1.0 Purpose of the Study

A major aim of this study is to attempt to assess the effectiveness of teacher resource centres (TRCs) as a strategy in helping to improve the quality of education in schools in developing countries; the purpose being to assist policy makers in deciding whether or not to invest in teacher resource centres as part of new education development projects. In this sense the study is meant to be a summative evaluation.

But, it is meant to be formative as well. We are very conscious of the fact that there are quite literally thousands of TRCs in existence around the developing world and thousands more are being considered in new development plans. The question is not simply whether to leave TRCs in or out of development plans or to close or leave open existing ones, but how they might become more productive. There is no such thing as a 'model' teacher resource centre. Set in many different contexts, TRCs come in many different forms, some more effective overall than others, some with particularly promising and/or unpromising features. A major function of the study, therefore, is to highlight possibilities for improving existing TRCs and to offer caution for what to avoid on new projects.