Call for Papers and Chapters in Rural Education

A special issue of Education Sciences -- an Open Access Journal by MDPI

Dear Colleagues,

It is widely understood that the terms 'rural' and 'urban' are commonly used to describe places where individuals reside and grow up. Around the globe, these terms encompass a diverse range of settlements that share certain characteristics and are recognized by governance and policy based on either geographical or socio-cultural contexts.

Focusing on the concepts of rural and urban areas can deepen our understanding of the ways in which context can shape educational experiences.  Emphasizing the idea that places matter, this Special Issue aims to gather a collection of papers related to practice and policy regarding rural and urban education experiences. The scope of the Special Issue is broad, and we welcome the submission of original research articles, theoretical articles and literature reviews. Original research articles can utilize various research methods, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Research papers may center on rural education, urban education or an examination of the similarities, differences and connections between rural and urban schools, settlements or areas. Additionally, research can encompass pre-school, K–12 or higher education experiences.

Deadline for manuscript submissions: January 15, 2026

For additional Manuscript Submission information, please visit:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education/special_issues/D2KK1BG56W

Dr. Yael Grinshtain, Tel-Hai College, Israel

Prof. Dr. Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Plymouth Marjon University, UK

Prof. Dr. Jayne Downey, Montana State University, USA

Greetings!

We would like to extend an invitation for you to contribute to an international edited book exploring ethics in rural research, provisionally titled Ethics of Place: Navigating Critical Issues in Rural Research. For this edition, we are seeking contributors from a range of rural-engaged research fields (education, agriculture, sociology, health, youth studies, nursing, rural development & heritage, etc.) with various levels of experience conducting rural research. We are looking for chapters from all stages of the research process: designing a project, engaging with research funders, engaging with university administrative requirements and ethics committees, engaging with participants, data collection, analysis, publishing and disseminating, and ‘finishing’ or after the conclusion of the project.

We aim to create a piece of scholarship that recognizes the unique experiences we face as rural researchers in the intersection of place and ethics by providing a space for researchers to both share their stories and learn from each other. By including contributions from a variety of rural-engaged fields from around the world, we hope to shine a light on the commonalities across the work we all do.

Each chapter will focus on an ethical situation the author/s faced at a specific stage of research. The suggested structure is an anecdote explaining the situation, critical reflection to unpack it drawing from the relevant literature, and some advice or strategies for other researchers to consider. In other words – what happened, why do you think it happened, why did you do what you did, what were the notable outcomes/results/ consequences of it, how might you approach it differently now, and what have you learned from it that others would benefit from. Some examples of types of ‘ethical situations’ are: recruiting and engaging participants in tight knit communities, publishing from projects with easily identifiable places/people, considerations when researching as an insider (local) or as an outsider. We are particularly interested in practice-based situations, not theoretical chapters. Each chapter should focus on only one situation and be 3,000 - 4,000 words including references. Co-authored chapters are most welcome (for example – a PhD candidate and their supervisor).

We have had early discussions with Palgrave Macmillan who are interested in receiving a full proposal for the volume with abstracts. If you are interested in contributing to this edition, by October 1, 2024 go to this Google Form where you can submit: your title, an abstract of 200-400 words, your name and institutional affiliation, any co-authors and their affiliation, and a reference list. While the timeline for chapters is not confirmed and will be negotiated with the publisher, we anticipate full chapter drafts due in mid 2025 and with a completed book manuscript in early 2026. 

We are happy to answer any questions you might have or to discuss possible situations to focus on. Also, we would really appreciate if you could circulate this call amongst your networks – in and out of your field – even if you are unable to contribute.

Many thanks for your consideration and support.

Dr. Melyssa Fuqua, University of Melbourne

Dr. Rosie Alexander, University of the West of Scotland

Prof. Jayne Downey, Montana State University