CHALLENGES OF THE FIRST YEARS OF TEACHING IN RURAL AREAS: VOICES OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHER

Abstract

Teaching practicum in rural schools provides pre-service teachers with authentic opportunities to develop professional competence while confronting the realities of educational inequality. This study explores the experiences, expectations, challenges, aspirations, and concerns of pre-service teachers who completed their teaching practicum in remote rural schools in Aceh Besar Regency, Indonesia. A qualitative research design was employed involving six pre-service teachers selected from rural school placements. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires adapted from Kizilaslan (2012) and analyzed using thematic analysis following Creswell's coding procedures. The findings reveal that rural teaching experiences fostered greater flexibility, creativity, adaptability, and professional commitment among participants. Despite these positive outcomes, the participants encountered substantial pedagogical, personal, and social challenges, including inadequate educational facilities, limited technological resources, diverse student learning needs, classroom management difficulties, heavy administrative responsibilities, and adaptation to unfamiliar school cultures and professional relationships. Most participants expressed a strong willingness to pursue teaching careers in rural schools, viewing such placements as opportunities to contribute to educational equity and professional growth. Nevertheless, they also reported concerns about their preparedness to address diverse student needs effectively and to adapt to demanding school environments. The findings suggest that rural teaching practicum plays a significant role in shaping pre-service teachers' professional identity, resilience, and social responsibility. The study recommends that teacher education institutions strengthen pre-practicum preparation through contextualized training, reflective practice, classroom management, and adaptation to resource-constrained settings. In addition, stronger partnerships between universities and rural schools, together with supportive educational policies and mentoring systems, are essential to prepare future teachers capable of serving diverse educational contexts and promoting equitable education in underserved communities