Transferring Training to Practice: Improving Primary School Teaching in Bangladesh

Current educational reform initiatives in Bangladesh focus on classroom teaching as a direct path to improving student learning outcomes and indicate a shift away from the teacher-centered, authoritarian education model of the past with a preference for a more constructivist pedagogy. This research used qualitative data collected from interviews, classroom observations, and document reviews to examine teacher training and teaching methods used in government training centers and primary schools in Bangladesh. The purpose of the study was to examine whether the teaching methods taught during teacher training were transferred into classroom practice and what factors influenced the transfer of training to practice for teachers within their first years of teaching. The research consisted of three case studies of new teachers that completed their 12-month Certificate of Education training within the past three years.;The findings of the cross-case analysis clarify how the transfer of teacher training is supported or challenged at the person, program, and system levels. At the person level, the teachers' professional identity influenced their approach to teaching and student learning. At the program level, the school leader and the culture of learning established at the school affected teacher behaviors in the classroom. At the system level, the norms and practices regarding examinations in public education in Bangladesh conflicted with the innovative teaching practices suggested in the education reform initiatives. Additionally, insufficient educational resources, corruption within the education sector, and the low pay of government primary school teachers were also found to adversely affect teacher behavior and motivation in the classroom. Recommendations advocate for a realignment of resources and objectives in the teacher-training program and government schools in order to mitigate the challenges new teachers currently face during their first years.