John Guenther

This paper presents an Aboriginal-led study of higher education with Aboriginal students from remote and very remote communities in the West Kimberley, exploring the experiences of Aboriginal students studying in Australian universities. Drawing on an Indigenist methodology grounded in political integrity, resistance to colonial domination and privileging Aboriginal voice, the research identifies two interconnected gaps: limited cultural understanding within universities, and uneven access to knowledge about university systems and practices among students. Findings from yarning conducted with 20 students living and studying in remote and very remote locations show that these gaps can contribute to feelings of isolation, cultural disconnection and structural barriers, despite students’ strong aspirations grounded in kinship, culture and community. This paper argues that addressing both gaps requires universities to work relationally; embed Aboriginal knowledge systems, values and care; and co-create pathways that support Aboriginal students to flourish on their own terms. The paper concludes by emphasising the importance of Aboriginal leadership in shaping research, and stresses the value of creating culturally secure, two-way educational practices in learning environments in higher education.

This issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education demonstrates the depth and burgeoning state of research in our field. It showcases research from places as diverse as Pakistan, Spain, Australia, Indonesia, and Chile, to name a few. It is a real statement of the strength, richness and diversity of our field; and hopefully of the health of this journal in being an outlet for this mosaic of voices in rural education. But what is the link between these articles and research beyond the obvious topic of rural education? What are these researchers telling us from every corner of the globe? Surely, they are speaking to us about the hot topics in our field: for example, the impact of Artificial Intelligence in rural and regional higher education, teacher preparation, matters of boarding schools for Indigenous youth, and concerns with equity and leadership. After excavating in the depths of each article, we believe this collection of research implicitly and explicitly addresses issues of agency in rural and regional schooling, higher education, policy and community. Agency in rural education, sometimes takes a backseat against matters of structure, resources, funding, and inequality.

This issue offers readers a broad range of articles that discuss various aspects of rural education in different learning settings in Australia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand and Japan. One of the common threads we bring out in this editorial is about the ‘rurality’ of rural education research. Drawing on the articles we provide an answer to the question: ‘what’s rural about rural education research?’ We conclude that rurality in rural education research reflects teaching and learning. It is contextual, based on the place, where knowledge is generated from the rural. Importantly too, it draws from the realities that make rural education unique. Rural education research reflects the values of the place and uses methodologies which give voice to the people of rural communities. It is relational rather than transactional. It is not the opposite of research in urban areas, and it should not be seen as a reaction to metrocentric views of the rural as being in some kind of deficit. As you read through this set of articles, we encourage you to take time to consider how rurality intersects with education and research.

Rosie Alexander’s book provides rural education researchers with a valuable resource, with helpful theoretical perspectives and evidence to inform arguments about the nature of rural access to higher education and career transitions beyond. While the study is clearly bounded in an island context of Scotland, the generalisability of the findings to other contexts are fairly clear to me. As I read through the book, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences living and working in island and rural communities. Much of the content resonates with me, even though I am unfamiliar with the research context. This is an academic book and I think is best suited to an academic audience. While the anecdotes presented provide insights into the experiences of young people, the theory surrounding these insights would be somewhat difficult for an education professional or policy maker to digest. I found the structure a little repetitive at times, where concepts were reused from chapter to chapter. That said, there is considerable value in this book as it challenges assumptions and presents alternative ways of thinking about higher education access and career pathways.

This paper examines how well Higher Education (HE) meets the aspirations of Indigenous people in Australia, especially as reflected in the public policy discourse and its measurements of success. Through a literature review, the paper analyses current public policy and experiences of Indigenous students to identify the extent to which the HE system meets the needs of Indigenous people, especially those from remote areas. From a critical examination of the concept of success, the current limitations within HE are presented, and recommendations are made to help ensure that Indigenous Australians' aspirations and needs for HE are more firmly at the forefront of policy, design and delivery of HE in Australia.

Digital inclusion remains elusive for many people living in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of Australia. People in many communities experience limited access, high cost, and often struggle with digital literacies. The policy environment increasingly assumes that government and financial services are universally accessible. The Australian Government has initiated several digital inclusion strategies. However, remote communities are marginalised by rapidly changing technologies and systems that are increasingly complex to navigate. To understand these complexities, we use spatial justice theory as a lens for a discussion of these strategies and our own empirical data. We suggest six principles that can underpin successful digital inclusion initiatives and strategies, designed for and delivered in remote communities. These emerge from an evaluation of a programme called inDigiMOB, managed by First Nations Media Australia. Interviews with 31 digital inclusion stakeholders discussed opportunities and challenges for future initiatives. Principles underpinning success are: place‐based community hubs, the need to address digital inclusion issues, prioritisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and cultures, affordable and reliable technology access, digital skills, and cyber safety. While the evaluation had inDigiMOB in mind, these principles can be more broadly applied to support strategies designed to address spatial injustices.

In this editorial for the second issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, we explore the challenges and opportunities for researching and reporting student experience in rural and regional education. The articles in this issue illustrate how the voices of students can be and are represented through research. The articles from rural and regional contexts in China, Sweden and Australia offer insights into student experiences and what can be done to improve those experiences across a range of sectors. We also note that the influence of rurality on experiences is sometimes assumed but not explicitly discussed. In summary, the articles in this issue provide useful illustrations of how student voice and experiences can be used to powerfully reflect and improve the value of programs, pedagogical approaches, curriculum offerings and educational opportunities.