Revista Brasileira de Educação do Campo
Brazilian Journal of Rural Education
ARTIGO/ARTICLE/ARTÍCULO
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e13124
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e13124
10.20873/uft.rbec.e13124
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
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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
Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of
digital innovation in a Rural School: problems and
prospects
Olena Budnyk1, Nataliia Matveieva2, Kateryna Fomin3, Tetiana Nazarenko4, Vira Kalabska5
1, 2, 3 Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Faculty of Pedagogy, Department of Pedagogy of Primary Education, 57
Shevchenko St. Ivano-Frankivsk 76018 Ukraine. 4 National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of
Pedagogy, Department of Geography and Economics, 52 D Sichovykh Striltsiv St., Kyiv, Ukraine. 5 Pavlo Tychyna Uman State
Pedagogical University, Faculty of Arts, 2 Sadova St., Uman, Ukraine.
Author for correspondence: olena.budnyk@gmail.com
ABSTRACT. The purpose of the article: to substantiate the
urgency of the problem of providing rural schools with qualified
teachers; to characterize digital innovations and their use in rural
education in the conditions of COVID-19; to analyze the
difficulties and prospects for preparing teachers for the use of
digital technologies in distance learning in rural remote schools.
The following research methods were used: analytical,
empirical, and mathematical statistics. Theoretical analysis of
the state of the problem in pedagogical science, in particular, the
introduction of digital innovations in the educational process is
outlined as a necessary condition for sustainable development of
rural education. The results of an empirical study conducted
among future teachers on their readiness to work in the future in
rural areas are presented. A gap was revealed between young
teachers’ professional expectations and real school practice in
remote rural schools. Emphasis was placed on the necessity to
ensure cooperation between schools, parents, the public, and
local businesses to improve the quality of rural education.
Keywords: future teachers, rural school, digital technologies.
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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v. 6
e13124
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2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
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Preparación de futuros profesores para la introducción de
la innovaciones digitales en una escuela rural: problemas y
perspectivas
RESUMEN. El objeto del artículo: fundamentar la actualidad
del problema que consiste en proporcionar a las escuelas rurales
el personal docente debidamente calificado; caracterizar las
innovaciones digitales y su aplicación en la educación rural en
las condiciones del COVID-19; analizar las dificultades y
perspectivas de la preparación de profesores en la aplicación de
tecnologías digitales en la educación a distancia en escuelas
rurales. Se utilizaron los siguientes métodos de investigación: de
estadística analítica, empíricos y matemáticos. El análisis teórico
del estado de la problemática en la ciencia pedagógica, en
particular, la introducción de innovaciones digitales en el
proceso educativo se perfila como condición esencial y
necesaria para el desarrollo continuo de la educación rural. Se
presentan los resultados de un estudio empírico realizado entre
futuros profesores en el aspecto de su preparación para trabajar
en zonas rurales. Se descubrió una ruptura entre las expectativas
profesionales de los profesores jóvenes y la práctica escolar real
en las escuelas rurales. Se hizo hincapié en la necesidad de
garantizar la cooperación entre las escuelas, los padres, la
población en general y las empresas locales para mejorar la
calidad de la educación rural.
Palabras clave: futuros profesores, escuela rural, tecnologías
digitales.
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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v. 6
e13124
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2021
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Preparação de futuros professores para a introdução de
inovações digitais na escola rural: problemas e
perspectivas
RESUMO. Os objetivos do artigo são fundamentar a urgência
do problema da colocação de professores qualificados em
escolas rurais; caracterizar as inovações digitais e sua utilização
nas escolas rurais nas condições do COVID-19; e analisar as
dificuldades e perspectivas da formação de professores para o
uso de tecnologias digitais na educação à distância em escolas
remotas rurais. Utilizamos os seguintes métodos de pesquisa:
analítico, empírico e método da estatística matemática. A análise
teórica do estado do problema nas ciências pedagógicas, em
particular, a introdução de inovações digitais no processo
educacional é delineada como uma condição necessária para o
desenvolvimento sustentável da educação do campo. No artigo,
apresentamos os resultados de nosso estudo empírico realizado
com futuros professores sobre a sua prontidão para trabalhar no
futuro em áreas rurais. Revelou-se uma lacuna entre as
expectativas profissionais dos professores jovens e a prática
escolar real em escolas rurais remotas. A ênfase foi colocada na
necessidade de assegurar a cooperação entre escolas, pais, o
público e as empresas locais, a fim de melhorar a qualidade da
educação rural.
Palavras-chave: futuros professores, escola rural, tecnologias
digitais.
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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Introduction
In scientific publications, modern
scholars emphasize the problem of
sustainable development of rural education
in environmental (environmental learning),
social (feeling of belonging to the school
community, devaluation of the teaching-
learning process), and economic aspects
(financial difficulties of families) (Mora,
Gomes & Barbado, 2021). The results of
the study of international experience show
that digital technologies have become a
driving force in the economic recovery of
many countries and determine the basis for
sustainable development in the future.
Therefore, the task of education is to train
an educated, creative, competitive in the
modern labor market specialist who has a
system of competencies, among which a
prominent place belongs to digital
competence. After all, along with
improving the quality of modern
education, we are talking about
“digitalization”, informatization as a set of
interconnected organizational and legal,
socio-economic, educational and
methodological, scientific and technical,
production and management processes
aimed at meeting information, computing
and telecommunications needs...of
participants of the educational process, as
well as those who manage and provide this
process” (Bykov & Gurzhiy, 2012).
In the context of the European
Higher Education Area, various
possibilities of information technologies
are considered today, active methods of
teaching students are introduced, which
motivate them to creative research, non-
standard decision-making, as opposed to
traditional lectures or seminars of
reproductive nature (Lord, 1997).
Therefore, today the problem of acquiring
competencies and personal abilities in e-
learning technologies as a necessary
condition for their continuous professional
development, as well as readiness to use
digital resources and tools, especially in
remote rural schools, is relevant.
Thus, due to the development and
practical use of new information and
communication technologies (ICT),
education is undergoing significant
changes, in particular, methods of e-
learning, which are now the subject of
widespread implementation in the
education system of foreign countries.
Further development of “means and
technologies of information and
communication networks, in particular the
Internet, which form a computer-
technological platform of the educational
environment of the modern education
system, first of all open. On this basis, the
subject-technological organization of
information educational space is carried
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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out, the processes of accumulation and
storage of various subject collections of
electronic educational resources are
streamlined, equal access to them is
provided to learners, ICT support of
learning processes, research, and education
management is significantly improved. In
general, “this all contributes to improving
the quality of educational services
provided by educational institutions”
(Bykov, 2011, p. 3).
At the same time, there are remote
educational institutions in rural areas that
cannot provide quality education for
students, including due to the lack of e-
learning tools, and digital literacy of all
participants in the educational process.
Therefore, such schools face a shortage of
teachers, and many small and rural school
districts are developing strategies to retain
teachers in small and rural schools (Lowe,
2006). These difficulties have become
particularly important during distance
learning due to the spread of the
coronavirus pandemic worldwide.
Thus, we face public challenges and
an urgent need for school practice for the
development of rural educational
institutions, training teachers to modernize
education in the use of methods and tools
for forming an information educational
environment in rural areas, creating an
appropriate information resource for
distance education and more.
A thorough study, objective
assessment, creative thinking, and
implementation of the best achievements
of national and foreign experience in the
organization of rural education with the
optimal combination of the classical
heritage of the past and modern scientific
research will help to achieve success in
reforming and renewing schools in rural
areas.
The article aims to highlight the
content of the main concepts of the study,
to characterize digital innovations in
modern distance education in COVID-19,
to analyze problems and prospects for
preparing teachers to use digital
technologies in distance learning in rural
remote schools.
Research methods
The analytical method was used to
study the scientific-pedagogical literature
on the organization of education in rural
schools, including the use of e-learning for
distance learning, as well as training of
future teachers to work in remote rural
schools, taking into account modern
realities.
Empirical methods (observations,
questionnaires) – to study teachers’
opinions on the quality of rural school
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e13124
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2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
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education, in particular during distance
learning due to COVID-19, to identify
typical problems of preparing teachers to
work in rural areas.
Methods of mathematical statistics –
for quantitative and qualitative analysis of
research results.
Results of Research
Review of scientific sources
The problems of organizing
education in rural schools and preparing
teachers to work in remote rural areas are
of great concern to scholars and
practitioners in the education field in many
countries. These questions are studied by
scientists in the United States and Canada
(Lowe, 2006; Arnold, Newman, Gaddy &
Dean, 2005; Blake, 2019; Wallin &
Newton, 2015), Europe (Smit & Humpert,
2012); South America (Valadão, Santos,
Pinto & Tico, 2021), Australia (Roberts &
Green, 2013), Africa (Du Plessis &
Mestry, 2019; Mhishi, Bhukuvhani &
Sana, 2012), post-Soviet countries in the
East and Western Europe (Budnyk, Mazur,
Kondur, Smoliuk & Palahniuk, 2020). The
preparation of teachers for work in rural
areas in the historical context is presented
in the works of Meredith (1929), Ivanyuk
(2014).
In modern conditions, there is a gap
between young teachers’ professional
expectations and the real school practice in
remote rural schools. To do this, in the
process of their preparation at the
university it is necessary to develop
practical skills in understanding child
psychology, develop a proper attitude to
teaching, which will allow teachers to use
effective innovative tools, accept and take
into account individual children's
developmental differences to optimize the
educational process, to ensure cooperation
with parents and promote the formation of
a positive attitude towards school and
teachers in general. Therefore, it is
important to take into account the opinion
of the community and local businesses that
should be involved in the development of
rural education, which today,
unfortunately, in most cases is not ready to
provide quality services during a
coronavirus pandemic.
Outbreaks of various pandemics are
known in world history, which in turn have
intensified scientists, educators, health
workers, the public, and politicians for
progress. Thus, the pandemic of the
Justinianic plague (approximately 540 AD)
had 25-50 million victims - at that time
almost a quarter of the world's population.
The Black Death (1340-1350) was one of
the largest pandemics in human history,
killing approximately 75 to 200 million
people and spreading from China to Asia,
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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and Europe. The so-called “Spanish flu”
(1918) infected 500 million people in all
parts of the world, even in the far-reaching.
“Swine flu” pandemic (2009) – at least
20% of the world’s population has been
infected. Mutations of viruses cause new
outbreaks of infections. And in 2020 we
had massive SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Scientists are working on the development
of drugs for the treatment of COVID-19,
and teachers – on the adaptation of
education in different institutions, in
different countries to work with students.
Digital tools and resources help to create
the online educational environment.
To create and implement a model of
education based on community-based
learning, scholars, for example in India, are
working to develop appropriate programs
that take into account the specifics of the
national rural school (Rural Engagement
...).
Taking into account both the
opportunities and challenges posed
by conditions of rural life, educators
can work to involve parents by
setting up programs that include
features with well-documented,
positive results. Among the features
most often recommended are:
1) parent enrolment in adult
education and parenting education
programs;
2) cooperative strategies for
extending the school curriculum
beyond the school walls;
3) efforts to help parents provide
learning experiences at home;
4) home visits by personnel trained to
facilitate home-school
communication;
5) in-classroom involvement of
parents, local leaders, and
community;
6) summer camps for both parents
and children;
7) use of school facilities for
community activities (Rural
Engagement…).
In line with our research, of course,
the introduction of digital technologies in
rural education and the creation of
appropriate conditions allowing teachers to
choose rural areas for professional work is
crucial.
Introduction of digital innovations in the
educational process as a necessary
condition for the development of rural
education
The implementation of digital
innovations in rural education largely
depends on effective management at the
“horizontal” and “vertical” levels based on
partnership and cooperation. One of the
most important elements of improving
school management is information
resources.
Speaking of informatization of
education usually involves methods and
technologies. Equally important is the
content of information to be stored and
processed in information systems. Any
management is based on information about
the status of the management object. The
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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axiom is the impossibility of effective
management without understanding the
state of this object, the ability to track the
results of management influences, to
monitor the approach (or distance) of the
object from the desired state, and so on
(Bakhrushyn, 2015).
Objective information about an
educational institution in a rural area
creates its positive image in the
community, adjusts to cooperation, and
improves the quality of educational
services. An important condition for the
development of rural education in modern
conditions is the introduction of digital
technologies, increasing teachers’ digital
competence, and attracting investment.
Therefore, there is also a growing demand
for schoolmasters, who can pursue a policy
of intensive development of rural schools
in cooperation with the community and
local business, to respond immediately to
commercial requirements and needs of
stakeholders.
The management of educational
innovations is a modern direction of
management development, which reveals
the impact of investment and innovation on
the development of human, material, and
financial resources in educational
institutions for improving the quality of
basic indicators of their activities
(Danylenko, 2007).
In addition to providing the rural
school with digital technologies, the issue
of developing teachers’ and students’
digital skills, their use of digital tools for
teaching and learning, working with digital
tools, and literacy in the use of the
information environment is quite acute.
Digital competence of the individual
includes a system of knowledge, skills,
attitudes (including abilities, strategies,
values, and awareness) that are necessary
for the use of information and
communication technologies and digital
media to perform tasks, problem-solving;
communication; information management;
cooperation; creation and distribution of
content, etc. (Ferrari, 2012, p. 3-4). These
are information literacy, the culture of
using data and communication in the
information space, and the ability to create
relevant digital content. Digital
competence also involves awareness of
legal and ethical principles regarding the
use of various electronic resources, digital
technologies, the ability to be critical of the
accuracy of the information, and
competently use digital media to achieve
personal, professional, or social goals
(Budnyk, 2018).
In the current context of reforming
higher education to work in quarantine due
to the pandemic COVID-19, the study and
implementation of progressive experience
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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in the use of the latest pedagogical
technologies in the training of future
professionals are very timely. In particular,
we are talking about such educational
technologies as distance learning, e-
learning, u-learning, m-learning, flipped
learning, interactive methods, training
technology, etc. To use them, the following
are necessary: the availability of high-
speed Internet in the educational
institution, a high level of digital
competence of the subjects of professional
activity, technical support of the
educational process, etc. Therefore, the
practical possibilities and effectiveness of
the above methods are practically not used.
Today, the most suitable for many
institutions, especially in rural areas, in our
opinion, is a blended learning model,
which combines all these technologies, i.e.
a distance learning system with a
traditional one. According to C. R.
Graham, the blended learning model
includes traditional and computer-mediated
student learning (2005).
Thus, blended learning is a
purposeful systematic process of
interaction between learning subjects,
which organically combines traditional and
distance learning models, takes place in the
classroom and out, in synchronous or
asynchronous modes, involves the
widespread use of ICT working with
students.
There are the following types of
distance learning: traditional distance
learning (interaction between subjects is
delayed in time) and e-distance learning
(interaction between participants is both
asynchronous and synchronous in time,
and is based on the use of modern ICT)
(Bykov, 2011).
E-distance learning (e-DL) is “a type
of distance learning in which participants
and organizers of the learning process
interact both asynchronous and
synchronous in time, mainly using
electronic transport systems for delivery of
teaching aids and other information
objects, computer networks
Internet/Intranet, media teaching aids, and
information-communication technologies.
Network e-DL systems are also called
Distributed Learning Network systems or
simply Distributed Learning” (Bykov,
2011).
The e-learning system in educational
institutions at all levels is well developed
in China, so even during online learning
due to the coronavirus pandemic, most
students had a positive, confident, and
expected attitude to the development of
virtual education as the main method of
teaching and learning in the future.
According to research results, in this
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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country also secondary school students
have experienced some difficulties due to
adaptation, lack of "live" communication,
and collective learning (Xu, 2021).
Problems of using digital technologies in
a rural school
The issues of optimization of general
rural schools are nationwide, as the
efficiency and pace of implementation of
high-quality socio-economic
transformations in rural areas largely
depend on the further development of
schools in rural areas. Rural school
influences the formation of rural society,
the development of general cultural values
of residents (Ivanyuk, 2015).
Several scientific studies show that
small rural schools have significant
potential for the development of a child’s
personal qualities, close cooperation with
parents, socially disadvantaged families
and their children, and so on. Therefore,
such schools may be more effective in
terms of the quality of educational services
and students’ interest than large schools in
cities (Raywid, 1999).
In rural areas, schools have a
significant number of benefits for students,
in contrast to schools located in cities.
1. First of all, there is a much smaller
number of students in the class, which
allows you to individualize learning and
pay more attention to the development of
creative abilities and talents of each
student. The teacher has the opportunity to
pay more attention to the communicative
activity, problem-based, and research
learning (Budnyk, Fomin, Novoselska &
Voitovych, 2020).
2. Rural conditions make it possible
to implement more widely the regional
component of the content of education, to
use the ethnographic elements of a
particular area to promote customs and
traditions. After all, the school in rural
areas, in particular primary schools, is one
of the main sources of national and
spiritual revival and preservation of
cultural and historical traditions.
3. Opportunities for the rural
teacher’s creativity in work with pupils are
expanded. After all, there is usually a
unique natural and socio-cultural
environment that “includes 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).
Teachers have the opportunity to organize
lessons in nature and pay more attention to
observation, excursions, etc.
4. In rural areas, in contrast to the
urban city, there is a much smaller
population, which means more
opportunities for the establishment of
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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subject-subject communication in learning
based on humanism and tolerance. It also
allows for an off-line or mixed learning
process if the sanitary-epidemiological
situation is controlled for the spread of
infections.
In addition, it is worth highlighting
several negative aspects and difficulties
that rural schools face in real practice.
After all, many countries have faced the
problem of demographic crisis, in
particular Alpine and subalpine regions,
which causes the problem of survival of
small schools (Smit & Humpert, 2012).
Rural areas are mostly depressed,
especially in developing countries. Such
areas are often characterized by poor
infrastructure, pests, and diseases,
sometimes wildlife attacks on humans,
harsh climatic conditions, and seasonal
floods, which complicate the recruitment
and retention of qualified teachers (Mhishi,
Bhukuvhani & Sana, 2012).
Numerous studies in Poland and
Ukraine prove insufficient funding for
rural schools, lack of didactic materials for
reading, development of sensory skills or
design, lack of e-learning tools, etc.
(Budnyk, Mazur, Kondur, Smoliuk &
Palahniuk, 2020). For example, in the
provinces of Canada, rural schools often
face the following difficulties: (a) isolation
from specialized services; (b) limited
access to quality staff, development, and
university services; (c) lack of teachers;
and (d) decreasing enrolment which leads
to decreased funding (Wallin & Reimer,
2008).
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 a 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).
Scholars believe that children's
education in rural schools should be
viewed through the prism of social justice
and provide quality education for all
citizens of the country, regardless of their
place of residence, gender, or nationality.
“Like most rural schools in Labrador are
situated in high poverty areas, with a large
percentage of Aboriginal students enrolled,
the lack of resourcing within the local
school has a significant impact on
students” (Blake, 2019).
Another, no less important issue is
the provision of conditions for working
with children with special educational
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
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needs (Cheney, & Demachak, 2001), the
creation of a universal educational design
for the implementation of inclusive
education in rural areas (Alves, Ribeiro &
Simões, 2013).
Of course, we are talking about the
use of ICT in education, and providing
learning by electronic means to work in an
inclusive process in the Ukrainian schools
(Nikolaesku et al., 2021), in particular:
standard technologies, personal computers
with built-in settings for people with
disabilities, available data formats, or
alternative formats, digital format standard
for recording digital audiobooks, Braille
printers, displays and speech synthesizers,
assistive technologies (hearing aids, screen
readers, keyboards with special
capabilities, alternative communication
systems), etc.
As we can see, under such conditions
there are difficulties in providing rural
educational institutions with qualified
teachers, increasing their motivation for
personal and professional growth. And not
always family ties and personal interests
can force young and promising teachers to
work in rural remote schools. “Potential
contributing factors include social and
collegial isolation, low salaries, multiple
grades 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 typical of rural
education in many countries (Zinger,
Haymore Sandholtz & Ringstaff, 2020).
Moreover, in many countries, public
policy is aimed at closing a few remote
schools. For example, in Brazil, children
and young people have become hostages of
school transport to urban schools (Valadão,
Santos, Pinto & Tico, 2021). Ukraine also
conducts a policy of optimizing
understaffed schools, establishing basic
secondary education institutions, and
creating complete classes to direct public
resources to ensure the quality of education
and equipping them with modern
infrastructure. However, it is a long
process and students from remote areas
also have transportation problems wasting
a significant amount of time to get to
school.
The total provision of rural
settlements with schools in Ukraine is
about 46.5%. More than 200,000 children
live outside pedestrian (more than 3 km)
access and need transportation. The rapid
decline in the birth rate in rural areas,
especially in recent years, is causing a lack
of rural schools. Every sixth school in the
village is understaffed. The material and
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
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technical base of the educational network
in the countryside is generally in critical
condition. In particular, at least one in
eight rural schools needs major repairs (On
the introduction of a moratorium, 2013).
The conditions for obtaining general
secondary education in rural areas of
Ukraine and the results of students'
achievements give rise to discussions about
discrimination against rural children. After
all, in addition to the low equipment of a
rural school, its attendance is often simply
dangerous for children's health
(insufficient temperature in rooms in
winter, the buildings often need repair). At
the same time, about a quarter of rural
schools still do not have a water supply,
and more than half do not have a hot water
supply.
Education achievement rates in rural
areas lag far behind cities. Most students in
rural areas after completing general
secondary education in the independent
assessment of learning outcomes
demonstrated the basic and secondary level
of knowledge of the Ukrainian language
(62.7%), history of Ukraine (77.5%),
mathematics (72.3%). Only 4% of rural
students received a high score on the
English exam. At the same time, in cities,
graduates of secondary schools
demonstrate a much higher level of
knowledge (How to save rural education,
2016).
Many rural schools in Ukraine and
other post-Soviet countries need to
improve their facilities, and this is a major
problem because of the low level of
digitalization, the introduction of
educational innovations, the provision of
effective distance learning, and so on.
At the same time, the difficulties of
using digital technologies and
implementing distance education in rural
schools are the same as in schools in other
countries.
The collective online learning
atmosphere is the most complained
part of e-learning by students, of
which the main manifestation is a
sharp reduction in social presence.
On the one hand, there is less verbal
communication between teachers and
students than in a classroom, which
seems traditional lecture-based
teaching is now reintroduced in
distance learning. On the other hand,
the mental communication between
teachers and students seems to be
'isolated' with social isolation. It is
difficult to accurately communicate
with eyes, expressions, body
movements, emotions, feelings, and
spirit. Briefly, to some extent, e-
learning simplifies communication
for teacher-student and student-
student to words or text, without
richer human face-to-face interaction
(Xu, 2021, p. 16).
Therefore, teachers need to increase
their digital literacy for the future
development of online learning and the use
of e-resources, multimedia technologies for
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
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effective pedagogical interaction and
communication with students, which is
especially important for rural remote
schools.
Readiness of future teachers to work in
a rural school: the results of an
empirical study
The conceptual principles of
preparation of future teachers for work in a
rural school are the following: preparation
for work is carried out in the process of
formation of a teacher’s professional-
pedagogical activity; use of vitagenic
experience and ensuring individual
professional and pedagogical development
of students (Onyshkiv, 2015).
The societal challenges of distance
learning caused by COVID-19 have
highlighted the need for digital skills of
teachers and students, the creation of a
virtual classroom with appropriate digital
educational tools and resources that can
provide the necessary knowledge and
skills, maintain technical requirements and
provide high-speed Internet connection,
especially for people with certain
economic constraints. In addition, students
are often indifferent to virtual education, so
it requires a high level of the teacher’s
professional competence (Estrada-Araoz,
Gallegos-Ramos, Mamani-Uchasara &
Huaypar-Loayza, 2020).
To identify future teachers’ readiness
to work in the modern realities of the rural
school, we conducted an anonymous
survey, which involved 116 students of
Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National
University (Ukraine). The survey was
conducted online in May 2021. The choice
of the research sample was random. The
sample of respondents by gender is 98
women (84.5%) and 18 men (15.5%). This
is because the teaching profession is
chosen mostly by women in the country.
Statistical analysis was based on
survey data. This article presents only
some of the questions of the questionnaire
developed by the authors. The idea of the
study was to reveal the general vision of
students (future teachers) of their
intentions to work in a rural school, as well
as the ratio of these data globally.
First of all, it was about the
possibilities of using digital technologies in
working with students, as well as the
prospects for the rural teachers’
development in this context.
To our question: “Are you ready to
work in a rural school after graduating
from university?” we received
disappointing answers, as the majority of
future teachers (96 persons, which is
82.7% of the total number of respondents)
do not plan to connect their lives with the
countryside and professional activities in
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
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the rural area. At the same time, we have a
shortage of qualified young teachers in
rural education. 36.4% answered they do
not plan to work in general secondary
education at all in the future. And only
17.24% of students want to return to their
home village to teach students.
Regarding the use of digital tools and
resources in pedagogical activities, the
respondents’ answers characterize the
general picture of digitalization in rural
areas, in particular in schools. After all,
students are well aware of the situation that
intensified during the COVID-19
pandemic (difficulty in processing
educational material with gadgets,
insufficient material and technical support
of school distance learning, remoteness of
some children from access to quality
Internet, and insufficient digital literacy of
teachers and students in modern
information technology, etc.).
Modern students who are being
prepared to come to school already have a
much higher level of digital competence,
they can use many digital resources in their
work (Figure 1).
Figure 1 – Digital skills of future teachers (according to our survey).
Source: The survey was conducted by the authors of the article.
In addition, future teachers can use
tools for visualizing educational material,
creating a virtual lesson, organizing group
work, research training of students in
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
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online laboratories, etc. But, of course, for
this, first of all, it is necessary to provide
teachers and students with appropriate
digital technologies: desktop personal
computer (laptop, netbook), Smartphone
(tablets), digital TV, Internet, etc. These
are the prospects for the development of
teachers for rural areas of Ukraine.
At the same time, the mini-survey
shows that the trend of a slightly lower
level of education, the introduction of
digital technologies in education is lower
in rural schools, in contrast to the
infrastructure of schools in large cities in
Ukraine and other countries Young
professionals who seek professional
development, career growth, try to avoid
the difficulties of working with students in
rural schools, including in the context of
digitalization of the educational process.
It should be noted that these results
are limited to a group of students from one
university who participated in the survey.
Therefore, future research should increase
the sample of future teachers to broaden
their motivations and career prospects in
rural schools in a regional, national or
global context. This will also avoid bias in
the analysis of the outlined problem.
An important task today is to direct
young professionals to the innovative
development of remote rural schools to
create a developing pedagogical
environment, based on which it is possible
to implement the idea of interaction of
students of different ages. In addition,
resource education centers fulfill the
mission of scientific and methodological
centers, which assist not only teachers in
the methodological support of the
educational process but also students of
nearby small schools in obtaining a quality
education. Based on the use of educational
resources of resource centers, the quality of
students' knowledge in small schools
increases, creative connections between
school teachers are strengthened and the
process of exchanging experiences is
expanded, first of all, successful
experience in rural schools. Young
innovative teachers must lead the
development of rural education today.
Conclusions
In modern conditions, rural schools
face many problems. After all, local
authorities, citing the lack of necessary
funds for the maintenance of these schools,
often decide to close rural schools, which
makes it impossible for children to obtain a
quality education, leads to social conflicts,
creates tension among residents, generates
numerous appeals from parents of students,
rural communities, teaching staff regarding
cases of unjustified closure of secondary
schools in villages.
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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Another important challenge for rural
education is digitization, which has
become particularly acute in the context of
the coronavirus pandemic when most
schools have switched to distance or
blended learning. In this context, it is
important not only to provide these
institutions with digital technologies,
educational and methodological support,
electronic resources, etc. To effectively
organize the educational process, it is
necessary to increase teachers’ and
students’ levels of digital literacy to work
in a digital educational environment online
or offline.
At the same time, there is a problem
of training qualified specialists to work in
rural schools, especially for teachers. To
attract teachers to work in depressed rural
schools (particularly in developing
countries), scholars recommend that
“deliberate efforts be directed toward the
targeted recruitment of school leavers and
relief teachers from disadvantaged rural
areas who possess the requisite minimum
entry qualifications to train as science
teachers to improve teacher retention in
remote areas” (Mhishi, Bhukuvhani &
Sana, 2012).
Based on the analysis of the state of
education in rural schools of Ukraine (rural
education covers a third of students: 1.2
million out of 3.8 million), we can draw
the following conclusions:
1) the costs of student
education in rural areas exceed those in the
city, but they do not provide rural students
with a high level of knowledge or decent
learning conditions;
2) the equipment of most
remote rural schools is unsatisfactory
(there is a lack of computer equipment,
equipment for laboratory experiments and
experiments, sometimes there is no
Internet, etc.);
3) school conditions are often
harmful to students' health;
4) due to the lack of qualified
staff in the countryside, teachers at school
often teach up to 10 subjects and have low
motivation;
5) young teachers often prefer
employment in urban schools because of
the lack of proper infrastructure in rural
areas and prospects for professional
growth.
Thus, rural schools in Ukraine,
despite their high cost, often cannot
provide quality and affordable educational
services. Education achievement in rural
areas lags far behind city students’
achievements. Today, there are discussions
about the reforming of Ukrainian rural
education introducing the optimization of
the school network, and the maintaining of
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
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small schools only in remote physically
isolated communities, where transportation
of students and teachers to school is
impossible. Opponents of the support
education centers argue that the
consolidation and closure of rural
educational institutions will ruin the
economic and cultural development of the
village. Among the advantages of rural
education, they point to the availability of
facilities and a small number of students in
the classroom, individualized learning.
Ukraine can serve as an example of
typical problems and prospects of rural
education in many developing countries.
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Article Information
Received on September 28th, 2021
Accepted on November 23th, 2021
Published on December, 15th, 2021
Author Contributions: The author were responsible for
the designing, delineating, analyzing and interpreting the
data, production of the manuscript, critical revision of the
content 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., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., &
Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the
introduction of digital innovation in a Rural School:
problems and prospects. Rev. Bras. Educ. Camp., 6,
e13124. http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e13124
Budnyk, O., Matveieva, N., Fomin, K., Nazarenko, T., & Kalabska, V. (2021). Preparation of future teachers for the introduction of digital innovation in a
Rural School: problems and prospects…
RBEC
Tocantinópolis/Brasil
v. 6
e13124
10.20873/uft.rbec.e13124
2021
ISSN: 2525-4863
21
ABNT
BUDNYK, O.; MATVEIEVA, N.; FOMIN, K.; NAZARENKO,
T.; KALABSKA, V. Preparation of future teachers for the
introduction of digital innovation in a Rural School:
problems and prospects. Rev. Bras. Educ. Camp.,
Tocantinópolis, v. 6, e13124, 2021.
http://dx.doi.org/10.20873/uft.rbec.e13124
