ETFO Change School Culture: Assessing the Poverty and Education Project

An empty stage of the theater lit by spotlights and smoke before the performance scaled
ETFO Change School Culture: Assessing the Poverty and Education Project

Overview

The Elementary Teacher's Federation of »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ (ETFO) approached Dr. Gallagher to assess the impact of ETFO's Poverty and Education Project and specifically their Whole School Support initiative.

The play "Danny, King of the Basement", produced by Roseneath Theatre Company, toured »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ schools with the aim of initiating dialogue on the issue of poverty.

Our purpose was to understand the impact and sustainability of an applied theatre intervention on a school’s ability to address the issue of local poverty effectively. Our findings report on the role that the applied theatre intervention played in effecting change in relationships, initiating dialogue, and deepening understanding of social issues.

Elementary Teacher's Federation of »»ÆÞ¾ãÀÖ²¿ logo

Key Findings

Our analysis demonstrated that the applied theatre intervention had a positive effect on pedagogical relationships and acted as a catalyst in opening up dialogue between teachers and students, helping both to explore new conceptions of teaching and learning in communities facing economic challenges.

Project Outputs

Executive Summary (PDF)

Review of the study's findings and implications from 2007-2008

Findings Presentation (PDF)

Dig deeper into the details of the study: its structure, collaborators, activities and findings.