Revista Brasileira de Educação do Campo
Brazilian Journal of Rural Education
ARTIGO/ARTICLE/ARTÍCULO
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
1
Este conteúdo utiliza a Licença Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Open Access. This content is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-type BY
Organization of the educational process in the Rural
School of the mountain region: a case study
Olena Budnyk
1
, Inna Nikolaesku
2
, Nataliia Stepanova
3
, Olena Vovk
4
, Anna Palienko
5
, Tetiana
Atroshchenko
6
1
Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University. Department of Pedagogy of Primary Education, Director of the Center for
Innovative Educational Technologies “PNU EcoSystem”. 57 Shevchenko St. Ivano-Frankivsk 76018 Ukraine.
2, 3,
4, 5
Bohdan
Khmelnytsky National University at Cherkasy, Cherkasy, Ukraine.
6
Mukachevo State University, Mukachevo, Ukraine.
Author for correspondence: olena.budnyk@gmail.com
ABSTRACT. The purpose of the article is to present the
problems of a typical rural school in a mountainous region in
terms of the organization of the educational process, in
particular distance learning of students in a coronary virus
pandemic. The following research methods were used: analytic-
synthetic, empirical and mathematical statistics. The specifics of
the organization of schoolchildren’s education in the alpine
conditions of a small rural school are substantiated. The results
of an empirical study conducted among teachers of rural schools
in the mountains of Ukraine are presented. The subject of the
survey were questions about the attitude of teachers to distance
learning in rural schools, the realities and difficulties of using
information and communication technologies (ICT) in the
educational process. It was found that among teachers of various
levels of rural education (preschool, primary and secondary
school) 49.12% have a positive attitude to distance learning,
18.42% – partially support. Given the difficulties and problems
of using ICT, lack of teaching materials for online learning, low
level of digital and media literacy, 23.68% of teachers – strongly
against this form of organization of the educational process in
remote rural (mountainous) regions. Prospects for the
development of rural schools in mountainous areas in the
context of digitalization of education are identified.
Keywords: educational process in a mountainous school, rural
school, distance learning, digital technologies.
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
2
Organização do processo educativo na Escola Rural da
região montanhosa: um estudo de caso
RESUMO. O objetivo do artigo é apresentar a problemática de
uma típica escola rural de uma região montanhosa no que se
refere à organização do processo educacional, em particular ao
ensino à distância de alunos em uma pandemia de vírus
coronariano. Foram utilizados os seguintes métodos de pesquisa:
analíticos e sintéticos, empíricos e estatística matemática.
Fundamentamos as especificidades da organização da educação
dos alunos nas condições de montanha alta de uma pequena
escola rural. Apresentamos os resultados de um estudo empírico
realizado no meio de professores das escolas rurais nas
localidades montanhosas da Ucrânia. No questionário foram
incluídas as questões sobre a atitude dos professores em relação
à educação à distância em escolas rurais, as realidades e as
dificuldades do uso das tecnologias de informação e
comunicação (TIC) no processo educativo. Verificou-se que
entre os professores de diferentes níveis de ensino rural (pré-
escolar, ensino primário e secundário) 49,12% têm atitude
positiva em relação às TIC, 18,42% – demonstram o apoio
parcial. Dadas as dificuldades e problemas de uso das TIC, falta
de materiais didáticos para aprendizagem online, baixo nível de
alfabetização digital e midiática, 23,68% estão fortemente contra
essa forma de organização do processo educativo em regiões
rurais remotas (montanhosas). Foram determinadas as
perspectivas de desenvolvimento de escolas rurais em áreas
montanhosas no contexto de digitalização da educação.
Palavras-chave: processo educativo, escola de montanha,
escola rural, ensino à distância, tecnologias digitais.
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
3
Organización del proceso educativo en Escuelas Rurales de
la región montañosa: un estudio de caso
RESUMEN. En el artículo presentamos el problema de una
escuela rural típica en una región montañosa en cuanto a la
organización del proceso educativo, el aprendizaje a distancia de
los estudiantes en condiciones de pandemia de coronavirus, en
particular. Se utilizaron los siguientes métodos de investigación:
estadística analítica y sintética, empírica y matemática.
Comprobamos los detalles de la organización de la educación de
los estudiantes en las condiciones de alta montaña de una
pequeña escuela rural. Presentamos los resultados de un estudio
empírico realizado entre profesores de escuelas rurales en zonas
montañosas de Ucrania. El cuestionario incluyó preguntas sobre
la actitud de los docentes en relación a la educación a distancia
en las escuelas rurales, las realidades y dificultades en el uso de
las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en el
proceso educativo. Se encontró que entre los docentes de
diferentes niveles de educación rural (educación preescolar,
primaria y secundaria) el 49,12% tiene una actitud positiva hacia
las TIC, el 18,42% – demuestra apoyo parcial. Dadas las
dificultades y problemas del uso de las TIC, la falta de
materiales didácticos para el aprendizaje en línea, el bajo nivel
de alfabetización digital y mediática, el 23,68% se opone
fuertemente a esta forma de organización del proceso educativo
en regiones rurales remotas (montañosas). Se determinaron las
perspectivas de desarrollo de escuelas rurales en zonas
montañosas en el contexto de la digitalización de la educación.
Palabras clave: proceso educativo, escuela de montaña, escuela
rural, la educación a distancia, tecnologías digitales.
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
4
Introduction
In the conditions of integration,
social processes, globalization and
digitalization, the requirements for the
quality of educational services in various
types of educational establishments are
growing. The outlined problem is
extremely relevant in the context of
preparing teachers for social work in
schools of remote rural (mountainous)
areas, where a significant number of
children and youth need especially
psychological and pedagogical support.
These include children of migrant workers,
orphans/semi-orphans, people from low-
income or large families, and others
(Budnyk, Nikolaesku, Atroshchenko et al.,
2021).
Educational establishments located
in the Appalachian, Alps, Apennines or
Pontic Mountains have an extremely well-
developed infrastructure and a universal
educational design that solves the problem
of, for example, their accessibility. We
have somewhat different conditions in the
Ukrainian Carpathians, where teachers and
education managers face numerous
problems with the organization of the
educational process in kindergartens and
schools, the introduction of inclusion or
work with students from particularly
vulnerable groups, the use of digital
technologies in education and others.
In the context of urbanization, it is
important to adapt rural schools, which are
often in difficult socio-economic and
socio-cultural conditions. “Urban
normativity helps contextualize the
marginalized nature of rural schools within
the larger educational system” (Zinger,
Haymore Sandholtz & Ringstaff, 2020).
Rural schools are not heterogeneous,
however, and have their own specifics
regarding location, population, and
histories.
One of the biggest problems in South
Africa is rural poverty and the education
system, as rural areas are relatively
underdeveloped and negatively affect the
quality of schooling. Among such
difficulties: lack of basic infrastructure,
insufficient amount of drinking water,
electricity, transport, information and
communication technologies, books and
educational materials, etc., they need to
provide the necessary psychological and
pedagogical support of students (Du
Plessis, 2014). Such issues are relevant for
many countries.
For all rural (mountainous) schools,
the problem of providing an educational
establishment with highly qualified
teachers who could teach several subjects
is relevant (Barley & Brigham, 2008).
“Potential contributing factors include
social and collegial isolation, low salaries,
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
5
multiple grade or subject teaching
assignments, and lack of familiarity with
rural schools and communities. Together,
these challenges can discourage teachers
from accepting rural positions or cause
them to leave rural settings after teaching
there for only a short time” (Barley &
Brigham, 2008). Such problems are
characteristic not only of the Central
Region states of the United States, but also
of most rural schools in different countries
(Zinger, Haymore Sandholtz & Ringstaff,
2020). In addition, in rural areas, due to
numerous difficulties, there is a greater
need for “special psychological training of
teachers to prevent and overcome
professional burnout” (Kyrian, Nikolaesku,
Stepanova & Nenko, 2020).
It is no coincidence that many
scientific articles address the professional
development needs of rural school teachers
(Glover and others, 2016). Modern
scholars (Barley & Brigham, 2008;
Budnyk, Mazur, Kondur et al., 2020)
emphasize the lack of research on teacher
training in remote rural educational
establishments, taking into account the
specifics of the organization process in the
region. American scientists conducted a
cartographic survey of rural education
research in the United States, which should
provide a powerful impetus for similar
research in different countries, “can
provide a useful framework for relevant
research of urban spaces, as well as rural
and urban spaces in various nations” (Thier
et al., 2021).
An equally important problem in the
organization of education in rural areas is
the support of researchers in the field of
pedagogical education and rural school
heads. After all, we need systematic
support for the leadership potential of the
rural community (Wargo et al., 2021).
Thus, the relevance of the study is
due to the societal challenges faced today
by rural remote educational institutions in
mountainous regions:
● adaptation of rural schools
that are in difficult socio-economic and
socio-cultural conditions to provide quality
education;
● intensification of social
work in schools of remote rural
(mountainous) areas;
● improving the material and
technical base of rural schools; availability
of digital technologies, in particular in the
conditions of distance and blended learning
due to the spread of COVID-19;
● providing educational
institutions with highly qualified
pedagogical staff, the need for professional
growth of rural teachers;
● support for researchers and
young leaders in the rural community;
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
6
● the need to develop digital
competencies of teachers and students,
their information literacy, etc.
So, the purpose of the article is to
present the realities and features of work in
a typical rural school in a mountainous
region, in particular the challenges of
distance learning in a coronavirus
pandemic; to determine the prospects for
the development of remote educational
establishments in the Ukrainian
Carpathians.
Characteristics of Rural (Mountainous)
School
A rural or mountainous school is
usually called an educational
establishment, which on a territorial basis
is remote from densely populated areas and
is located on the outskirts of the country.
This concept is sometimes identified with
“concept farm school or small school”
(Pierre du Plessis, 2014).
The following features are examples
of the rural profile (UNESCO, 2005):
Distance to towns;
Topography (conditions of roads,
bridges to school, etc);
Access to information technology;
Transport infrastructure (roads,
buses, taxis);
Access to services and facilities
(electricity, water, sanitation);
The health, educational and
economic status of the community;
Access to lifelong learning
services;
Social conditions in the
community;
Activities of political and civil
society organization.
In some post-Soviet countries (for
example, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus) there
is the concept of “rural small circle”,
which characterizes a primary school in
which there are fewer teachers than
classes, and each teacher conducts lessons
simultaneously with two or more classes.
Actually, the basis of such a definition is
staffing of the student body of the school.
This type of school is located mostly in
rural areas. In a small school, the total
number of students, class size, and number
of students per teacher is lower than the
normal set by the authorities in the
country.
There is research that small rural
schools can sometimes be much more
effective than large ones in terms of the
quality of education, individual approach
and motivation of schoolchildren, fuller
involvement of parents in the educational
process, work with socially disadvantaged
children and so on (Raywid, 1999).
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
7
Specifics of the Educational
Environment in the Mountain Province
The analysis of scientific and
educational literature on the subject of this
research has shown the complexity and
diversity of the formation of orientations
on values among students living in the
mountainous region (Ralph, 2002;
Maynard & Howley, 1997).
In the school located in the
mountains the influence of landscape-
geographical and ethno-cultural
environment on the establishment and
development of personal values of growing
personality (moral, civic, aesthetic) can be
clearly observed. The spirituality of the
young person operates in this context
(Budnyk, 2014). Among them we can
differentiate such values as: patriotism-the
identity of ethnic community; awareness of
the importance of the native language (the
language of the ancestry) in the life of the
nation; responsibility for the future of the
country; respect for other ethnic
communities; aesthetic, environmental,
valeological, ideological values.
The mountain region is characterized
by specific features: colorful nature
contributes to the accumulation of vast
experience of communication with nature,
which results in preserving old traditions
formed through the centuries: careful
management, spirituality and respectful
attitude to the world. The traditional crafts,
progressive ritual traditions that certainly
serve as an effective factor in the
harmonious development of the child were
sufficiently preserved here (Budnyk &
Mazur, 2017, pp. 54-55).
Residents of the mountain region are
usually deeply religious people who also
raise their children in accordance with the
religious ideology. So the question arises
about the use of Christian ethics and
religious elements in the pedagogical
process of school in order to understand
the religious mentality and establish
cooperation with parents and students.
Obviously valuable in this context is the
knowledge about the positive impact of
religion on stress management, mental
disorders of children, promotion of social
activity in the community, etc. Currently,
the system of the individual values
worldview is shaped by the global
transformation of the hierarchy of human
values. So the most important question is
the one connected with the study,
formation and development of the personal
values of a young person, taking into
consideration the specifics of the particular
region, including mountain landscape and
the climatic and socio-cultural
environment.
In the schools located in the
Ukrainian Carpathians we have a lot of
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
8
potential opportunities to familiarize
students with valuable natural resources
and unique spiritual and cultural traditions.
Therefore, these regions are especially
characterized by a number of socio-
economic problems (unemployment,
poverty, instability, external migration of
the adult population, lower birth rates) and
environmental problems (floods,
deforestation, etc.). To some extent such
issues affect the quality of education so
acutely raises the problem of revival and
creation of authentic spiritual and moral
values of the young person, based on the
ideals of truth, goodness, beauty, freedom,
education for the real citizen and landlord
(Budnyk & Mazur, 2017, p. 55).
Research methods
Analytical-synthetic method was
used to study the psychological and
pedagogical literature on the organization
of the educational process in rural schools,
the specifics of children’s education in
mountainous areas, as well as
substantiation the problem of using modern
digital technologies in distance education
in rural (small) schools holistic creative
synthesis and analysis.
Empirical methods (survey,
comparison) were used to study the state of
the problem in school practice, teachers’
understanding of tasks and challenges for
the use of digital resources and tools of
distance teaching in rural (mountain)
schools.
Methods of mathematical statistics
were used for quantitative and qualitative
analysis of the obtained empirical data.
Instruments and Procedures
The article presents the results of an
empirical study conducted in rural schools
in the mountains of Ukraine. A survey of
teachers working on various levels of
education (educators of preschool
educational establishments, primary and
secondary school teachers, the
administration of the educational
establishment) was conducted. The
anonymous survey involved 114 people
representing different age groups. The
questions of the questionnaire concerned
the attitude of teachers to distance learning
in the context of the coronavirus pandemic,
the realities and difficulties in the use of
information and communication
technologies (ICT) in the educational
process of rural (small) schools.
Results of Research
Regional component of school education
In the context of multiculturalism
and globalization, national education is the
key to the preservation and development of
the ethnic community. Therefore, an
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
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2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
9
important task of the modern rural school
is to pass on to the younger generation
ethno-cultural heritage in the broadest
sense of the word, taking into account the
landscape-climatic, demographic,
ethnographic characteristics of the region
while teaching and educating students.
Rural (mountain) schools and
districts tend to be smaller in number of
students served, respectively, offering a
more limited choice of extracurricular
activities of arts, socio-cultural, health or
STEM education (Goodpaster, Adedokun
& Weaver, 2012). But in addition to the
problems, rural conditions also provide a
number of unique benefits for students in
the regional component of educational
content. There are significant opportunities
for the creativity of a rural teacher. First of
all, it is a unique natural and ethno-cultural
environment, and “include the local funds
of knowledge present in rural communities
broadly, as well as the backgrounds and
daily experiences of rural school-aged
children” (Avery & Kassam, 2011).
In the educational process, the best
teachers of rural remote schools conduct
“open-air lessons”, use rich natural
learning materials, as well as opportunities
for observation and experimentation with
natural objects. This is especially true for
training in today's coronavirus pandemic.
An example of this historically and
culturally developed knowledge is
students’ experiences fishing, hunting, and
interacting with indigenous knowledge. It
is within this dynamic system that rural
schools and districts are charged with
preparing students to meaningfully engage
with science in ways that help them make
sense of the world (NGSS Lead States,
2013). The Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS), introduced in 2013, call
for significant shifts in the way science is
taught (Zinger et al., 2020, p. 14).
The colorful nature of the region
(mountains, forests, meadows, rivers)
contributes to the accumulation of vast
experience in nature management, as a
result of which the inhabitants of remote
rural areas have formed centuries-old
management traditions. We believe that the
development of ecological and economic
competence of students in rural (mountain)
schools should be carried out taking into
account the economic traditions of local
residents. For example, through the narrow
valleys of mountain rivers built wooden-
stone dams to strengthen the banks,
especially in places of sharp turns. The
current floods in the mountainous regions
of the Ukrainian Carpathians testify to the
objective need to revive and continue the
ancient traditions of intelligent nature
management.
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
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Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
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2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
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Thus, the pedagogical experience of
villagers is widely represented in the
traditions of management, respect for the
world, customs, rituals, etiquette, beliefs,
folk art, games, toys, food, architecture,
symbols, crafts and more. Elements of
socio-culture are more or less part of the
content of education of a modern rural
school in the Ukrainian Carpathians.
Accordingly, the system of knowledge and
skills to be acquired by students should be
adapted to specific socio-cultural
conditions and traditions. Therefore, in
such a school it is important to use the
regional component in the content of
education for the development of students'
relevant competencies in the field of ethno-
culture.
Digitization of Education in Rural
Schools
The challenges of distance learning
in remote rural schools have highlighted a
number of problems in the organization of
quality education, primarily related to the
logistics of rural schools, including
mountain schools in the Ukrainian
Carpathians.
Wallin and Reimer (2008) note that
rural educational institutions often face
difficulties such as: (a) isolation from
specialized services; (b) limited
accessibility to quality staff, development
and university services; (c) lack of
teachers; and (d) decreasing enrolment
which leads to decreased funding.
Teachers in rural schools experience
numerous serious challenges. Most of
the children do not attend school
regularly as they are forced to work
on farms, and they are not
encouraged to attend school.
Learners who do attend school often
find the curriculum not relevant to
their lives and find that their learning
is not supported at home. The
economic constraints of governments
to provide free basic education to all
its citizens and the low socio-
economic status of parents are
serious barriers preventing children
from receiving a high standard of
education and experiencing quality of
life. This is particularly true in Africa
and other developing countries
around the world, where the majority
of people live in poverty and do not
have access to quality education.
Although governments are
increasingly concerned with issues of
teacher development, the focus is
often more on urban schools,
resulting in rural schools being
neglected (Du Plessis & Mestry,
2019).
At the same time, it is necessary to
provide quality general secondary
education for all students, regardless of the
area in which they live, in order to balance
their chances of continuing their education
in colleges or universities. After all, the
legislation on education in most countries
of the world is to ensure equal access for
all students to high quality education. At
the same time, we do not have enough
research to analyze academic
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
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2021
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achievements, access to educational
services for students in rural and urban
schools (Hudacs, 2020).
Theoretical analysis of the scientific
literature shows that the digitalization of
education helps to improve its quality,
because today there is a tendency to
increase the number of free digital tools,
educational platforms and electronic
resources for online and offline learning.
This greatly facilitates the work of the
teacher in terms of distance or blended
learning. At the same time, the rural school
has some problematic issues regarding the
use of information and communication
technologies in working with students
(Budnyk & Kotyk, 2020).
ICT significantly increases students’
motivation to learn, their interest in online
communication, overcomes socio-
psychological barriers to learning, children
from remote places have access to a variety
of didactic materials in an acceptable
format, as well as have the opportunity to
demonstrate their learning achievements
and develop soft skills. Personal
computers, SMART-boards, and the
Internet today serve as necessary tools in
professional activities to create an
appropriate educational environment for
the educational establishment, and
therefore – in the remote work of teachers
using digital innovations with students.
Actually for this purpose in each school it
is necessary to create the corresponding
educational environment for e-learning.
The digital environment is a place
where conditions are created for the use of
technologies and digital devices that are
often transmitted over the Internet and
other digital means (for example, through a
mobile telephone network). The term
“digital environment” is mostly used in a
general sense (as a specific background for
digital activities) without the name of a
specific technology or tool (Vuorikari et
al., 2016). In the pedagogical context, such
an environment also involves the use of
special educational programs, educational
platforms, virtual laboratories, etc. to
organize the process of acquiring new
knowledge in the educational
establishment, increasing foreign language
competence and expanding the experience
of educational communication, including
online (Vovk, 2017).
The digital educational environment
in rural schools also helps to stimulate
cognitive interests in learning, creating an
accessible educational environment for
children with special educational needs.
After all, in the inclusive process, ICTs
expand the following opportunities:
provide access to educational resources as
a compensatory tool at a convenient time
and place for individual learning at home,
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
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Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
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2021
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including with parents (guardians); help to
perform tasks taking into account the
peculiarities of their development, at their
own pace; if necessary, students have the
opportunity to repeat the theoretical or
practical material; conditions for self-
development, search of educational
information from various sources,
exchange of messages and multimedia
data, etc.
We see an important advantage of
using ICT in an educational establishment
in the opportunities to develop skills of
independent work of rural school students
(Budnyk & Kotyk, 2020). After all, the
correct use of computers in primary school
lessons, even if it is online learning,
significantly increases the intensity of
learning. The use of a number of digital
resources: educational games, videos,
interactive platforms, etc. also allows for
correctional and developmental work with
students with special educational needs in
an inclusive classroom, to differentiate and
individualize the educational process. This
activates the perception of children, their
attention, improves memory, increases
motivation for learning.
At the same time, remote regions
have some problems with the creation and
operation of an effective digital learning
environment for students. During COVID-
19 pandemic, when all schools studied
remotely, these problems were exacerbated
by the lack of high-speed Internet, high-
quality computers in remote settlements
(depressed areas), as well as the
willingness of teachers to use digital
resources and tools online and others
(Dube, 2020).
To identify the attitude of teachers-
practitioners of different levels of rural
education (preschool, primary and
secondary school) to distance learning, we
conducted an empirical study. Among the
survey participants, 89.47% were women
and 10.53% were men. This gender ratio is
explained by the dominance of women in
the teaching profession, at least it is typical
for European countries, including Ukraine,
Poland, France and others. The survey was
conducted in educational establishments of
Ukraine (mountainous region of the
Ukrainian Carpathians).
To the question “How do you feel
about distance teaching in modern
conditions?” The majority of rural school
teachers in the mountainous region 49.12%
answered positively, 18.42% – partially
supported, 8.77% – didn’t not see any
problem for the organization of the
educational process (Fig. 1), because rural
schools are usually small in number of
children.
Conversations with teachers confirm
that their opinions are explained by the
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
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following reasons: 1) some students from
low-income families do not have modern
computers (laptops) to study; 2) some
students living in high-altitude remote
areas often cannot connect to the Internet;
3) rural infrastructure is not always
favorable for online learning; 4) in rural
schools there are not enough digital
technologies for high-quality innovative
education of students; 5) a significant
number of rural teachers do not have the
skills to use modern digital technologies,
including gadgets; 6) there are not enough
educational platforms for distance learning
of students in their native language, etc.
Apparently, due to these difficulties,
almost a quarter of respondents (23.68%)
are categorically against distance learning
of students in a rural (incomplete) school.
Figure 1 - The attitude of rural school teachers to distance learning students.
Source: The survey was conducted by the authors of the article.
In order to investigate which digital resources and teaching tools are known to rural
school teachers, we conducted the following survey, the results of which are presented in
Figure 2.
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
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v. 6
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14
Figure 2 - Digital tools for organizing distance learning of students (at the choice of rural school teachers).
Source: The survey was conducted by the authors of the article.
As we can see, rural school teachers
have information about digital
technologies for formative assessment of
student learning outcomes and providing
feedback in the educational process. At the
same time, due to the above difficulties,
these resources are mostly not used in
distance learning of schoolchildren. The
most popular among children and teachers
are services for creating mental maps (as
stated by 35.96% of respondents) and
virtual boards (32.46%). A significant
number of teachers (22.68%) use a
checklist in their work with students,
primarily to organize independent work in
quarantine. At the same time, checklists
are used for formative assessment of
students' learning outcomes. Among such
digital instruments, respondents also
pointed to Kahoot (13.16%) and Plickers
(7.89%), with only 2.63% using Socrative
for such purposes.
Therefore, based on this survey, it
can be argued that school teachers located
in remote rural areas have, among other
things, difficulties in applying innovative
digital techniques to work with students in
a remote or mixed format.
Today, when there is still a pandemic
hazard (COVID-19) and educational
establishments around the world operate in
closed or mixed formats, e-learning
involves the remote acquisition of new
skills and management using appropriate
learning platforms and digital tools, is
extremely valuable. Digital competence of
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
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teachers and students is also a necessary
condition for awareness of legal and
ethical principles regarding the use of
information technology, digital services,
critical attitude to the received information
and general adequate employment of
modern media for personal or educational
purposes.
In addition, online learning has
certain risks for students, as they work on
the Internet, where they are always
tempted to visit social networks or
dangerous sites. In distance learning,
particularly in rural schools, this process is
often uncontrolled. Therefore, it is
extremely important for teachers to form
media literacy and a culture of student
behavior in a networked environment.
Media literacy is interpreted as a “skill set
that promotes critical engagement with
messages produced by the media” (Bulger
& Davison, 2018, p. 3). “Reflective and
metacognitive thinking is a key dimension
of media literacy and that this practice
continues to be essential today. But
reflective thinking is not purely personal.
Reflective thinking is fundamentally
social” (Hobbs & McGee, 2014).
Considerable attention is also paid to the
issues of leisure and leisure of children in
these remote regions (Budnyk et al., 2020).
Conclusions
1. In order to improve the
quality of education in rural schools, close
cooperation with the community is needed:
“rural parents, students, community groups
can add valuable information to
discussions about educational adequacy
and, therefore, they should be fully
involved in the process of defining and
costing out an adequate education”
(Malhoit, 2005, p. 4). It is the community
that is decisive in making key decisions
and directing all its efforts on educational
policy in rural schools to improve the
quality of student learning.
2. Difficulties in the use of
digital resources and tools in the
educational process of rural schools are
due to: lack of high-speed Internet,
insufficient technical equipment of
educational establishments; often low and
medium level of preparation of teachers for
the use of gadgets in the educational
process; insufficient motivation of teachers
to use digital innovations in education;
lack of guidelines for the use of digital
technologies in the education of rural
school students, etc (Budnyk & Kotyk,
2020). Therefore, in order to solve these
and other problems, systematic support is
needed for rural (small) schools located in
depressed remote mountainous regions.
After all, under COVID-19, a significant
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
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v. 6
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number of rural students have lost access
to quality education due to a lack of
resources to connect to the Internet, a
learning management system and low-tech
software in developing countries.
Therefore, we must ensure social justice
and the rights of students studying in rural
areas, in particular in high-altitude remote
areas.
3. In today’s world, it is
impossible to avoid the influence of the
media, network environment, so it is
necessary to establish cooperation between
teachers and parents in the formation of
media literacy of students in rural
(mountain) schools. This includes greater
control over the use of gadgets and the
Internet by students for educational
purposes. After all, under the influence of
the media the so-called “passive”
intellectual, physical and emotional
development of the individual is observed
(information presented in a ready-made
form is often not subject to critical
analysis).
4. For the practical solution of
the outlined problem we consider effective
active cooperation of pupils, teachers,
parents, community, authority in project
activity for support of rural schools, their
digitalization, improvement of material and
technical base, maintenance of universal
educational design, etc.
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Article Information
Received on July 13th, 2021
Accepted on July 20th, 2021
Published on August, 07th, 2021
Author Contributions: Olena Budnyk was responsible for
the theoretical analysis of the problem, critical revision of
the content, its editing and review, and approval of the final
version published. Inna Nikolaesku and Nataliia Stepanova
were responsible for the survey of teachers working in
various levels of education (in rural schools) and data
analysis and interpretation. Tetiana Atroshchenko was
responsible for statistical analysis of the data, as well as a
scientific description of the problem regarding the specifics
of the teacher’s work in the mountainous region. Olena
Vovk and Anna Palienko were responsible for the study
design, writing the content of the manuscript in English,
and approval of the final version published.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
Article Peer Review
Double review.
Funding
No funding.
How to cite this article
APA
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O.,
Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of
the educational process in the Rural School of the
mountain region: a case study. Rev. Bras. Educ. Camp., 6,
e12647. http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
ABNT
BUDNYK, O.; NIKOLAESKU, I.; STEPANOVA, N.; VOVK,
O.; PALIENKO, A.; ATROSHCHENKO, T. Organization of
Budnyk, O., Nikolaesku, I., Stepanova, N., Vovk, O., Palienko, A., & Atroshchenko, T. (2021). Organization of the educational process in the Rural School
of the mountain region: a case study…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e12647
10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
19
the educational process in the Rural School of the
mountain region: a case study. Rev. Bras. Educ. Camp.,
Tocantinópolis, v. 6, e12647, 2021.
http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e12647
