(Special Issue)Exploration on the Process of the Support-Service Counseling Mechanism in Promoting Education Reform in Rural Areas: A Case of Indigenous Area and Offshore Island Preschool Programs in Kaohsiung Author: Pao-Hwa Chan (Graduate Institute of Educational Administration, National Pingtung University)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 68, No. 3
Date：September 2023
Pages：95-139
DOI：https://doi.org/10.6209/JORIES.202309_68(3).0004

Abstract：
Research Motivation and Purpose
Remote schools often face a vicious cycle due to insufficient professional teachers, inadequate socioeconomic resources, and low student motivation, resulting in educational challenges. Therefore, effective practices for educational reform in remote areas should focus on teacher development, resource provision, curriculum design, and professional growth by implementing a transformative model to improve the quality of rural education. However, how to implement and promote these changes is a topic worthy of exploration and the main motivation behind this research. The effectiveness of educational reforms in remote areas is crucial for achieving balanced development in education, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunities and better learning quality for students. It is an important issue that highlights social fairness and justice and addresses the challenges faced by disadvantaged groups. In light of this, this study focuses on the investigation of the indigenous area and offshore island preschool programs (IAOIPP) in Kaohsiung, aiming to understand how to address educational challenges and initiate transformative processes of the support-service counseling mechanism in the context of extremely scarce educational resources.
Literature Review
The literature review of this study focuses on two main aspects, including the exploration of rural education and the context of educational transformation in remote areas. It approaches the topic from various angles, such as the definition and impact of rural areas, the situation of rural education, the focal points of educational transformation, and the key factors in transformative change. The aim is to understand the core components and necessary measures for rural education reform. Based on this understanding, interview guidelines are developed to provide theoretical support for subsequent analysis and discussions. Concurrently, through the literature review, it is understood that the drivers of transformation should integrate the government’s plans, local thinking, cultural characteristics, and potential dynamics of remote areas. By engaging in long-term reflection, adjustments, and participatory guidance, one can comprehend the dynamic trends and directions of development. This understanding will facilitate the provision of phased adjustment steps, practical transformative practices, and necessary resource allocation, leading to transformative outcomes that yield significant results.
Research Method
The study adopts a qualitative case analysis using grounded theory research methodology and collects data through semi-structured interviews with frontline participants to understand the effectiveness of the IAOIPP. A total of nine individuals were interviewed, including one touring counseling professor, three itinerant assistants, and five remedial teachers. Since the study’s interview subjects include participants with different job attributes, the interview guidelines also focus on different perspectives. The data analysis followed coding procedures based on grounded theory, including open coding, axial coding, selective coding, and coding for process. Various data collected from interviews, observations, notes, and documents were analyzed through processes of textualization, conceptualization, proposition, visualization, and theorization. Relevant information and documents provided by the participants were also reviewed and compared. Solid research results were obtained, and triangulation among multiple sources of data was employed to enhance the credibility of the research findings.
Results
This research found that due to the remote location of the IAOIPP in Kaohsiung, the external environmental constraints have had a profound impact. Introducing the support-service counseling mechanism is an opportunity to overcome these challenges. The research has gone through four stages of transformation, namely the reorganization phase, the transformation phase, the rooting phase, and the stability phase, known as the RTRS transformation process. The process of four stages of significant change leads to improvements in educational quality, deepening of professional knowledge and skills, and the establishment of a foundation for core competencies. In other words, the core perspective of the RTRS transformation process implies the significant importance of providing real transitive responsible services to children in remote areas. Furthermore, during the reorganization phase, by identifying problems, communicating solutions, establishing concepts, seeking support, and building networks, the aim is to break bad habits, reshape ideas, introduce routines, and establish systems to initiate the transformation. In the transformation stage, by understanding policy trends, emphasizing indigenous language teaching, internalizing intangible assets, and integrating resources while preserving cultural heritage, the goal is to accumulate transformative momentum and face challenges such as natural disasters. In the rooting phase, practices such as extending the concept of life as culture, discovering local cultural characteristics, and responding to children’s localized experiences are carried out to promote ethnic culture and create unique curriculum features, thereby transforming the opportunity for change. Finally, in the stability phase, practices such as demonstrating excellent teaching abilities, deepening the learning organization, and self-reflective corrections are undertaken to achieve recognition and professional improvement, thereby implementing the outcomes of the transformation.
Conclusions and Suggestions
According to the research findings, the following conclusions are proposed:
1. The extremely remote location of the IAOIPP in Kaohsiung has profound impacts due to the constraints of the external environment. The deeply ingrained conventional thinking has a significant influence on administration and teaching, making the challenges of change more severe compared to typical rural school educational development issues.
2. The introduction of the support-service counseling mechanism in IAOIPP of Kaohsiung increases the possibilities of problem-solving and nurturing professional growth. It also enhances the feasibility of stabilizing teaching staff and creating additional benefits, thereby providing an opportunity for overcoming difficulties through the mechanism.
3. The IAOIPP of Kaohsiung has gradually transformed and flourished through four major phases of reform. These include the promotion of transformative effects through reshaping institutional norms, the impact and effect of transformational trials through internalizing intangible resources, the concept extension and deepening benefits achieved through the design of distinctive curricula, and the motivating and elevating effects of stable growth recognized through continuous awards.
4. The effectiveness of the reform in the IAOIPP of Kaohsiung is closely related to the implementation of counseling mechanisms. The improvement of educational quality relies on collaboration from multiple parties and manifests in the children’s competencies. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the reform is rooted in the interactive stimulation of the reform mechanisms throughout the process. Sequential and progressive implementation of mechanisms helps accumulate momentum and expand the effects of transformation. Additionally, the substantial delivery of real transitive responsible services highlights the achievements of rural education reform.
Finally, based on the conclusions, the suggestions are proposed, including addressing inherent environmental limitations and appropriate mechanisms for rural education reform, acknowledging the influence of the implementation of transformational mechanisms to the effectiveness of rural education reform, setting correct goals and continuously accumulating momentum for successful educational transformations, and employing the conceptual framework formed from this research for future studies.
 

Keywords：support-service counseling mechanism, rural education, indigenous area and offshore island preschool programs (IAOIPP), reform process

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