The NREA Rural Research Agenda 2022-2027: An Examination of the Research Process and Findings

ABSTRACT This article presents the National Rural Education Association’s Rural Research Agenda 2022–2027. In order to determine rural stakeholders’ perspectives of research priorities, data collection included 328 surveys, six focus groups with 43 participants, and nine interviews with rural education practitioners, leaders, and policymakers. From a grounded theory methodological framework, findings revealed a core category of educational and spatial equity, surrounded by five additional interconnected themes: college and career trajectory; community partnerships and relationships; health and wellness; policy and funding; and teacher/leader recruitment, retention, and preparation. A call to action, the research findings point to a need for rural education research that centers educational and spatial equity while also recognizing the intersectional nature of the agenda’s five supporting themes. The five-year agenda charts a path for rural education research that is focused on addressing rural education challenges while highlighting innovative rural practices that are transferable across locales.