Enhancing Teaching Quality as an Agent of Change: An Account of a Yearlong Literacy Project in a Primary School in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Children who grow up surrounded by poverty often remain in poverty; however, education can be a powerful agent of change. In many developing countries where poverty is high, quality education is critical in reducing it. The conceptual framework of this research is based on the premise that cultivating and delivering a quality education begins with quality teachers. This research is a narrative ethnography combined with participatory action research methods to recount a year-long project designed to enhance teacher quality. The setting is a school in Muñoz, Dominican Republic with a team of five primary public school teachers. The findings outline the stages of intervention, successes and challenges encountered, my learning about supporting educational endeavours as a long-term goal for breaking generational poverty, and my advice to others who embark on similar projects working in developing countries.