Connections of Place and Generation: Women Teachers in Rural Schools in NSW

Abstract

This paper reports on a project that explores the stories of women teachers in four rural public high schools in northwest New South Wales. It has been driven by a curiosity about women's workplace experiences in schools with a focus on career progression, care, leadership and mentoring. Using qualitative in-depth interviews the project draws from feminist poststructuralism and uses analytical tools based on narrative inquiry and situated knowledges. The findings will contribute to a dialogue on reciprocity, generational teachers, gender inequity, professional autonomy and agency.