Primary School Teachers in 21st Century in Bangladesh: Some Potential Aspects for Professional Development Identified from Relevant Literatures

In the context of 21st century, the changes in different educational aspects are taken place rapidly. This is because to respond to the needs of the fast growing technology-based educational opportunities that require more capable teachers with multifaceted competencies. Bangladesh has paid highest attention to implement competency-based curriculum for its primary level of education. National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) in Bangladesh reformulated its competency-based curriculum goal, objectives, terminal competencies along with the related attainable competencies, subject specific competencies, learning outcomes and other related aspects. Besides, NCTB initiated to incorporate the international updated teaching-learning methods and techniques, interactive instructional strategies, formative assessment procedures in each grade and each subject to address the 21st century teaching-learning needs in its last revised curriculum in 2012. However, the teachers with multifaceted competencies that address their appropriate level of knowledge, skills and attitude can positively influence in creating such a supportive classroom practices for 21st century learners. The Forth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4) of Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) in Bangladesh has highly emphasized to implement Continuous Professional Development (CPD) as an approach to strengthen its professional competencies for the government primary school teachers. This paper has been prepared based on the ideas explored through some relevant literature review. It basically identified some potential aspects for the teachers’ professional development of government primary schools in Bangladesh in 21 st century context. This paper explored that the process of promoting teachers’ competencies need to be followed by set of activities with multifaceted continuous and regular manner at school setting.

In the context of 21st century, the changes in different educational aspects are taken place rapidly. This is because to respond to the needs of the fast growing technology-based educational opportunities that require more capable teachers with multifaceted competencies. Bangladesh has paid highest attention to implement competency-based curriculum for its primary level of education. National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) in Bangladesh reformulated its competency-based curriculum goal, objectives, terminal competencies along with the related attainable competencies, subject specific competencies, learning outcomes and other related aspects. Besides, NCTB initiated to incorporate the international updated teaching-learning methods and techniques, interactive instructional strategies, formative assessment procedures in each grade and each subject to address the 21st century teaching-learning needs in its last revised curriculum in 2012. However, the teachers with multifaceted competencies that address their appropriate level of knowledge, skills and attitude can positively influence in creating such a supportive classroom practices for 21st century learners. The Forth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4) of Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) in Bangladesh has highly emphasized to implement Continuous Professional Development (CPD) as an approach to strengthen its professional competencies for the government primary school teachers. This paper has been prepared based on the ideas explored through some relevant literature review. It basically identified some potential aspects for the teachers’ professional development of government primary schools in Bangladesh in 21 st century context. This paper explored that the process of promoting teachers’ competencies need to be followed by set of activities with multifaceted continuous and regular manner at school setting.