is not only a teacher-student interaction." It is a good example of teamwork with
the younger students because "they work with the older students too; to help each other
along the way." Mrs. Black concluded, "I think [it] is a great idea, and they just look at
each other [as] equals. They are all students and they help each other" in the rural school.

Mr. Clarke. According to Mr. Clarke'·s experience at the school, Ben "mentions
different people's roles in whichever subject they're doing." For example, the students "did
a study on dinosaurs, and there were two or three kids involved, and Ben [took] an interest
in working with other kids and trying to achieve a goal." Mr. Clarke adds, "It is nice that
they can go [learn and share] across different age groups." He has observed that any
differences that.may arise amongst students as they work on a class project are .quickly
resolved when "they are allowed to vote" together as a team.
Mr. Clarke believes that Ben's interactions within the different peer groups at the
rural school are "very important." He also considers Ben's outside activities, within the
community as integral to his son' s social development. For example, Ben enjoys "playing
with quite a larger group of kids," and discussions between father and son about school
"quite often do revolve around the social activities (because] Ben likes to talk about" his
interactions with other students. Mr. Clarke concludes that he "would have to assume that
they [peer relationships] hold a great importance in Ben' s life, his school life." Mr. Clarke
describes the social skills of multi-grade students that occur as "the dynamics between all

RURAL EDUCATION 26

the relationships, and all the children." Mr. Clarke is proud that Ben "has learned how to
interact with children that are younger and older than him" in the rural school.
Mr. Clarke was asked about any changes Ben would suggest in his multi-grade class.
He replied, "Well, I think the easiest improvement would be if there could be more kids that
were in the town, especially for Ben, he could have better peer development." Mr. Clarke
explains, "I think it is just looking at better enhancement of your child. It would still be
nicer if there were more people that were his own age that he could have more of a peer
relationship with."
Academic Learning in the Multi-Grade Classroom
Mrs. Adam. The parents were asked on their opinion of their children' s academic

learning in a multi-grade classroom. Mrs. Adam began by explaining how math "was never
a big subject for Jane" and that "she hated it" because she "couldn't pick it up; couldn't get
it." In fact, Jane "didn't want to go to school and do her math." She explained how Jane
had "felt very, very down" at first in the rural school. "We went through pretty much all the
emotions from the beginning." For example, "She ended up having to be put in a remedial
math because she just wasn't getting it." Mrs. Adam claimed the turning point in Jane's
learning at school had been when she "sat down with Jane [at home] and helped her work
over it." Eventually, "she started getting it," and Jane " was talking about her math, always
bringing home her stuff to say, ' Guess what I did today?' Mrs. Adam explained that Jane
had been "ecstatic that she went to math and she got only one wrong out of twenty
questions. So she came home feeling pretty good about herself."
Mrs. Adam was asked if she had any other concerns over academic lessons at the
rural school, and she pointed out Jane' s journal writing activity. "I just felt that it should've

RURAL EDUCATION 27

been corrected." It was Mrs. Adam's "only concern of the entire daily activities." She gave
a description of Jane's spelling and writing skills. "Actually Jane could've cared less
whether it [the writing] touched the line or above the line, or whether or not it was spelled
"book" or "bak."' Mrs. Adam seemed worried because "it didn't matter to Jane and she just
put whatever and she just wanted to get the heck out of the classroom." According to Mrs.
Adam, Jane had always "expected more of herself than what was reasonable" in the multigrade class, and that Jane "really got after herself a lot for not having the abilities that the
older kids had" especially, "the spelling part." Mrs. Adam explains that she "would come
home and I'd ask my child to read [her journal] and she couldn't even read it. It made no
sense whatsoever to me and I ended up talking to the teacher, and she says that they don't
correct that journal." Mrs. Adam insists, "[Jane's writing] should have been" corrected by
the teacher, but instead, Mrs. Adam explained, "I ended up doing it myself." She concludes,
"So that was my only concern of daily activities. Everything else was fine, except that. So
that's not bad"
Mrs. Adam revealed further sentiments on Jane'.s academic learning activities in the
one-room schoolhouse. "I felt that because of the lack of instruction when it came to the
basic part of [learning] skills, [the students] became lazy, sloppy, didn't care." Mrs. Adam
believed that the instruction the students received "wasn't teaching them discipline or
memory skills. It just taught them to put whatever, and get a check mark, and then quickly
run out to go play with your friends." As a parent, Mrs. Adam felt this approach had been
"completely unacceptable."
Mrs. Adam provided an example of Jane's classroom working interactions with peers.
According to Mrs. Adam the older students "just basically tell Jane how to spell words."

RURAL EDUCATION 28

When asked if this had been an effective learning opportunity for Jane in a multi-grade
environment, Mrs. Adam responded that as a parent, "all the other kids knew how particular
I was with the journal." I asked Mrs. Adam to comment in detail. "Her spelling, her
journal, before she would go home, any of the kids that stay late would usually sit with her.
And, within two to three weeks of that, of the help, she stopped requiring so much help and
was able to do it on her own. So, with the help of the older kids she was actually
progressing a lot quicker and by the end of the year, she didn't need hardly any help at all."
I asked Mrs. Adam about any changes·to academic instruction she would like made
for Jane. She wanted to see changes in math because it was "the only thing that Jane really
felt that she couldn't do properly, other than her spelling. It's okay to make mistakes.'' Mrs.
Adam admits, "I have fairly high standards when it comes to that [academic achievement]
and I expect no less from my daughter."
Mrs. Adam then described the benefits to academic learning in a rural scpool: Jane
"came away from her previous grade" in an urban school "with pretty much no skills to then
going to a rural school where it's way more attention paid to the child." Mrs. Adam claims
that in a rural school, there is "a lot more attention paid to what the parent's request, we have
more of a rapport with the teacher." It is clear to Mrs. Adam that, "our daughter now·has
much better academics." She provides further examples: "She actually enjoys reading. She
knows her math better than I do. She actually knows her fractions. She has come along so
well now. On the computer she is amazing. So yeah, her math, her English skills, have
really picked up."
I asked Mrs. Adam to share Jane's words when describing a successful day at school.
"All of these different comments [were] made throughout the year. 'I'm proud of myself I

RURAL EDUCATION 29

did it. Look at this. Wow. I'm getting it.' Mrs. Adam was proud of Jane's success and
commented that "her art was actually in a display. And so to be able to see her stuff, see the
progression, her self-esteem wasn't dropping. No, she was pretty happy and her comments
were almost always positive." Mrs. Adam-concluded that "academic-wise, the rural school
is probably the best." In fact, Mrs. Adam has become so committed to rural schools that she
will "actually be looking now for rural schools from now until the kids graduate." She
insists that for future schooling, "they will not be going into a big centre."
I asked Mrs. Adam to share any other feelings about her daughter's academic
achievement. "I think she feels good that, of what she's done. She feels proud." Mrs.
Adam explains that since Jane has been attending a multi-grade classroom she "is much,
much better at reading now." Especially, "her spelling, English [and] reading." Mrs. Adam
is proud of Jane's academic improvement, claiming that the learning experience "was really
cool." She adds, "I really do think that the entire thing was extremely beneficial for her as
well, emotionally as well as developmental[y]." Mrs. Adam expressed gratitude for her
child's opportunity to have learned in a multi-grade classroom. "She's grateful for
everything that she's done and known. I'm just quite happy with the curriculum and
activities and academic things that she has learned while she was in this rural school."

Mrs. Black. Mrs. Black is happy with Sally's academic progress, and feels confident
that she received a positive learning experience. She revealed that "Sally likes it, she loves
it." Mrs. Black explains: "Well, I could tell early on already that she's really good in math,
and we'd play number games, and play games just at home, where she's got to use that
mathematical mind and she's really good at it." Sally was a motivated student at school and
"she was encouraged" to learn. Mrs. Black described learning in a multi-grade

RURAL EDUCATION 30

environment: "I heard about the math at least three times a week. She loves math, the things
Sally liked she was encouraged to continue to like and continue to do. Things she had
trouble with, she was encouraged to learn a little harder and that was just fine." Mrs. Black
remarked that Sally was an enthusiastic learner within the supportive framework of the rural
school. "I can' t really recall an activity that she didn' t like. I think she just wants to do a lot
more of everything, every day." Mrs. Black is satisfied with Sally' s achievement and
suggests that very few changes are required. For example, she had observed that "it was
maybe the odd time that Sally was in a funny mood, and would say, 'It was boring. We did
nothing.' Well obviously sometimes the kids would rather play and sing and dance and do
crafts than do reading; there' s different times for different things and that' s an important
lesson for the kids to learn." Mrs. Black remarked how " Sally loved school. Every day she
was happy to go. I think that [the students] get a different perspective on the whole social
structure of a [rural] community."

Mr. Clarke. In a description by Mr. Clarke he relates Ben as being ''quite
comfortable with the school activities." And that "Ben is happy enough to discuss his
progress in school as far as academically speaking goes." For example, math is a subject
that Ben enjoys in school. "He' ll bring home sheets that he' s done and he is happy enough
to get a pat on the back, he takes great interest in doing well in math and I would say that his
opinion is that math is good." Mr. Clarke described Language Arts as being more of a
challenge for his son. According to Mr. Clarke, Ben "has more of an inclination towards
[math] than Language Arts. I think overall his Language Arts are fine, he does well enough
in it. But I think that he is like a lot of other boys who tend to [like] mathematics more."

RURAL EDUCATION 31

Mr. Clarke was impressed with the science instruction Ben had received in the multigrade class. "Last year they raised salmon from eggs." Mr. Clarke describes the learning
experience for Ben as having been "a very good thing." He explains that, "I think it gives
them a better understanding of that resource, or that particular species and how it develops
and how it intermingles with the rest of the natural system." Mr. Clarke adds that for Ben,
"it was very beneficial to be able to have a living experiment where a child can see the fish
growing." Mr. Clarke was impressed with the scope of the school science project and his
son's role within it. "I felt this way because I think that it's good that they have a broader
understanding of different ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them."

Mr. Clarke added further comments on academic learning in the multi-grade class.
He described a school reading competition that "was also very beneficial" for Ben.
According to Mr. Clarke "it was a competition as far as reading goes [about] being able to
read the most books." Mr. Clarke believed that Ben had developed an appreciation for
reading through the school reading competition. "Ben used to always bring home books to
read, and he actually does enjoy reading too, and if he isn't reading he wants us to read with
him." Mr. Clarke was happy that the reading competition had motivated Ben to read: "So, I
would say that it is just a positive experience the way that it was done." I asked Mr. Clarke
to provide further details. "Ben was always wanting feedback. He liked to actually read for
you, if it was books that caught his interest, he was very happy to read them." The rural
school library "had such a large selection of books that Ben could choose [books] that
would interest him." Mr. Clarke reiterates that for Ben, "something like that has been
beneficial."

RURAL EDUCATION 32

Mr. Clarke' s overall perspective of his son's academic achievement in a multi-grade
classroom remains positive. "I think that with less peer distractions, or less peer pressure, I
think that Ben has actually done very well academically." He states with confidence that
there are no "academic aspects that we can really say that this was not beneficial or wasn't
up to standards. I don't think that we can really say that." Mr. Clarke concluded, "I feel
this way just because of personal observations."

The Rural School Closure
Mrs. Adam. At the end of the interview, I asked each parent if they wished to express
any further sentiments about education in a rural school. Mrs. Adam spoke about the
benefits of rural education, "l am thrilled to death that Jane can actually be in a one-room
classroom because there is no other way she would ever experience the things that she has in
any other [urban] school." I asked Mrs. Adam about her thoughts on the school closure.
She expressed her disappointment stating, "That's unacceptable." On the possibility of the
rural school's amalgamation with an urban school she quickly added, " It's not even an
option for me to send my daughter on a school bus for ten hours a day. She'd be away from
home for ten hours." In finishing, Mrs. Adam expressed satisfaction with her child's
experience. "She's grateful for everything that she's done and known. I'm just quite happy
with the curriculum and activities and academic things that she has learned while she was in
this rural school."

Mrs. Black. Mrs. Black was proud of the community's school because "we were a
small school, in my situation [living in a remote area], it was absolutely wonderful." Mrs.
Black explains, ''There was a good balance between learning and fun stuff and I think it was
a great school. There was always a lot of volunteering and parent participation." Mrs.

RURAL EDUCATION 33

Black believed it was a great school for Sally to start school in. Mrs. Black added that Sally
"never came home feeling badly about school or anything, she felt very comfortable in
school." In her opinion, at an urban school, "with a bigger group it might be more difficult,
Sally wouldn't get a chance to do some of that stuff' such as, school activities with
community members. Mrs. Black

i

s ~ "I agree with Sally that the school was great,"

and she is unhappy with the closure of the school ~ "my child think[s] it is a shame that the
school did close. It was a fabulous school." She concluded, "My daughter didn't want to go
to a big school, we would have loved to keep Sally in a school like she was in."
Mr. Clarke. Mr. Clarke believes the learning opportunities available for his son at the

school have been exceptional. "I think that living in a small community, and going to a
small school has been beneficial because of the interaction between all the different peer
groups, and the different people in the community that come and volunteer." As for the
rural school experience, Mr. Clarke states, "I hope that we can continue on." He feels that a
rural education "helps to develop a more well rounded child." Because "they can go outside
and play freely, they have more time to develop as children did thirty years ago." Mr.
Clarke admits that Ben was "pretty upset about the school being closed." He is not
impressed with the possibility of the rural school' s amalgamation with an urban centre
school. "As far as consolidation goes, it's too far of a bus ride for Ben." As a parent
residing in a remote community, Mr. Clarke believes his stance on rural education is
important. "I would hope that people should understand that some children may cost a little
bit more to be educated because of where they live, but they should be able to understand
that there is value in producing children that are more well-rounded and that value should be
incorporated in discussions to [keep the school open] and taken into consideration." Mr.

RURAL EDUCATION 34

Clarke's final statement reflects many parents concerns regarding the rural school.
According to Mr. Clarke, "If it is closed permanently, we may be forced to relocate and to
move closer to where a school is."

Interpretation of the Data
The purpose of the research was to investigate parent feelings, attitudes and beliefs on
the academic success of multi-grade students in a one-room schoolhouse. The parent
interviews also focused on whether a rural education helped foster a well-educated
individual. The Ministry ( 1995) argues that in the development of a well-educated student
"emotional and social development are as important to the development of healthy and active
educated citizens as academic achievement and the development of intellectual and physical
skills." (p. 2).
The interview data establishes similarities between parents' responses and their
children's individual, rural school experiences. One of the themes emerging from the
respondent interviews is their agreement that the interaction of multi-grade students
studying and learning together in a rural classroom helps to strengthen their individual
child's academic success. For example, Mrs. Adam insists that in a multi-grade
environment, "It is usually the kids from the grade five, six or sevens that have helped Jane
with her math, her English, her spelling." Mrs. Black feels that the younger students work
with the older students to help each other along the way. Mr. Clarke states that, "It is nice
that they can go [learn and share] across different age groups." The parents' belief is that
their individual child's success is enhanced on an academic level when multi-grade students,
work and study together in the rural classroom.

RURAL EDUCATION 35

Another theme occurs with the respondents belief their children receive a unique
opportunity for education in a rural school because of the educational contributions
members from the community bring to students' school projects and social activities. The
respondents are cognizant of the positive leadership roles that community members
represent for students of the rural school. For example, the respondents' children
enthusiastically participate in social activities and school projects when community
members are involved. Mrs Adam described the day Jane came home from school with a
cutting board and key holder: "She made them herself with some assistance from .... the
woodworking instructors." Mrs. Black reflects that the students all have a fabulous time
when community members work together with them at the school. Mr. Clarke is proud
when community members interact with students at the school because Ben is able to "talk
and ask questions ... .I think all the children enjoy that." The respondents feel that regular
school or social activities involving the interaction of community members with students of
the rural school are integral to the quality of a multi-grade education. Further, two of the
parents, Mrs. Adam and Mr. Clarke, believe their child would benefit by having more
friends their own age in the rural classroom for social interaction. Mr. Clarke points out
that, "it would still be nicer if there were more people that were [Ben's] age that he could
have more of a peer relationship with." Mrs. Adam agrees, stating "Jane would like more
friends her own age."
The interview data reveals that in contrast to the instruction received in a rural school,
two respondents feel that urban schooling has not been a positive experience for their
children. Mrs. Adam states that schooling in urban areas is "horrible." When they had lived
in an urban area, Jane "just didn't want to go to school. Didn't care." Mrs. Adam states that

RURAL EDUCATION 36

"learning lacked" in an urban classroom because "unfortunately, the teacher just couldn't
spend the time with Jane and it showed." Of the urban centre school that Sally now attends
Mrs. Brown comments, "I don't have a clue what's going on there." Given the parents
opinion of urban schooling, it can be argued, but not concluded, that instruction adapted to
suit individual student needs is a demonstration of the strength of education received in a
rural schoolhouse.
Two of the respondents express their views about the negative aspects of social
interactions between students in the rural school. As Mrs. Adam points out, "Socially, it's
had its ups and downs." Her opinion of students' social skills in the multi-grade classroom is
that ''they [rural students] have a hard time relating to a lot of others." She adds that
although "the students in the multi-grade class are very ... smart .... [but] I find that they
have a hard time relating to a lot of others." Mrs. Black' s comment is that, "you get a
funny, funny view of some of the kids in school. That boy is strong, and this boy is teasing
the little [one], and that kid is doing this and you kind of get a kid's view, perspective, of
how they see the other kids." Mrs. Black describes how a lack of interaction amongst the
students is a problem at times: "Of course the bigger ones would say that the little [younger
students] aren't much help, they can't do a lot of the reading and researching."

Summary
I set out to determine what parents' perceptions were on academic learning in a multigrade rural school. I also investigated the link between the respondents' opinions of a welleducated child and a rural school education. A reoccurring theme emerged from the results
of the naturalistic inquiry; according to parents' feelings, opinions, experiences and attitudes
on rural education, there is an increased opportunity for academic learning for their children

RURAL EDUCATION 37

in the multi-grade classroom. There is also more one-on-one availability between the
teacher and each student in the classroom. From the parents' perspective the result of the
enriched education is a well-educated child. In combination with this response, was the
parents' belief that community member interaction within the rural school setting helped
provide a unique learning opportunity for their children. On the other hand, two parents
perceived that there were difficulties with social interaction between the students.

Chapter 5

Conclusions
The design for this project proposal met with certain limitations. For example, the
site selection for the study limited all conclusions to that particular school only. In other
words, one cannot conclude that what parents from that school said applies to all one-room
schools. Limitations also existed with the interview design for the data collection. That is,
the choice of three parents as a typical-case sample for interviews may not have proved
beneficial toward gathering information-rich responses to the interview questions. In this
case, the parents may have remained guarded or neutral, no matter how respectfully the
interview process proceeded, or what probes were used to elicit responses. However, for the
purposes of the final data analysis, all of the observations, field-notes and tape-recorded
discussion results collected during the relatively short interviews, makes the qualitative
study pertinent for researchers, educators and parents alike. Administration and researchers
will want to draw their own opinions from the respondents' beliefs and experiences on the
level of academic success experienced by multi-grade students of a one-room schoolhouse,

RURAL EDUCATION 38

as well as the added benefits to rural education because of social interactions between
community members and students.
Researcher Conclusions

A new student-based funding system was generated by the Ministry (2002) to help
ensure that the unique conditions for instruction in one-room, multi-grade schoolhouses of
British Columbia would continue to be met by motivated instructors. In this case, parents
could be assured that opportunities for academic learning in a remote school would be
comparable to that of an urban area school. However, the rural school selected for this
study met with closure mainly because of economic reasons and was re-opened after lengthy
negotiation processes by community citizens with Christy Clark, the Education Minister of
British Columbia. In an interview in The Province, (2003) she explained that, "The idea of
municipalities taking over operation of their own schools was one of 19 recommendations to
improve rural education in the government's task force report on rural education" (May 2, p.
A9). In short, the community set an historical precedent by agreeing to purchase the rural
school in order for it to remain open. Clark acknowledges that the purchase "is extremely
innovative, [because] it would allow fully publicly funded schools to be governed outside
the school board." Parents are elated at the prospect of having their school re-open but are
concerned that their example be used for other rural communities facing school closures in
British Columbia. A councillor of the rural town explains that, "This was our worst
nightmare. We· were pushed into a comer, made desperate and did the only thing we could.
We don't think it's good and we don't want other people to have to do it" (May 2, p. A9).
The councillor' s reasoning is that the residents of the rural town would have to raise the
extra funds to maintain the school building. "This is double taxation. Isn't this just

RURAL EDUCATION 39

downloading the responsibility for education on to rural communities?" As a result of the
new Ministry regulation, parents desirous of a rural lifestyle for their families, may now
want to reconsider moving to an isolated community, as it may mean that an increase to
their personnel taxation might be necessary in order to have their children attend a rural
school.
Implications for Further Research

The respondent interviews provide a sampling of beliefs, opinions and experiences
from a single rural school. The insights obtained are required to better understand a oneroom schoolhouse education for children from the parents' perspective. For example, the
respondents feel that a multi-grade environment helps foster academic success for their
individual children. The respondents also express the opinion that a sense of community is
integral to the unique quality of education their children receive in a rural school. Further
study would prove or disprove the data interpretations held by this researcher. .Also, more
research would provide information on the benefits of the unique educational opportunities
available to students of rural schools as described by parents.
To better understand the findings in this report, a triangulation of the data collection,
or different research strategies used to study the same project would provide further investigation, more information, and different perspectives for interpretation on comments
made by the respondents during the interview. For example, it may be worthwhile:
(a) to investigate parents' perceptions that there may be a connection between a rural
education and students' apparent lack of social skills;
(b) to investigate the parents' perceptions that each child may not be meeting the full
academic requirements for their respective grade level in a multi-grade classroom;

RURAL EDUCATION 40

(c) to investigate parents' feelings that more students at their individual child's
respective grade level would maximize their learning and socializing experience.

In conclusion, this study has attempted to show how learning in a rural school can be
enriching for a child from the parents' perspective. Also, that a child' s education can be
significantly increased when the rural community is involved in the child' s school
experience. I found the investigation into parents' perceptions of rural education to have
importance, and be of value to me as an educator. Parents of school children are
empowered by the opportunity to take part in their child' s education in a meaningful and
purposeful way. This project lends credence to parents' perspectives on the benefits of a
rural education. I recognized the value of letting parents voice their concerns, suggestions
and opinions regarding their child's educational experience. This project also demonstrated
that historically, rural schools helped define the people and thus the formation of the interior
of the province. The importance of a one-room schoolhouse education cannot be denied, yet
rural communities continue to meet with the challenge of school closures. It is my opinion
that parents of small towns remain committed to their belief that a positive, life-experience
is acquired by their children when an education is provided in a meaningful way in the rural
communities in which they are raised.

RURAL EDUCATION 41

References
Barman, J., Sutherland, N., & Wilson, J.D. (1995). Children, teachers & schools in the
history of British Columbia. Detselig Enterprises Ltd. Calgary, Alberta.

Brown, P. (n.d.) Recollections OfWells, 1936 to 1942. Barkerville, BC: Barkerville
Historic Park Archives.
Cariboo Sentinel (Saturday, June 17, 1871)

Drinkwater, D. L. ( 1991 ). Dedicated To My Parents: Arnold And Thelma Drinkwater.
Barkerville, BC: Barkerville Historic Town.
Kinsey, S. J. (2001). Multiage Grouping and Academic Achievement. ERIC Digest. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED 448935.)
McLellan, W. (2003, May 2). Town's 'worst nightmare' cited as a model solution. The
Province, (p. A9). Vancouver, BC, Canada.

McMillan, J. H. (1997). Research In Education. A Conceptual Introduction. AddisonWesley Educational Publishers Inc.
Ministry of Education (2002). 2002103 Operating Grants Manual To British Columbia
School Boards. Victoria, BC: Queen's Printer

Ministry ofProvincial Secretary & Government Services (1981). Barkervi/le Historic Park
Concept Plan.

Patton, M. Q. (1987). How to Use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation. Los Angeles CA:
Sage.
Raywid, M.A. (1999). Current literature on small schools. Charleston, West Virginia.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 425049.)

RURAL EDUCATION 42

Sher, J. (ed.). (1981}. Rural education in urbanized nations: Issues and innovations.
Boulder, CO: Westview Press. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 148
547.)
Superintendent ofEducation. (1941-1942) Public schools of the province of British

Columbia seventy-first annual report. Victoria BC: King's Printer
Wilson, J.D., & Stortz, P.J. (1988 Autumn). "May the Lord Have Mercy on You": The
Rural School Problem in British Columbia in the 1920's. B.C. Studies, 79, (pp. 2458).

RURAL EDUCATION 43

Appendix A
Interview Questions
Questions to Establish Rapport

1. I would like you to describe any activities outside of the school that your child
participates in that are not part of their schooling.
2. What does your child enjoy about these activities? Why?
3. Do any of these activities motivate your child toward any classroom activities? Explain.
4. In what way do the activities you have described benefit your child's every-day learning
at school?
5. Why do you feel this way?
6. Would you provide another example of how activities outside of the school benefit your
child's learning experience at school?
7. What is you child's opinion of the activities outside of the school that you have
described?
8. How would you improve these learning experiences outside of the school for your child?
9. Why would you make these changes? Explain.
10. What has your child suggested? Why?
Questions on Social Activities

1. Your child probably comes home and talks about some of the everyday school activities
he participates in. What does he tell you? Ifl were here with you when he was
describing the activities, what would I hear him say?
2. Describe as carefully as you can some of your child's everyday school activities to me.

RURAL EDUCATION 44

3. What are some comments that your child makes about these different school activities?
Please explain in detail.
4. What is your child' s opinion of these activities?
5. How does your child feel about the daily class activities?
6. What is your opinion of this classroom activity?
7. How do you feel about this activity?
8. Why do you feel this way about the activity?
9. Describe their experience of a multi-grade classroom to me.
10. Does your child mention working with others such as classmates, the teacher or other
adults?
11. Please tell me all that you can about your child's experience in the area you are
describing.
12. Can you add any more details that clearly defines this classroom activity?
13 . .What does your child think of classroom school activities within the community? Please
provide an example.
14. Why does your child feel this way about the school activity within the community?
15. Has your child ever described any other social school activities that take place within the
school? Please describe in detail.
16. Please tell me more about how you feel or what you think about the social activities you
have pointed out to me.
17. What you have just described and discussed sounds like a good (or bad) social activity.
Can you tell me about a social activity that your child thought was not good (or bad)?

RURAL EDUCATION 45

18. Please explain to me in detail, all that you can about your child's experience with the
social activity you are describing.
19. What is your opinion of this social activity? Why?
20. How would you change it? Why?

Questions on Academic Activities
1. Has your child ever described any academic classroom activities to you? Please explain.
2. What is your opinion about the academic school activities your child is describing?
3. Why do you feel this way?
4. What would you like to see changed in the results of the academic activities that you are
describing? Why?
5. How would your child like to see these academic activities improved? Why?
6. Do you agree or disagree with these improvements from your child's perspective?
Explain.
7. What are some comments that your child makes about other academic activities? Please
explain in detail.
8. What is your child's opinion of these other academic activities?
9. How does your child feel about the academic class activities you are describing? Why?

10. What is your opinion of this academic activity? Please tell me all that you can.
11. How do you feel about this academic activity? What would you do to change it?
12. Why do you feel this way about the changes to the activity? Explain.
13. What you have just described and discussed sounds like a good (or bad) academic
activity. Can you tell me about an academic activity that your child thought was not
good (or bad)?

RURAL EDUCATION 46

14. Why does your child feel this way about that particular activity?
15. What would your child like to see changed in the outcome of the academic activity you
are describing? Why?
16. What is your opinion on the change your child is suggesting for the academic classroom
activity?
17. Please explain as carefully as you can, why you feel this way about your child' s
suggestions for the classroom academic activity.
18. Do you agree or disagree with your child' s suggestions? Why?
19. Is there anything else you would like to tell me about academic activities in the
classroom?
20. In closing, the rural school may be forced to close and consolidate with another school,
would you like to express your views or your child' s view on this matter?
21 . Please feel free to add all that you can to yours, or your child' s thoughts and opinions to
anything we have discussed as we wrap up the interview.
22. Is there anything else? Thank-you very much for your time and cooperation in my
project research.

RURAL EDUCATION 47

Appendix B
Letters of Consent
Linda Rummel
XXX

xxxxxx
xxxxxx
Superintendent
School District xx
May 06,2002
RE: xxxx Proposed Research Project of Linda Rummel, Teacher.
Dear Mr. xxx,
As part of my final xxxx Masters of Education project, I wish to conduct three interviews,
with three different parents whose children attend the xxxx School. Upon receiving both
your permission to conduct the interviews and the permission of the xxxx Ethics Board to
proceed with the research, I will send each parent a letter requesting their permission to
participate in the interviews.
The purpose of the interviews is to gather and record information on parent perceptions of
the efficacy of academic and social education in a rural, multi-grade school setting.
I will select three parents whose children I have never instructed. The parent identities will
remain anonymous, and the recorded interviews will remain locked in my home office. All
recorded interviews and transcriptions will be destroyed after a period of two years,
following the completion of the project.
If there are any questions about the proposed research, please contact me at xxx-xxxx.
Thank-you for your time and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Linda Rummel
Teacher.

RURAL EDUCATION 48

Linda Rummel
XXX

xxxxxx
xxxxxx

Principal xxxx
xxxx
May 06,2002

RE: xxxx Proposed Research Project of Linda Rummel, Teacher.
Dear Mr. xxxx,
As part of my final xxxx Masters of Education project, I wish to conduct three interviews,
with three different parents whose children attend the xxxx School. Upon receiving both
your permission to conduct the interviews and the permission of the xxxx Ethics Board to
proceed with the research, I will send each parent a letter requesting their permission to
participate in the interviews.
The purpose of the interviews is to gather and record information on parent perceptions of
the efficacy of academic and social education in a rural, multi-grade school setting.
I will select three parents whose children I have never instructed. The parent identities will
remain anonymous, and the recorded interviews will remain locked in my home office. All
recorded interviews and transcriptions will be destroyed after a period of two years,
following the completion of the project.
If there are any questions about the proposed research, please contact me at xxx-xxxx.
Thank-you for your time and cooperation.
Sincerely,

Linda Rummel
Teacher.

RURAL EDUCATION 49
Linda Rummel
XXX

xxxxxx
xxxxxx

Mr. Clarke
General Delivery
xxxx

September 24, 2002
RE: xxxx Research Project of Linda Rummel, Teacher.
Dear Mr Clarke,
I am a teacher employed at xxxx and I am presently conducting research for my final xxxx Masters of
. Education project. My project is about parent opinions on their children's academic and social learning in a
rural, multi-grade setting. I am asking you to participate in this project, because I am interested in your child's
rural school learning experience from your point of view.
I have selected you as a participant because I never taught your child. This will help remove any bias on my
part for the purposes of the research project. I would like you to tell me about your child's everyday classroom
activities. This would take place in an interview lasting about one hour. You may be assured that all of your
comments will be confidential and you will not be identified in any way. Also, you can stop the interview and
leave at any time.
The tape-recorded information will be transcribed following the interview and the tape will be erased once the
transcription is complete. I will ask you to review your transcripts and my analysis of the infonnation from the
interview. This will help to ensure that I have made an accurate representation of your child's experience. The
transcription will be retained for a period of two years following my completion of the project and kept locked
in my home office. After two years have elapsed, the transcripts will be shredded.
Your comments will be compared to other parents' experiences elsewhere, whose children also attend a typical
one-room schoolhouse. Although your child's rural school learning may not be the same as other children of
rural schools I believe that this is important research. You may find the infonnation I have collected
interesting. Also, it may benefit any existing and future research on the strengths and weaknesses of rural
education.
If you wish to receive a copy of the research project when it is finished, I will be happy to give one to you. If
you have any questions about the project, please contact me at xxx-xxxx.
Please fill out the,attached sheet and I will contact you for times and dates. lfthere are any concerns about the
project, please contact the Office ofResearch,xxxx.
Thank-you for your time and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Linda Rummel
Teacher.

RURAL EDUCATION 50

LETTER OF INFORMED CONSENT
1. I have discussed the purposes of the research with the researcher.
2. I understand that I am a volunteer and may leave at any time. Should I choose to do so,
the cassette recording will be returned to me or destroyed at my request.
3. I understand that the interview is confidential and nothing of a personal nature will be
discussed between the researcher and any other person.
4. I understand that I will remain anonymous in the written report.
5. I agree to the interview being taped. I understand that the tape-recording will be erased
after completion of the research.
6. The researcher has answered my questions and concerns about the research.
(Name of interviewee)

(Signature)

(Date)
(Name of researcher)

(Signature)

RURALEDUCATION 51

AppendixC
Sample Case Study Narrative
Respondent Background

Mrs. Adam is a self-employed housewife, she and her family have recently settled
into a rural community. Throughout our interview Mrs. Adam was candid with her
responses and appeared comfortable. To help establish rapport, I asked Mrs. Adam if
outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and curling motivated her child Jane toward better
learning practices in the rural school. Mrs. Adam responded that when Jane comes home,
"she has better sleeps. She has exercised. The more exercise the better for a child anyway,
she gets outside way more with fresh air." Mrs. Adam pointed out that consequently, "she
seems to enjoy school more." She supports "extra-curricular activities in and out of school"
for Jane because "they have just helped her incredibly." Mrs. Adam described why Jane
would "really, really look forward going back to school" each day in the rural community,
"because every Tuesday or Wednesday she would be skiing." She enthusiastically added
that Jane "would look forward to Monday, Tuesday, because she knew she would be able to
go skiing for the whole day."
Mrs. Adam said that following the family's move to a rural community Jane had
developed "an entirely new outlook on herself She has way better self-esteem." Jane loves
the social activities in a rural community. "She knows that she didn't do any of this stuff
before." Since the family has moved to a rural area Jane "is quite happy now." When asked
what Jane had to say about the social activities within the community, Mrs. Adam answered,
"Let's see, what would you hear her say? '"Wow, Mom! That was so cool!'" That's what
she would say."

RURAL EDUCATION 52

According to Mrs. Adam, when the family had lived in an urban setting, "Jane didn't
have any extra activities in school, or out of school, she didn't. .. well she had swimming, but
that was only for a month." Mrs. Adam emphasized her approval of rural schools when she
stated that schooling in urban areas was "horrible." When they had lived in an urban area
Jane "just didn't want to go to school. Didn't care." Mrs. Adam revealed that "learning
lacked" in an urban classroom because " unfortunately, the teacher just couldn't spend the
time with her and it showed."

Experiences
I asked Mrs. Adam to describe school activities in the rural, multi-grade class in
which Jane had participated. Mrs. Adam remained positive. "She would talk about
[reading] constantly, about how many books she read or what she read." And that Jane
"liked her gym because she actually got hoops in the basket." Mrs. Adam claimed that gym
"was a big thing for Jane" because "socially, she was getting along with most of the kids. "
Then Mrs. Adam explained that, "math was never a big subject for Jane. She hated it."
Because she "couldn't pick it up; couldn't get it." In fact, Jane "didn't want to go to school
and do her math." Mrs. Adam stated that the turning point in Jane' s learning within the
multi-grade class came when she "sat down with Jane and helped her work over it."
Eventually, "she started getting it." And "was talking about her math, always bringing
home her stuff to say, "'Guess what I did today? " ' Mrs. Adam added that since being in a
multi-grade classroom Jane "is much, much better at reading now." Especially, "her
spelling, English [and] reading" and that Jane' s improvement in the rural school "was really
cool."

RURAL EDUCATION 53

I asked Mrs. Adam to describe how Jane felt about everyday learning activities at the
rural school. According to Mrs. Adam, Jane "expected more of herself than what was
reasonable" in the multi-grade class. I asked Mrs. Adam to comment further, she added that
Jane "couldn't print as well as the other kids" in the class. Jane "really got after herself a lot
for not having the abilities that the older kids had." Especially "the spelling part." Mrs.
Adam pointed out Jane's journal writing, commenting on why it was her "only concern of
the entire daily activities." Mrs. Adam explained her perspective "it's great to put your
thoughts on paper, but correct the spelling.,,_ She claimed that "their journal" needed to be
looked at more carefully, "I just felt that it should've been corrected." Mrs. Adam insisted
"I would come home and I'd ask my child to read it and she couldn't even read it. It made
no sense whatsoever to me and I ended up talking to the teacher and she says that they don't
correct that journal. It should have been and I ended up doing it myself. So that was my
only concern of daily activities. Everything else was fine, except that. So that's not bad."
Beliefs, Opinions, Attitudes
Mrs. Adam revealed further sentiments on Jane's learning activities in the one-room
schoolhouse. "I felt that because of the lack of instruction when it came to the basic part of
skills, they became lazy, sloppy, didn't care." She cited Jane's spelling and writing ability
as an example. "Actually [she] could've cared less whether it touched the line or above the
line, or whether or not it was spelled "book" or "bak. '" Mrs. Adam pointed out that "it
didn't matter to Jane and she just put whatever and she just wanted to get the heck out of the
classroom." Mrs. Adam believed that this form of instruction in the rural school "wasn't
teaching them discipline or memory skills. It just taught them to put whatever, and get a

RURAL EDUCATION 54

check mark, and then quickly run out to go play with your friends." As a parent, Mrs. Adam
felt it was "completely unacceptable."
Mrs. Adam's tone became positive as she continued with her description of Jane's
experience in the rural school. "I think it has been wonderful [in] the rural school. Mrs.
Adam provided

ils~ "the experience to be able to take part in a lot of the activities from

the older grades has been absolutely wonderful for my daughter." She explains why being
in a multi-grade classroom is a good learning experience for Jane, "she participates in
activities that would be for all the older kids in any other school, like the fish hatching, and
all these other things, wood-working, which .. . " according to Mrs. Adam "only happens in
older grades." Mrs. Adam explains that because of the multi-grade classroom Jane has
actually been able to partake in the activities.
Mrs. Adam spoke about the benefit of rural education, "l am thrilled to death that she
can actually be in a one-room classroom because there is no other way she would ever
experience the things that she has in any other school."
I asked Mrs. Adam if Jane had mentioned any other learning experiences in the multigrade classroom. Mrs. Adam replied that Jane "talks about working with older classmates
all the time." She provided an example, Jane "comes home with her journal" and when
asked, '"wow did you do this?"' Jane would say that "'no, so-and-so helps me."' Mrs.
Adam insists that in a multi-grade environment "it is usually the kids from the grade five,
six or sevens that have helped Jane with her math, her English, her spelling." Mrs. Adam
explained that "the other kids always give an extra help, when they are finished their
homework, then they pretty much with all the younger kids, they sit down and give them a

RURAL EDUCATION 55

hand to help them get through their school work quicker." Mrs. Adam made it clear that,
"of course [this] would not happen in any other school."
Mrs. Adam related another example of her child' s learning experience with older
classmates in the rural school. "The same with gym, when she needs a hand with certain
things, they would always be there to help her." Mrs. Adam claims that because of the extra
assistance, Jane has "thoroughly enjoyed the experience because she comes home and tells
me all the time how great that day was, because so-and-so sat down and helped me today. It
is kind of nice to see."
Mrs. Adam demonstrates how Jane would in turn "actually help a lot of the older
kids." She continues, "in classroom art, painting, which I found quite interesting, she would
get her stuff and then walk over and say, "'let's try this.' " Or something, or "'use this, that's
not a good glue, try this one. " ' Mrs. Adam beams at the memory adding that Jane, "has
been able to come home with greater self-esteem on art days because she says, "'Guess who
I helped today?"' Mrs. Adam is proud of her daughter' s ability to assist students and
exclaims, "Holy cow!" at the recollection.
Mrs. Adam then provided an example of Jane' s academic interaction with her peers.
According to Jane the older students "just basically tell her how to spell words. " When
asked if this had been an effective learning opportunity for Jane, Mrs. Adam stated that, "all
the other kids knew how particular I was with the journal." I asked Mrs. Adam to explain in
detail. "Her spelling, her journal, before she would go home, any of the kids that stay late
would usually sit with her. And, within two to three weeks of that, of the help, she stopped
requiring so much help and was able to do it on her own. So, with the help of the older kids

RURAL EDUCATION 56

she was actually progressing a lot quicker and by the end of the year, she didn't need hardly
any help at all."
Mrs. Adam included an occasion on learning with adults from the rural community.
"The only thing that I think Jane really enjoyed was when she came home with the cutting
board and key holder. She made them herself with some assistance from the one of the
woodworking instructors. She used the saws by herself; she was shown how." Mrs. Adam
explains that since the session on woodworking, Jane has demonstrated and increased
knowledge of the world around her. According to Mrs. Adam "even the pine chips, she can
walk through the forest and say, '"Hey that's a pine tree. I know that because that's what
your bread board's made of Mom."' So, that's kind of cool."
When queried on her opinion of social skills in the rural classroom, Mrs. Adam
explained that the students "are so used to having the kids here, they've grown up with them,
they've seen them their whole lives, they can't really relate to other kids, other than the ones
that currently live here. So, when another child moves into town, they are expecting certain
things from those kids and when they don't get them, they don't know how to deal with it.
And, at least that's what I've sort of come to the conclusion with over the period."
I asked Mrs. Adam about Jane's reaction to the student's social skills, she responded
that Jane "was shy, she wasn't as outspoken as almost all the kids here are, she could be
pushed around and manipulated by other kids." Mrs. Adam adds, "I find that they have a
hard time relating to a lot of others." She also notes that "the students in the multi-grade
class are very, very, very, very smart." As to their social skills Mrs. Adam states, "I noticed
from my own experience that I find that they have a hard time relating to a lot of others."
Mrs. Adam explains her point of view, "this is a small community, you have to deal with it

RURAL EDUCATION 57

to move and let it go and continue living in harmony. Otherwise, you're going to have a
really, really hard time living in a community where you are all living beside each other.
Jane is developing her social skills so that she can actually let it go, that's something that
you have to keep to yourself and make the best of it, smile and walk away."
Mrs. Adam had described Jane's social interactions in the rural school as well as the
academic subjects: spelling, reading and math. I asked Mrs. Adam to include Jane's other
academic learning experiences to me. She explained how Jane "came away from her
previous grade, with pretty much no skills to then going to a rural school where its way
more attention paid to the child." According to Mrs. Adam, in a rural school "there's a lot
more attention paid to what the parent's request. We have more of a rapport with the
teacher." Mrs. Adam states, "Our daughter now has much better academics." She provided
examples; "she actually enjoys reading. She knows her math better than I do. She actually
knows her fractions. She has come along so well now. On the computer she is amazing. So
yeah, her math, her English skills, have really picked up." Mrs. Adam concludes that,
"academic-wise for the rural school [it} is probably the best." In fact, Mrs. Adam states that
she will "actually be looking now for rural schools from now until the kids graduate. They
will not be going into a big centre."
I asked Mrs. Adam about any changes she wanted for Jane in the multi-grade class.
"I see nothing wrong with her academic learning for her past school year." Indeed, Mrs.
Adam's admission was that "I have fairly high standards when it comes to that [academic
achievement] and I expect no less from my daughter." I asked Mrs. Adam to share Jane's
words when describing a successful day at school. Mrs. Adam said "all of these different
comments [were] made throughout the year, '"I'm proud of myself. I did it. Look at this.

RURAL EDUCATION 58

Wow. I'm getting it.,, Mrs. Adam provided further evidence of Jane's success commenting
that, "her art was actually in a display. And so to be able to see her stuff, see the
progression, her self-esteem wasn't dropping. No, she was pretty happy and her comments
were almost always positive."
I asked Mrs. Adam to describe Jane's feelings about school in further detail. "I think
she feels good that, of what she's done. She feels proud." She related how Jane had "felt
very, very down" at first in the rural school. "She's sad. We went through pretty much all
the emotions from the beginning, she ended up having to be put in a remedial math because
she just wasn't getting it." Mrs. Adam had helped turn the experience into a learning
opportunity for Jane. "We ended up working with her math and she ended up bumping
ahead, because I think that it just clicked. And I could see it click." At the rural school Jane
had been "ecstatic that she went to math and she got only one wrong out of twenty
questions. So she came home feeling pretty good about herself." Mrs. Adam further
reflected on Jane's academic learning, claiming that it was "the only thing that she really felt
that she couldn't do properly [math], other than her spelling. It's okay to make mistakes."
Mrs. Adam remained positive "I really do think that the entire thing was extremely
beneficial for her as well." She thought that Jane' s experience in a rural school had been
positive "emotionally as well as developmental[y]" Mrs. Adam adds "I think that it was all
extremely beneficial." On Jane's experience she adds "I would love to see her in multigrade, in the rural school" because "I think having them all together is wonderful." Mrs.
Adam's reasoning stems from her conviction that "they all learn more." Because "I don't
feel that they are segregated in any way, they are all together." She explains further "yes,
they are all given different work and they are all given different times, they are all given

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different everything, but the younger kids, the kindergarten, they are put together with the
grade-ones or the grade-twos, or the grade-threes are always bumped up to the next grade,
and they all work as a group. They all understand the younger groups. They help the
younger kids. " Mrs. Adam repeats how Jane feels that "the older kids are always
supportive, almost always supportive, as much as they can." She adds one downside "their
interests are very, very different, so what interests my daughter is of absolutely no interest
whatsoever for the older kids. " In a multi-grade classroom "she doesn't have a whole lot of
friends because the age [difference], even during recess and lunch, the older kids tend to go
amongst their little ways, do their little things, hang out, talk about this, that and the next
thing. They just have extremely different interests in life."
Mrs. Adam includes a comparison "normally in bigger classrooms, there is a whole
bunch of the kids all the same age so they can go and play and do all their stuff together.
But in rural schools you don't often have that luxury to be able to spend time with the
friends your own age group, and that is one thing that I have really noticed." On her child's
social and academic experiences overall in the rural school Mrs. Adam states that
"academically it has been great; socially its had its ups and downs, that is one of the only
detrimental things that I can see, she would like more friends her own age. "
I brought our interview to a close, asking Mrs. Adam about her thoughts on the
eminent rural school closure. Mrs. Adam was disappointed stating, "that's unacceptable."
On the possibility of an amalgamation with an urban school she quickly adds that, "it's not
even an option for me to send my daughter on a school bus for ten hours a day. She'd be
away from home for ten hours." In conclusion, Mrs. Adam expressed gratitude for her
child' s experience in a rural school. "She's grateful for everything that she's done and

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known. I'm just quite happy with the curriculum and activities and academic things that she
has learned while she was in this rural school."