Professional Development and English Curriculum Implementation: A Case Study of Primary Teachers in Bagha Upazila, Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60072/ijeissah.2026.v4i02.004Abstract
This study forms part of a mixed-methods research, and this paper reports the qualitative findings only. The qualitative case study explores how professional development (PD) grounded in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) shaped the implementation of the English curriculum in primary schools across Bagha Upazila, Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. Data were collected in 2025 through semi-structured interviews with sixteen teachers from sixteen purposively selected rural schools and four focus group discussions involving thirty-five participants. Through a six-phase thematic analysis, five major themes emerged: limited and uneven professional development opportunities, difficulties in implementing CLT within crowded classrooms, lack of mentoring and structured follow-up, teachers’ strong motivation and self-driven learning initiatives, and practical suggestions from teachers for improvement. The implications of these findings are important in that, although teachers have a good understanding of CLT and a desire to innovate, professional development in rural Bangladesh remains disjointed, top-down, and unsustainable in classroom practice; thus, participatory and context-sensitive professional development involving the active engagement of teachers in planning and follow-up is key to improving professional agency, classroom performance, and equitable access to English education. The findings are particularly relevant for primary English teachers, teacher educators, professional development providers, and education policymakers involved in rural and low-resource contexts.
Keywords:
Bangladesh, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Educational Reform, English Curriculum Implementation, Professional Development (PD), Rural Primary Schools, Teacher ChangeReferences
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