**8. School-based model for teachers' professional development**

Professional development is the process of improving staff skills and competencies needed to produce an excellent education for students (Hassel 1999). The teachers are always the centerpiece of educational change, being the active and powerful change agents who have the power to make a difference, both individually and collectively (Castellano & Datnow 2000; Hurst 1999). As reform efforts need to place at the core of the processes of teaching and learning, they change significantly what happens in the schools. Yet teacher beliefs and attitudes about an innovation are the important consequences, concerns and context variables associated in determining new and different teacher behavior (Burke, Harste & Short 1996; Kennedy & Kennedy 1996; Laine & Otto 2000; Ros & van den Berg, 1999). Ultimately, the individual teacher determines the extent to which each innovation occurs.

Professional development sparks curiosity, motivation and new ways of thinking (Kent 2004). It is most effective when there is an ongoing process, which includes proper, well-designed training and an individual follow-up. It can deliver a purpose, cooperation, commitment and community (Langer 2000). It is about change and renewal. The focus must move from a

The training programmes are arranged on the basis of availability of the teacher at a convenient time for the head office. Teachers attend the *basic training* after joining the organisation but not necessarily immediately after recruitment. After each training teachers go back to their respective schools to carry on with their job. There is no given time schedule for the next training, however teachers then attend the *effective social work training*, which is mainly concerned with relationships with children and interaction with their families to strengthen social activities. This training includes issues, such as what would be the strategy to work with the guardians, how the teacher will behave with the students, how to liaise with the community, and how to run the follow-up programme for the students. At some point teachers need to attend *teaching and learning methodology training*, which is mainly focused on pedagogy. *Subject based training on Mathematics, English and Bangla* follows, where a SA or an experienced teacher could be the trainer. Sometimes they arrange subject based training in science too depending on need. Sometimes UCEP arranges training on *teaching aids*- supplementary teaching and learning materials focusing on teaching material development and techniques for their use. Sometimes teachers are called for other training

Sometimes teachers attend training outside their organisational setting. For instance, they were previously sent to the English language training programmes run by the British Council, as well as training abroad in India. In the beginning these kinds of trainings were for the School Administrators (SAs), but now teachers are also sent abroad for training, such as in India. Apart from these, the organisation also gives scope to the teachers to pursue their further education such as BEd, MEd or BBA, MBA programmes run by different universities in the evening shift or distance learning mode. According to the respondents of the pre-pilot study, many teachers were enrolled for further education programmes. The organisation does not provide any financial support for teaching qualifications but does not object to teachers achieving one. There is no obligation for the teacher to achieve teaching qualifications as UCEP provides trainings internally. In mainstream government schools there is an obligation for the teacher to achieve their teaching qualification in a certain time. There is no refresher training

Professional development is the process of improving staff skills and competencies needed to produce an excellent education for students (Hassel 1999). The teachers are always the centerpiece of educational change, being the active and powerful change agents who have the power to make a difference, both individually and collectively (Castellano & Datnow 2000; Hurst 1999). As reform efforts need to place at the core of the processes of teaching and learning, they change significantly what happens in the schools. Yet teacher beliefs and attitudes about an innovation are the important consequences, concerns and context variables associated in determining new and different teacher behavior (Burke, Harste & Short 1996; Kennedy & Kennedy 1996; Laine & Otto 2000; Ros & van den Berg, 1999). Ultimately, the

Professional development sparks curiosity, motivation and new ways of thinking (Kent 2004). It is most effective when there is an ongoing process, which includes proper, well-designed training and an individual follow-up. It can deliver a purpose, cooperation, commitment and community (Langer 2000). It is about change and renewal. The focus must move from a

such as *children's right training; gender and development training.*

for UCEP teachers in terms of continuous professional development (CPD).

**8. School-based model for teachers' professional development** 

individual teacher determines the extent to which each innovation occurs.

location being primarily outside the school through training by experts to being in school where learning is embedded in the classroom, and from ad hoc development of skills to the production of content-specific skills and knowledge (Hutchens 1998). Successful professional development must be sustainable and overtime directly related to everyday teaching.

The EIA school-based support model for teachers' professional development (TPD) is a spectrum of carefully prepared information and communication technology (ICT) interventions for Bangladeshi teachers to empower them to change their classroom practice in schools. The pre-pilot phase was designed to encourage and support communicative language teaching (CLT). Media players were provided to the English language teachers, preloaded with video and audio language learning resources, along with battery-powered speakers for use in the classroom. The programme structure involved 12 modules, each centred on a particular activity designed to be taught in a secondary classroom. Each module demonstrated the activity, explored the principles underlying the activity, and encouraged teachers to use, adapt and extend this and similar activities. During the prepilot phase, (July 2009 - June 2010), the Secondary Teaching and Learning Programme (STLP) intervention was implemented in UCEP schools. This STLP was based on a range of 'blended' support systems (see Figure-1) for teachers such as an orientation workshop, a teacher guide, a multi-media player (iPod), cluster meetings of teachers on the programme, a pair of EiA teachers from each school, school visits from EiA staff giving feedback, and technical assistance. It was an experiential learning process for the implementing workforce as well as the teachers. However, pre-piloting in the UCEP schools were treated as a 'testbed' for the main stream piloting phase (Shohel & Power, 2010).

Fig. 1. School-Based Supported ODL Model for TPD (Shohel & Banks, 2010)

Open and Distance Learning for Teachers' Professional Development:

**9. Lessons learned from the UCEP intervention** 

classroom.

partner.

technological tools.

The English in Action (EIA) Model for the Global South 103

progress and the ability of the teachers to cope with the face-to-face training in the cluster meeting and how much they were achieving from the blended training programme. Another positive side of school visit was that it established better communication between the teachers and the trainers as a result teachers got solutions to their problems immediately. They could share their problems with the trainers instantly as they strive to implement CLT practice in their English language classroom. During this pre-pilot phase, the EIA model helped teachers to develop their English language skills in a different way through the school-based support systems so that they could use English confidently in the

In summary, during the orientation workshop teachers were briefed about the EIA intervention, strategies and materials. Teachers were given training on how to use the media player (iPod) and supporting materials. The teacher guide contained twelve modules on different pedagogical techniques including a section on classroom English explaining how those techniques could be used in their classroom contexts. Teachers were implicitly trained in the cluster meetings in how to use those modules in their classroom. At the heart of the EIA support model was the notion that teachers will achieve most of their professional development, not in face-to-face training workshops but back at home and at school; by working with new tools and materials, on their own and with their

A key to successful educational change is the provision of appropriate 'incentives' in their context for teachers to improve their practice in the classroom. But it is also true that many features of the school system are maintained and supported by the institutional culture and socio-political context of the school (Shohel & Howes, 2008). EIA as a major educational development programme in Bangladesh is creating a space for teachers to raise their voice and to be empowered. Therefore, EIA authority needs to be clear about what EIA can offer them as incentives for being an active EIA participating teacher apart from training and

In the case of UCEP schools, teachers have many duties including delivering 5 to 6 lessons per day in 3 shifts schooling and following up 10 to 15 students per month if any student is absent from the lessons. Though the teachers enjoy taking part in the EIA intervention, according to the pre-pilot study respondents, it was very demanding for their time as well as very rewarding for them. Eventually they became heavily involved in the training

With in the EIA support model, the use of innovative materials and tools enabled and supported the teachers' professional development activities at home and school. Teachers described repeatedly watching and listening to the materials, in quite a purposeful manner. Teachers particularly emphasised the value of this for developing their own pedagogic knowledge, as well as contributing directly to their own percieved English language proficiency, perhaps most notably in relation to pronunciation. Teachers attached a high value to the emphasis on classroom practice within the programme; this was seen to be a key aspect of support that the materials focus not just on ideas, but on how teachers could

activities and practicing their learning in schools (Shohel & Banks, 2010).

put ideas into practice (Shohel & Power, 2010).

Looking at some aspects of the 'blended' TPD approach shown in Fig 1:

The *orientation workshop* was a part of the support systems in providing an induction by the EIA workforce to participating teachers. It was designed for introducing EIA itself and features of communicative language teaching (CLT). This workshop was not considered as a training session because it was just a get together for teachers with EIA people, to know each other. Basically it was the stepping stone for teachers to understand what was required for the success of the project.

The teachers were given a *Teacher Guide* which includes twelve modules of different CLT teaching and learning methods. This guide book also explained how to use the different audio and video materials stored on the multi-media player. This guide book always remained with the teachers so that whenever, they got time, they could skim through it. There was a section in this guide for classroom language; English phrases which they could easily use during their lessons.

*Pair support* was another key feature of the support model. Two teachers from each intervention school joined the EIA STLP and they were supporting each other and working together towards their joint professional development. Some new points evolved when they discuss in a pair regarding how they could organise their class, how they could engage students in the class or how they could make the lessons more attractive. It was a very effective way to quickly solve practical problems. For example, they could watch a microteaching lesson from the audio-visual resources on the iPod and discuss together which method could have been better for the specific lesson in their school contexts. Sometimes both of them discussed what kind of teaching aid they could have developed and they could also discuss how to deliver a lesson or use methods for a lesson which is not available in the iPod.

Teachers had regularly attended fortnightly *cluster meetings* for formal training on different modules from the teacher guide for helping them to develop their English language skills as well as to boost their confidence, keep up their motivation and support each other in using communicative English language practices in their classrooms. Teachers had to plan and demonstrate lessons in different groups in the cluster meeting. One group may miss something in the demonstration and the next groups could identify what could have been added to perform better. By way of preparation, teachers listen to modules from the iPod or read the module from the teacher guide before attending the cluster meeting. During feedback sessions in the cluster meeting, they could listen to others and share their own experience. It was important for experience sharing and reflecting on practice. Reflection was enhanced by the opportunity for teachers to engage in an Open University course based on the production of a teacher 'reflective diary'. The course, *Make Your Teaching Experience Count (MYTEC)* provided understanding of teaching and learning as well as additional motivation to engage in the EIA teacher development programme.

A series of *School visits with feedback* was arranged for keeping the teachers' focused on classroom practice and supporting the training implemented in classrooms. This process increased critical thinking of the teachers and it put a level of expectation on them to strive to improve their practice as suggested in the cluster meeting. The main advantage of the school visit was that teachers get face-to-face feedback, encouragement and support from the EIA resource persons. It also provided the EIA project staff with information regarding

The *orientation workshop* was a part of the support systems in providing an induction by the EIA workforce to participating teachers. It was designed for introducing EIA itself and features of communicative language teaching (CLT). This workshop was not considered as a training session because it was just a get together for teachers with EIA people, to know each other. Basically it was the stepping stone for teachers to understand what was required

The teachers were given a *Teacher Guide* which includes twelve modules of different CLT teaching and learning methods. This guide book also explained how to use the different audio and video materials stored on the multi-media player. This guide book always remained with the teachers so that whenever, they got time, they could skim through it. There was a section in this guide for classroom language; English phrases which they could

*Pair support* was another key feature of the support model. Two teachers from each intervention school joined the EIA STLP and they were supporting each other and working together towards their joint professional development. Some new points evolved when they discuss in a pair regarding how they could organise their class, how they could engage students in the class or how they could make the lessons more attractive. It was a very effective way to quickly solve practical problems. For example, they could watch a microteaching lesson from the audio-visual resources on the iPod and discuss together which method could have been better for the specific lesson in their school contexts. Sometimes both of them discussed what kind of teaching aid they could have developed and they could also discuss how to deliver a lesson or use methods for a lesson which is not available in the

Teachers had regularly attended fortnightly *cluster meetings* for formal training on different modules from the teacher guide for helping them to develop their English language skills as well as to boost their confidence, keep up their motivation and support each other in using communicative English language practices in their classrooms. Teachers had to plan and demonstrate lessons in different groups in the cluster meeting. One group may miss something in the demonstration and the next groups could identify what could have been added to perform better. By way of preparation, teachers listen to modules from the iPod or read the module from the teacher guide before attending the cluster meeting. During feedback sessions in the cluster meeting, they could listen to others and share their own experience. It was important for experience sharing and reflecting on practice. Reflection was enhanced by the opportunity for teachers to engage in an Open University course based on the production of a teacher 'reflective diary'. The course, *Make Your Teaching Experience Count (MYTEC)* provided understanding of teaching and learning as well as additional

A series of *School visits with feedback* was arranged for keeping the teachers' focused on classroom practice and supporting the training implemented in classrooms. This process increased critical thinking of the teachers and it put a level of expectation on them to strive to improve their practice as suggested in the cluster meeting. The main advantage of the school visit was that teachers get face-to-face feedback, encouragement and support from the EIA resource persons. It also provided the EIA project staff with information regarding

motivation to engage in the EIA teacher development programme.

Looking at some aspects of the 'blended' TPD approach shown in Fig 1:

for the success of the project.

easily use during their lessons.

iPod.

progress and the ability of the teachers to cope with the face-to-face training in the cluster meeting and how much they were achieving from the blended training programme. Another positive side of school visit was that it established better communication between the teachers and the trainers as a result teachers got solutions to their problems immediately. They could share their problems with the trainers instantly as they strive to implement CLT practice in their English language classroom. During this pre-pilot phase, the EIA model helped teachers to develop their English language skills in a different way through the school-based support systems so that they could use English confidently in the classroom.

In summary, during the orientation workshop teachers were briefed about the EIA intervention, strategies and materials. Teachers were given training on how to use the media player (iPod) and supporting materials. The teacher guide contained twelve modules on different pedagogical techniques including a section on classroom English explaining how those techniques could be used in their classroom contexts. Teachers were implicitly trained in the cluster meetings in how to use those modules in their classroom. At the heart of the EIA support model was the notion that teachers will achieve most of their professional development, not in face-to-face training workshops but back at home and at school; by working with new tools and materials, on their own and with their partner.
