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

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 technological tools.

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

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

Open and Distance Learning for Teachers' Professional Development:

2010).

**12. Conclusion** 

The English in Action (EIA) Model for the Global South 105

For doing so, school-based forms of open and distance learning using new communication technologies are the only viable way forward (Banks et al, 2009). 'Increasingly new modes of open and distance learning, including new information and communication technology application are seen as vital to new approaches to training provision on a large scale' (UNESCO, 2008, 2). School-based modes of supported open and distance learning, exploring ICTs are the only feasible way to make such provision widely available (Shohel & Power,

The crisis of trained and qualified teachers in the Global South requires urgent responses from the national governments as well as the international development partners of the developing countries. The rapid expansion of education systems is creating difficulties in establishing coherent teacher supply policies. Investment in high quality teacher training programme design and implementation is necessary to realise the potential of new models of teachers' professional development programmes through open and distance learning such as the EIA Secondary Teaching and Learning Programme (STLP). Therefore, in response to the Government of Bangladesh, the Government of the United Kingdom came forward to help the country to train and develop the English language teachers as well as to

The pre-pilot EIA intervention in UCEP schools is a very fruitful initiative 'to secure a professionally trained, well-supported and highly motivated teacher workforce' in Bangladesh. The EIA intervention gives cause for optimism that the secondary education sub-sector in Bangladesh could be developed from current low quality teaching by putting resources in place through 'short term interventions completed by longer term institutionalisation and sustainable societal interaction' (Yates, 2007, 12) that will ensure the

The future development of open and distance learning for teachers' professional development requires greater clarification of terms and purposes of learning. In a study of eleven distance teacher education projects, Perraton (1993, 385) suggests that 'two broad conclusions to emerge from the studies… where it has been possible to measure effectiveness, teacher training at a distance can be effective and that its costs tend to be lower than conventional education… where we have detailed figures it is reasonable to conclude that distance education programmes can be designed for teachers at a cost of

The move towards more school-based, particularly technology-oriented and integrated open and distance learning courses calls for a greater level of support from experienced teachers locally as their mentors. A range of new courses are now appearing that integrate the school experience into the course frame work, for instance, Bangladeshi secondary school teachers were offered a course entitled 'Making Your Teaching Experience Count (MYTEC)' by the Open University, UK. The first cohort of this teachers group has been awarded their course

Advantages and disadvantages of open and distance learning models certainly provide more important basis for further comparative studies on those models in their own terms as well as in comparison with more conventional models. It has been suggested that school-

provide opportunities and resources to access English language learning.

continuity of quality education which EIA is aiming for.

between one third and two thirds of conventional programmes'.

completion certificate in 2011.
