Looking 'outward and onward' in the outback: regional Australian students' aspirations and expectations for their future as framed by dominant discourses of further education and training

Abstract

This article investigates regional Australian students' aspirations and expectations for their future and, more specifically, the manner in which these are formulated around a view to move outward – that is, away from regional, remote and rural communities – and onward – that is, to make something of their lives. Drawing upon interview data, the article highlights the ways in which rural students from across Australia expressed high-level aspirations, most of which centered on future careers. It explores features of student talk which demonstrates that many of them had thought about their futures in detailed ways and had accumulated knowledge and 'street savvy' that would assist them in steering their futures. The paper also examines the ways in which student talk about the changing context of the world of work and the inescapability of further education emerge as a naturalised discourse in justifying their future plans. Finally, the article explores the implications of such research findings for career advisers and teachers working in regional areas of Australia.