Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Dissertation
Abstract
Sowl and Crain (2021) argue that despite recognizing the uniqueness of the place when it comes to rural demographics and needs, policies regarding education and the economy often prioritize urban areas, defining rural in opposition to urban without adequately addressing the specific needs of rural youth. Studies examining geographical disparities in educational outcomes traditionally concentrated on achievement gaps within urban and suburban areas, highlighting more startling gaps in cities with heightened racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequality and segregation. Literature also extensively discusses neighborhood effects on educational outcomes in densely populated regions, offering valuable insights into the distribution of educational opportunities and disparities across major metropolitan areas; however, these studies often overlook rural areas (Drescher et al., 2022). Differences in achievement and learning rates among student groups, considered opportunity gaps, highlight local disparities in educational opportunities caused by unequal access to resources and exposure to stressors. These studies shed light on the distribution of educational opportunities and reveal racial-ethnic and socioeconomic gaps in opportunities within the largest metropolitan areas in the country, but startling research does not address rural regions (Lauermann et al., 2020). This critical ethnographic study explores the perceptions of teachers and students regarding their perceptions of the influence of socioeconomic factors on academic achievement and educational opportunities as it pertains to a small rural school in the Midwest. Using a qualitative approach, this researcher collected data from student focus groups and teacher interviews while also conducting detailed document analysis to provide thick findings from this specific context.
Year of Submission
2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
First Advisor
Benjamin Forsyth
Date Original
5-2024
Object Description
1 PDF (xviii, 339 pages)
Copyright
©2025 Jill Schany
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Schany, Jill, "Socioeconomic Status and Educational Opportunities Through the Eyes of Students and Teachers: Diverse Realities, Shared Insights" (2025). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2203.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2203
