The Effects of Regional and Distance Education on the Supply of Qualified Teachers in Rural Iceland

Difficulties in recruiting qualified teachers have been traced to insufficient services and amenities in rural areas, an urban emphasis in teacher education, few local students becoming teachers and a lack of teacher mobility. This study maps the mobility of recently graduated teachers in urban, exurban, micropolitan and other rural areas of Iceland. The graduation rate of teachers was found to be higher in rural than urban areas, yet rural teachers are less likely to remain after graduation. Relatively few rural teachers return from on-campus studies in the either the capital area or the northern regional centre. Rural distance students are however almost equally likely as urban on-campus students to stay in their home areas after graduation, and they are the majority of teachers in rural areas. From a policy perspective, distance education appears more effective than regional campuses in increasing the supply of qualified teachers in rural and remote areas.