The possibility of place: One teacher's use of place-based instruction for English students in a rural high school

This research study investigated how one teacher considered "place" in making instructional choices for English students in a rural high school. The study also explored students' perceptions of this teacher's place-based instruction. According to Why Rural Matters 2005 (Johnson & Strange), rural schools are often defined by their geographic isolation, inadequate funding, and sparse populations. Rural education advocates stress the importance of research in rural schools to address pressing issues (Arnold, Newman, Gaddy, & Dean, 2005; Coladarci, 2007), such as inequity (Mathis, 2003), limited access to educational resources (Gibbs, 1998), and cultural strongholds that deemphasize education in areas that need it most (Chenoweth & Galliher, 2004; Gibbs, 1998; Woodrum, 2004).;Educators tend to agree that motivation, engagement, and relevance are necessary ingredients for student achievement (Appleton, Christenson, & Furlong, 2008; Frymier & Shulman, 1995; Hardre, Sullivan, & Roberts, 2008). In rural education, classroom practices addressing these essentials often fall into the category of place-based education. Place-based education responds to the challenges in rural schools by reclaiming the significance of the local in the global age (Gruenewald & Smith, 2008). While there are varied theoretical and anecdotal accounts illuminating these efforts and their perceived success, research investigating what makes content and learning relevant for rural students is needed.;This study explored how an English teacher considered place in making instructional choices for his students in a rural high school and their response to place-based instruction. The site for this qualitative study was a rural high school in Virginia. Participants included an English teacher and a class of his eighth grade English students. Data collection included observations, interviews, and documents, and the researcher used analytic induction (Erickson, 1986) for data analysis. This analysis led to a thick description of a learning experience focused on place. This description includes the teacher's experience, his students' experiences, and a description of the cultural norms identified and discussed throughout the learning experience. The study concludes with a critique of the learning experience and makes suggestions for implementing a critical pedagogy of place in the English classroom.