Results obtained from Action Research in a teacher training program in rural education

Abstract

The general objective of this study is to analyze and verify the impact that a teacher training process has had on rural education from the interdisciplinarity of the social sciences. Training through action-research has been developed in ten secondary schools in the Valencian Community (Spain), with the participation of twenty social science teachers (geography and history) and sixteen from other secondary education specialties, who after receiving specific training introduced changes in the teaching of rurality, through the design of activities and projects that have connected with the social problems of rural areas. Action research has been developed in four phases that have interacted with each other. The evaluation of the process has been carried out with qualitative and quantitative sources and data collection techniques. The statistical analyses developed (descriptive and Kendall's W) show that the training contributed to teachers improving the praxis of theoretical knowledge and executing significant changes in their pedagogical practice. The main finding is that reflective learning has reached a fundamental role in the advancement of professional knowledge and teacher autonomy, as well as in the improvement of rural education in schools. The evidence collected in this teacher training experience can be applied to other rural contexts to improve the citizenship education of students and the appreciation of rural areas.