Understanding the Relational Dynamics of Chilean Rural Teachers: Contributions from a Narrative-Generative Perspective

Abstract

The rural teaching profession demands a genuine commitment to the development of future generations, ensuring a legacy that transcends time. Thus, generativity would be a characteristic dimension of the teaching function manifested in various forms, roles and tasks aimed at caring for students and their communities of origin. Objective: To explore the relational dynamics that rural teachers have constructed throughout their life trajectories and how these have influenced the potentially generative development of their teaching identity. Method: an interpretative-qualitative approach was adopted, following a descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional design. The purposive sample consisted of twelve teachers with an average of 33 years of experience in rural schools in the Metropolitan Region, La Araucanía and Los Ríos (Chile). In-depth interviews from a narrative-generative perspective were used to collect the data. Subsequently, the stories were subjected to content analysis, following the logic of Grounded Theory. Results: The teachers show a potentially generative development, expressed in the construction of relational dynamics of trust, reciprocity and positive affection with their students. With their peers, they demonstrate collaborative practices, teamwork and orientation towards continuous improvement in their professional work. At the management level, they stand out for their leadership skills and commitment to the development of rural communities. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.