Challenges of Teachers in an Effective Rural Secondary School in Mexico

Abstract

This paper examines from the perspective of teachers the problems faced by a telesecondary school for the achievement of its educational objectives, as well as the implemented actions to overcome their problems, located in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. A case study was carried out, selected on the basis of the good results obtained by students in the ENLACE test, belonging to a highly marginalized context. The methodological and data triangulation allowed to verify and validate data, obtained through interviews, focus groups, documentary analysis and qualitative observation. The results indicate that there are individual and general factors that need to be considered to improve the students’ education: lack of effectiveness in the development of educational policy programs, lack of some resources and infrastructure, lack of technological resources, teachers training and management of the school center. The strategies the school makes to address these problems are helping to improve student performance.

“Constant Communication”: Rural Principals' Leadership Practices During a Global Pandemic

“…For example, rural principals had to think about virtual learning for their students, realizing that broadband access is limited, at best, in many of their communities. Children who live in impoverished rural areas often lack technology resources such as computers and internet access (Ramon et al, 2019). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports that over 21 million Americans lack internet access and 69% of these Americans live in rural areas (Poon, 2020).…”

“…Rural school leaders are met with serious challenges and opportunities to lead rural schools. Rural school leaders face challenges that include being professionally and geographically isolated (Ashton and Duncan, 2012;Versland, 2013;Casto, 2016;Parson et al, 2016;Hansen, 2018); recruiting and retaining quality school teachers (Du Plessis, 2014;Ulferts, 2016;Hohner and Riveros, 2017;Hansen, 2018;Hildreth et al, 2018); deepening and persistent poverty among students and their families (Schaefer et al, 2016;Farrigan, 2017;Showalter et al, 2017); and facing a lack of resources (Forner et al, 2012;Barrett et al, 2015;Ramon et al, 2019). The opportunities they face include leading smaller schools in more cohesive communities with less crime (Southworth, 2004).…”