International journal of research and innovation in social science, 2024
This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom ... more This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom practices, argues for the potentiality of student-centric classroom activities in catering to an inclusive classroom environment, and concludes that students' participation in classroom activities that facilitate democratic competencies may contribute to inclusive classroom practices. Literature suggests that democratic education upholds the principles of inclusion in classroom practices by addressing any means of oppression since democratic values ensure free and active participation of students. Bangladeshi classroom scenario demonstrates a disparate attitude on the part of the students where a significant portion of the students remain silent during classroom activities. For this research, data was retrieved from secondary school students to fathom whether student-centric classroom activities (that reflect democratic competencies) add value to the idea of inclusive classroom practices. The study found that democratic competencies are practiced in Bangladeshi classrooms and students hold a positive attitude, hence, there is a scope for promoting inclusion through such practices. One key implication of this study is that more research is needed to operationalize the democratic competencies for the Bangladeshi classroom context for an inclusive classroom.
International journal of research and innovation in social science, 2024
This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom ... more This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom practices, argues for the potentiality of student-centric classroom activities in catering to an inclusive classroom environment, and concludes that students' participation in classroom activities that facilitate democratic competencies may contribute to inclusive classroom practices. Literature suggests that democratic education upholds the principles of inclusion in classroom practices by addressing any means of oppression since democratic values ensure free and active participation of students. Bangladeshi classroom scenario demonstrates a disparate attitude on the part of the students where a significant portion of the students remain silent during classroom activities. For this research, data was retrieved from secondary school students to fathom whether student-centric classroom activities (that reflect democratic competencies) add value to the idea of inclusive classroom practices. The study found that democratic competencies are practiced in Bangladeshi classrooms and students hold a positive attitude, hence, there is a scope for promoting inclusion through such practices. One key implication of this study is that more research is needed to operationalize the democratic competencies for the Bangladeshi classroom context for an inclusive classroom.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS), 2024
It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of langua... more It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of language proficiency and academic success. However, EFL teachers face several obstacles in their institutional and sociocultural context that might prevent them from implementing CT. This study explores EFL teachers' perceptions of obstacles to their efforts in promoting critical thinking skills in classrooms and potential solutions to overcome these perceived obstacles. This exploratory study uses a constructivist approach to employ semi structured interviews with 12 EFL teachers at the higher secondary level in Bangladesh to address the research gap in understanding EFL teachers' feedback on the obstacles to developing critical thinking in the classroom. The findings reveal several interrelated challenges, emphasizing the negative washback of the HSC examination, teachers' authoritative roles, students' passive learning styles, a lack of teachers' training in developing CT and institutional discipline, and the arduous language structure of the textbook. This study also suggests that curriculum, assessments, teacher preparation, textbooks, and individual institutions should embrace an integrated thinking approach simultaneously.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS), 2024
It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of langua... more It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of language proficiency and academic success. However, EFL teachers face several obstacles in their institutional and sociocultural context that might prevent them from implementing CT. This study explores EFL teachers' perceptions of obstacles to their efforts in promoting critical thinking skills in classrooms and potential solutions to overcome these perceived obstacles. This exploratory study uses a constructivist approach to employ semi structured interviews with 12 EFL teachers at the higher secondary level in Bangladesh to address the research gap in understanding EFL teachers' feedback on the obstacles to developing critical thinking in the classroom. The findings reveal several interrelated challenges, emphasizing the negative washback of the HSC examination, teachers' authoritative roles, students' passive learning styles, a lack of teachers' training in developing CT and institutional discipline, and the arduous language structure of the textbook. This study also suggests that curriculum, assessments, teacher preparation, textbooks, and individual institutions should embrace an integrated thinking approach simultaneously.
Uddin, E., & Jahan, R. (2023). Socioeconomic Status and Children's English Proficiency in Bangladesh: The Role of Parental Capital Mechanisms. In Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Language Learning Environments (pp. 203-222). IGI Global., 2023
Although relationships between parents' socioeconomic status (SES) and children's English languag... more Although relationships between parents' socioeconomic status (SES) and children's English language proficiency and achievement are evident in the literature, mechanisms underlying the interdependency are not clearly understood. Drawing from the parental capital investment model, the authors systematically review relevant literature to understand parental capital investment mechanisms by which parents' SES transmits positive or negative effects to children's English proficiency and achievement during elementary (also primary) schooling, focusing on Bangladesh. The systematic review suggests that fewer human, social, cultural, and economic capital investments mediate the association between low SES and children's poor English proficiency and achievement during primary schooling. This chapter also discusses future directions for longitudinal research and policy implications to improve children's English proficiency and achievement during primary education.
Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 93-102.Chapter 1. Overview, aims and purpose of the study ... more Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 93-102.Chapter 1. Overview, aims and purpose of the study -- Chapter 2. A review of literature on the postmethod pedagogy -- Chapter 3. A review of literature on teacher cognition -- Chapter 4. Research methodology -- Chapter 5. Data analysis -- Chapter 6. General discussion -- Chapter 7. Conclusion.This study aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practicies from the Bangladeshi English teachers' reported classroom practices. Kumaravadivelu's model of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning because of its top down approach, hence calls for actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this study was collected through semi structured open ended interviews, and fourteen English teachers of various schools of Bangladesh took part in the...
Researching Muslim women in the west could be challenging for some researchers with different soc... more Researching Muslim women in the west could be challenging for some researchers with different socio-cultural or religious background. This includes sensitivity associated with religious identity, feminist view and socio-cultural aspects of the research subjects. This article used interview method, a frequently used tool for collecting data in the qualitative research paradigm by applied social scientists. The success of the interview method largely depends on the interviewees and their understanding of the research contexts. This article looks into the authors’ understanding of using traditional interview method in a different cultural setting and tries to find out the challenges of using the method with Muslim women going for higher education. The interview process poses some distinct challenges to the interviewing process and needs to be addressed for a rigorous research. This article also reflects on a number of issues related to the interview process, working with the equipment ...
The emergence of English as a global language raises issues for the way in which the ‘target cult... more The emergence of English as a global language raises issues for the way in which the ‘target culture’ associated with the language is conceptualised by English language learners in various parts of the world. This paper reports on a focus group study involving language teachers from five different countries (Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mauritius and South Korea) who had themselves learned English as a second or foreign language. The study elicited the views of the participants on the nature of target culture as it applies to English, their attitudes towards it and the factors that influenced the way that they perceived it. Findings revealed a number of sharp distinctions between the views of participants from so-called ‘Outer Circle’ countries and those of participants from ‘Expanding Circle’ countries. The results lend further support to calls in the literature for a reconceptualisation of ‘integrativeness’ as an element of motivation as it relates to the learning of English in today’...
This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Banglade... more This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers’ reported classroom practices. Kumaravadivelu’s (2001, 1994) idea of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning primarily because of its top-down approach, hence calls for the actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this study was collected through semi structured open-ended interviews, and on the basis of purposive sampling twelve English teachers of Bangladeshi secondary schools took part in the interviews. Findings of this study suggest that although the participant teachers’ described classroom teaching characterizes various aspects of the applications of postmethod pedagogy, those teaching practices are not necessarily indicative of the teachers’ true understanding (or their...
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic, Business and Industrial Engineering, 2017
This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evide... more This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evidence of transformative practices from a couple of Bangladeshi English teachers. The idea of transformative practices calls for teachers’ capabilities to invest their intellectual labor in teaching with an assumption that along with the academic advancement of the learners, it aims for the personal transformation for both the learners as well for themselves. Following an ethnographic research approach, data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews, informal talks and classroom observations for a period of one year. In relevance to the English classroom of the Bangladeshi context, from this study, references of transformative practices have been underlined from the participant teachers’ views on English language teaching as well as from their actual practices. According to data of this research, some evidence of transformative practices in the form of critical language awar...
In this book, evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers’ r... more In this book, evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers’ reported classroom practices has been discussed. Kumaravadivelu’s model of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning because of its top-down approach, hence calls for the actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this work was collected through semi structured open-ended interviews, and fourteen English teachers of various schools of Bangladesh took part in the interviews. Findings of this book suggest that although the participant teachers’ described classroom teaching characterizes various aspects of the applications of postmethod pedagogy, those teaching practices are not necessarily indicative of the teachers’ true understanding (or their ability to apply) of all the constructs of the postmethod pe...
This research investigates the scope of fostering democratic skills using students- centred class... more This research investigates the scope of fostering democratic skills using students- centred classroom activities for secondary school students in Bangladesh. Empirical research suggests that student-engaging classroom activities have the potential to help students equipped with some required democratic skills. Semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) are the sources of data instruments in this paper. Eight (08) secondary school teachers, both from rural and urban schools, took part in the interviews. Four (04) FGD sessions with the Grade viii and ix students were recorded. Findings indicate that teachers and students hold a positive mind set towards the requirements of democratic skills. Students appear to be keen to acquire those democratic skills, and teachers though eager to help students lack confidence about the actual practices. Findings also are suggestive of some external and internal factors as impediments to the seamless facilitation of democratic skills to the students. While the outside school environment emerges as a major external factor; large class size, hectic workload, and relatively limited time slots for a large class size appear as some internal factors. The pedagogical implication here adheres to some training provisions for the teachers which will enable them to develop specific teaching strategies to help students foster democratic skills.
It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of langua... more It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of language proficiency and academic success. However, EFL teachers face several obstacles in their institutional and sociocultural context that might prevent them from implementing CT. This study explores EFL teachers' perceptions of obstacles to their efforts in promoting critical thinking skills in classrooms and potential solutions to overcome these perceived obstacles. This exploratory study uses a constructivist approach to employ semi structured interviews with 12 EFL teachers at the higher secondary level in Bangladesh to address the research gap in understanding EFL teachers' feedback on the obstacles to developing critical thinking in the classroom. The findings reveal several interrelated challenges, emphasizing the negative washback of the HSC examination, teachers' authoritative roles, students' passive learning styles, a lack of teachers' training in developing CT and institutional discipline, and the arduous language structure of the textbook. This study also suggests that curriculum, assessments, teacher preparation, textbooks, and individual institutions should embrace an integrated thinking approach simultaneously.
This study investigates locally produced English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks for higher sec... more This study investigates locally produced English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks for higher secondary education in Bangladesh, focusing on the embedded cultural aspects. The research employs content analysis to quantify cultural representation occurrences, revealing a prevalence of Western cultures in the books, while Asian and African cultures are notably underrepresented. The findings expose a cultural bias that portrays women primarily in domestic roles, perceiving their work as mundane. English women, on the other hand, are depicted more gracefully with freedom and peace, despite engaging in conventional activities. Despite some token gestures, such as showcasing women's participation in sports, the study underscores the need for genderequitable textbooks to challenge learners' conceptual positions and raise awareness of women's rights. The inclusion of international cultures may contribute to a more balanced representation, fostering the development of Bangladeshi learners as global speakers.
International journal of research and innovation in social science, 2024
This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom ... more This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom practices, argues for the potentiality of student-centric classroom activities in catering to an inclusive classroom environment, and concludes that students' participation in classroom activities that facilitate democratic competencies may contribute to inclusive classroom practices. Literature suggests that democratic education upholds the principles of inclusion in classroom practices by addressing any means of oppression since democratic values ensure free and active participation of students. Bangladeshi classroom scenario demonstrates a disparate attitude on the part of the students where a significant portion of the students remain silent during classroom activities. For this research, data was retrieved from secondary school students to fathom whether student-centric classroom activities (that reflect democratic competencies) add value to the idea of inclusive classroom practices. The study found that democratic competencies are practiced in Bangladeshi classrooms and students hold a positive attitude, hence, there is a scope for promoting inclusion through such practices. One key implication of this study is that more research is needed to operationalize the democratic competencies for the Bangladeshi classroom context for an inclusive classroom.
International journal of research and innovation in social science, 2024
This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom ... more This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom practices, argues for the potentiality of student-centric classroom activities in catering to an inclusive classroom environment, and concludes that students' participation in classroom activities that facilitate democratic competencies may contribute to inclusive classroom practices. Literature suggests that democratic education upholds the principles of inclusion in classroom practices by addressing any means of oppression since democratic values ensure free and active participation of students. Bangladeshi classroom scenario demonstrates a disparate attitude on the part of the students where a significant portion of the students remain silent during classroom activities. For this research, data was retrieved from secondary school students to fathom whether student-centric classroom activities (that reflect democratic competencies) add value to the idea of inclusive classroom practices. The study found that democratic competencies are practiced in Bangladeshi classrooms and students hold a positive attitude, hence, there is a scope for promoting inclusion through such practices. One key implication of this study is that more research is needed to operationalize the democratic competencies for the Bangladeshi classroom context for an inclusive classroom.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS), 2024
It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of langua... more It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of language proficiency and academic success. However, EFL teachers face several obstacles in their institutional and sociocultural context that might prevent them from implementing CT. This study explores EFL teachers' perceptions of obstacles to their efforts in promoting critical thinking skills in classrooms and potential solutions to overcome these perceived obstacles. This exploratory study uses a constructivist approach to employ semi structured interviews with 12 EFL teachers at the higher secondary level in Bangladesh to address the research gap in understanding EFL teachers' feedback on the obstacles to developing critical thinking in the classroom. The findings reveal several interrelated challenges, emphasizing the negative washback of the HSC examination, teachers' authoritative roles, students' passive learning styles, a lack of teachers' training in developing CT and institutional discipline, and the arduous language structure of the textbook. This study also suggests that curriculum, assessments, teacher preparation, textbooks, and individual institutions should embrace an integrated thinking approach simultaneously.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS), 2024
It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of langua... more It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of language proficiency and academic success. However, EFL teachers face several obstacles in their institutional and sociocultural context that might prevent them from implementing CT. This study explores EFL teachers' perceptions of obstacles to their efforts in promoting critical thinking skills in classrooms and potential solutions to overcome these perceived obstacles. This exploratory study uses a constructivist approach to employ semi structured interviews with 12 EFL teachers at the higher secondary level in Bangladesh to address the research gap in understanding EFL teachers' feedback on the obstacles to developing critical thinking in the classroom. The findings reveal several interrelated challenges, emphasizing the negative washback of the HSC examination, teachers' authoritative roles, students' passive learning styles, a lack of teachers' training in developing CT and institutional discipline, and the arduous language structure of the textbook. This study also suggests that curriculum, assessments, teacher preparation, textbooks, and individual institutions should embrace an integrated thinking approach simultaneously.
Uddin, E., & Jahan, R. (2023). Socioeconomic Status and Children's English Proficiency in Bangladesh: The Role of Parental Capital Mechanisms. In Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Language Learning Environments (pp. 203-222). IGI Global., 2023
Although relationships between parents' socioeconomic status (SES) and children's English languag... more Although relationships between parents' socioeconomic status (SES) and children's English language proficiency and achievement are evident in the literature, mechanisms underlying the interdependency are not clearly understood. Drawing from the parental capital investment model, the authors systematically review relevant literature to understand parental capital investment mechanisms by which parents' SES transmits positive or negative effects to children's English proficiency and achievement during elementary (also primary) schooling, focusing on Bangladesh. The systematic review suggests that fewer human, social, cultural, and economic capital investments mediate the association between low SES and children's poor English proficiency and achievement during primary schooling. This chapter also discusses future directions for longitudinal research and policy implications to improve children's English proficiency and achievement during primary education.
Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 93-102.Chapter 1. Overview, aims and purpose of the study ... more Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 93-102.Chapter 1. Overview, aims and purpose of the study -- Chapter 2. A review of literature on the postmethod pedagogy -- Chapter 3. A review of literature on teacher cognition -- Chapter 4. Research methodology -- Chapter 5. Data analysis -- Chapter 6. General discussion -- Chapter 7. Conclusion.This study aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practicies from the Bangladeshi English teachers' reported classroom practices. Kumaravadivelu's model of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning because of its top down approach, hence calls for actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this study was collected through semi structured open ended interviews, and fourteen English teachers of various schools of Bangladesh took part in the...
Researching Muslim women in the west could be challenging for some researchers with different soc... more Researching Muslim women in the west could be challenging for some researchers with different socio-cultural or religious background. This includes sensitivity associated with religious identity, feminist view and socio-cultural aspects of the research subjects. This article used interview method, a frequently used tool for collecting data in the qualitative research paradigm by applied social scientists. The success of the interview method largely depends on the interviewees and their understanding of the research contexts. This article looks into the authors’ understanding of using traditional interview method in a different cultural setting and tries to find out the challenges of using the method with Muslim women going for higher education. The interview process poses some distinct challenges to the interviewing process and needs to be addressed for a rigorous research. This article also reflects on a number of issues related to the interview process, working with the equipment ...
The emergence of English as a global language raises issues for the way in which the ‘target cult... more The emergence of English as a global language raises issues for the way in which the ‘target culture’ associated with the language is conceptualised by English language learners in various parts of the world. This paper reports on a focus group study involving language teachers from five different countries (Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mauritius and South Korea) who had themselves learned English as a second or foreign language. The study elicited the views of the participants on the nature of target culture as it applies to English, their attitudes towards it and the factors that influenced the way that they perceived it. Findings revealed a number of sharp distinctions between the views of participants from so-called ‘Outer Circle’ countries and those of participants from ‘Expanding Circle’ countries. The results lend further support to calls in the literature for a reconceptualisation of ‘integrativeness’ as an element of motivation as it relates to the learning of English in today’...
This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Banglade... more This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers’ reported classroom practices. Kumaravadivelu’s (2001, 1994) idea of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning primarily because of its top-down approach, hence calls for the actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this study was collected through semi structured open-ended interviews, and on the basis of purposive sampling twelve English teachers of Bangladeshi secondary schools took part in the interviews. Findings of this study suggest that although the participant teachers’ described classroom teaching characterizes various aspects of the applications of postmethod pedagogy, those teaching practices are not necessarily indicative of the teachers’ true understanding (or their...
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic, Business and Industrial Engineering, 2017
This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evide... more This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evidence of transformative practices from a couple of Bangladeshi English teachers. The idea of transformative practices calls for teachers’ capabilities to invest their intellectual labor in teaching with an assumption that along with the academic advancement of the learners, it aims for the personal transformation for both the learners as well for themselves. Following an ethnographic research approach, data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews, informal talks and classroom observations for a period of one year. In relevance to the English classroom of the Bangladeshi context, from this study, references of transformative practices have been underlined from the participant teachers’ views on English language teaching as well as from their actual practices. According to data of this research, some evidence of transformative practices in the form of critical language awar...
In this book, evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers’ r... more In this book, evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers’ reported classroom practices has been discussed. Kumaravadivelu’s model of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning because of its top-down approach, hence calls for the actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this work was collected through semi structured open-ended interviews, and fourteen English teachers of various schools of Bangladesh took part in the interviews. Findings of this book suggest that although the participant teachers’ described classroom teaching characterizes various aspects of the applications of postmethod pedagogy, those teaching practices are not necessarily indicative of the teachers’ true understanding (or their ability to apply) of all the constructs of the postmethod pe...
This research investigates the scope of fostering democratic skills using students- centred class... more This research investigates the scope of fostering democratic skills using students- centred classroom activities for secondary school students in Bangladesh. Empirical research suggests that student-engaging classroom activities have the potential to help students equipped with some required democratic skills. Semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) are the sources of data instruments in this paper. Eight (08) secondary school teachers, both from rural and urban schools, took part in the interviews. Four (04) FGD sessions with the Grade viii and ix students were recorded. Findings indicate that teachers and students hold a positive mind set towards the requirements of democratic skills. Students appear to be keen to acquire those democratic skills, and teachers though eager to help students lack confidence about the actual practices. Findings also are suggestive of some external and internal factors as impediments to the seamless facilitation of democratic skills to the students. While the outside school environment emerges as a major external factor; large class size, hectic workload, and relatively limited time slots for a large class size appear as some internal factors. The pedagogical implication here adheres to some training provisions for the teachers which will enable them to develop specific teaching strategies to help students foster democratic skills.
It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of langua... more It is widely recognized that developing critical thinking skills promotes higher levels of language proficiency and academic success. However, EFL teachers face several obstacles in their institutional and sociocultural context that might prevent them from implementing CT. This study explores EFL teachers' perceptions of obstacles to their efforts in promoting critical thinking skills in classrooms and potential solutions to overcome these perceived obstacles. This exploratory study uses a constructivist approach to employ semi structured interviews with 12 EFL teachers at the higher secondary level in Bangladesh to address the research gap in understanding EFL teachers' feedback on the obstacles to developing critical thinking in the classroom. The findings reveal several interrelated challenges, emphasizing the negative washback of the HSC examination, teachers' authoritative roles, students' passive learning styles, a lack of teachers' training in developing CT and institutional discipline, and the arduous language structure of the textbook. This study also suggests that curriculum, assessments, teacher preparation, textbooks, and individual institutions should embrace an integrated thinking approach simultaneously.
This study investigates locally produced English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks for higher sec... more This study investigates locally produced English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks for higher secondary education in Bangladesh, focusing on the embedded cultural aspects. The research employs content analysis to quantify cultural representation occurrences, revealing a prevalence of Western cultures in the books, while Asian and African cultures are notably underrepresented. The findings expose a cultural bias that portrays women primarily in domestic roles, perceiving their work as mundane. English women, on the other hand, are depicted more gracefully with freedom and peace, despite engaging in conventional activities. Despite some token gestures, such as showcasing women's participation in sports, the study underscores the need for genderequitable textbooks to challenge learners' conceptual positions and raise awareness of women's rights. The inclusion of international cultures may contribute to a more balanced representation, fostering the development of Bangladeshi learners as global speakers.
This study delves into the influence of contextual factors on learner autonomy, highlighting that... more This study delves into the influence of contextual factors on learner autonomy, highlighting that autonomous learning can be manifested differently due to contextual factors. This study engaged in exploring the learners' attitudes and learning practices to understand whether contextual factors facilitate learner autonomy in the university context. This study examined contextual factors, e.g., peer interaction, teachers' role, the curricular context, and prior learning experience, with a view to accomplishing its mission. Data was collected from 20 English language learners using semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data sets. The findings reveal that peer interaction facilitates autonomous learning through cooperation. Teachers' authoritarian roles seem to impede the development of learner autonomy. The curricular context tends to be obstructive since it prioritizes rote learning and delimits opportunities for autonomous practices. Participants' prior experiences of teacher-dependent and rote learning appear to impede their current autonomous learning. The findings of this study implicate that school curricula should create ample opportunities from the early levels of education to maximize learning potential through autonomous learning.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS), 2024
This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom ... more This conceptual paper examines the democratic competencies embedded in student-centric classroom practices, argues for the potentiality of student-centric classroom activities in catering to an inclusive classroom environment, and concludes that students' participation in classroom activities that facilitate democratic competencies may contribute to inclusive classroom practices. Literature suggests that democratic education upholds the principles of inclusion in classroom practices by addressing any means of oppression since democratic values ensure free and active participation of students. Bangladeshi classroom scenario demonstrates a disparate attitude on the part of the students where a significant portion of the students remain silent during classroom activities. For this research, data was retrieved from secondary school students to fathom whether student-centric classroom activities (that reflect democratic competencies) add value to the idea of inclusive classroom practices. The study found that democratic competencies are practiced in Bangladeshi classrooms and students hold a positive attitude, hence, there is a scope for promoting inclusion through such practices. One key implication of this study is that more research is needed to operationalize the democratic competencies for the Bangladeshi classroom context for an inclusive classroom.
In an attempt to address the commercial, instrumental, and generalizing aspects of the English fo... more In an attempt to address the commercial, instrumental, and generalizing aspects of the English for Today (EfT) textbook series, the official ELT textbooks locally produced for Class 1-12, this paper proposes an intercultural communicative framework for their construction and improvement. This framework builds on the elements of previous recommended frameworks from different nations, incorporating essential elements that are crucial in the Bangladeshi context. This study seeks to make clear which components of ELT textbooks should be added in order to enhance Bangladeshi students' intercultural and communicative competencies based on the shortcoming of the present English for Today textbooks. The framework suggests the textbook should be divided into sections such as, pretext, text, images, post-text activities. Here the pretext should be based on knowledge, abridged extracts or authentic texts need to be included from multicultural contexts aligned with comprehensive images and finally post-text activities are intended to develop skills, attitudes and cultural awareness. The authors clearly outlined the roles of the teachers, students and potential threat in every step of pretext, text, images, post-text exercises. To our knowledge, such type of framework has not yet prepared or published for ELT textbooks in Bangladesh.
International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic, Business and Industrial Engineering, 2017
This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evide... more This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evidence of transformative practices from a couple of Bangladeshi English teachers. The idea of transformative practices calls for teachers' capabilities to invest their intellectual labor in teaching with an assumption that along with the academic advancement of the learners, it aims for the personal transformation for both the learners as well for themselves. Following an ethnographic research approach, data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews, informal talks and classroom observations for a period of one year. In relevance to the English classroom of the Bangladeshi context, from this study, references of transformative practices have been underlined from the participant teachers' views on English language teaching as well as from their actual practices. According to data of this research, some evidence of transformative practices in the form of critical language awareness and personal theories of practices emerge from the participants' articulation of the beliefs on teaching; and from the participant teachers' classroom practices evidence of self-directed acts of teaching, self-directed acts of professional development, and liberatory autonomy have been highlighted as the reflections of transformative practices. The implication of this paper refers to the significance of practicing teachers' articulation of beliefs and views on teaching along with their orientation to critical pedagogical relations.
This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Banglade... more This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers' reported classroom practices. Kumaravadivelu's (2001, 1994) idea of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning primarily because of its top-down approach, hence calls for the actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this study was collected through semi structured open-ended interviews, and on the basis of purposive sampling twelve English teachers of Bangladeshi secondary schools took part in the interviews. Findings of this study suggest that although the participant teachers' described classroom teaching characterizes various aspects of the applications of postmethod pedagogy, those teaching practices are not necessarily indicative of the teachers' true understanding (or their ability to apply) of all the constructs of the postmethod pedagogy. Though not in explicit way, some subtle references of reflective as well as transformative practices of teaching are evident in the data. Finally, on the basis of the findings, a three layered model (dominant, developing, incubating) is proposed for the future reference of the actualization of postmethod pedagogic principles in the Bangladeshi context. This model tends to rank the degree of application of varied teaching strategies that can be aligned with Kumaravalivedu's (1994) concept of macrostrategic framework. The key implication of this study is the necessity for a review of the organizational constructs of the macrostrategic framework to actualise it in the Bangladeshi context. Another implication is that teacher education provided for ELT practitioners in Bangladesh should incorporate the theoretical ideas of how to help the prospective teachers to articulate their beliefs on teaching.
This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Banglade... more This article aims to investigate the evidence of postmethod pedagogic practices from the Bangladeshi English teachers' reported classroom practices. Kumaravadivelu's (2001, 1994) idea of postmethod pedagogy presents the view that the conventional method-based pedagogy has limitations, as the method based pedagogy arguably undermines the peripheral knowledge base of teaching-learning primarily because of its top-down approach, hence calls for the actualization of location-specific English teaching methodologies. Data of this study was collected through semi structured open-ended interviews, and on the basis of purposive sampling twelve English teachers of Bangladeshi secondary schools took part in the interviews. Findings of this study suggest that although the participant teachers' described classroom teaching characterizes various aspects of the applications of postmethod pedagogy, those teaching practices are not necessarily indicative of the teachers' true understanding (or their ability to apply) of all the constructs of the postmethod pedagogy. Though not in explicit way, some subtle references of reflective as well as transformative practices of teaching are evident in the data. Finally, on the basis of the findings, a three layered model (dominant, developing, incubating) is proposed for the future reference of the actualization of postmethod pedagogic principles in the Bangladeshi context. This model tends to rank the degree of application of varied teaching strategies that can be aligned with Kumaravalivedu's (1994) concept of macrostrategic framework. The key implication of this study is the necessity for a review of the organizational constructs of the macrostrategic framework to actualise it in the Bangladeshi context. Another implication is that teacher education provided for ELT practitioners in Bangladesh should incorporate the theoretical ideas of how to help the prospective teachers to articulate their beliefs on teaching.
—This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evid... more —This paper examines the theoretical construct of transformative practices, and reports some evidence of transformative practices from a couple of Bangladeshi English teachers. The idea of transformative practices calls for teachers' capabilities to invest their intellectual labor in teaching with an assumption that along with the academic advancement of the learners, it aims for the personal transformation for both the learners as well for themselves. Following an ethnographic research approach, data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews, informal talks and classroom observations for a period of one year. In relevance to the English classroom of the Bangladeshi context, from this study, references of transformative practices have been underlined from the participant teachers' views on English language teaching as well as from their actual practices. According to data of this research, some evidence of transformative practices in the form of critical language awareness and personal theories of practices emerge from the participants' articulation of the beliefs on teaching; and from the participant teachers' classroom practices evidence of self-directed acts of teaching, self-directed acts of professional development, and liberatory autonomy have been highlighted as the reflections of transformative practices. The implication of this paper refers to the significance of practicing teachers' articulation of beliefs and views on teaching along with their orientation to critical pedagogical relations.
Researching Muslim women in the west could be challenging for some researchers with different soc... more Researching Muslim women in the west could be challenging for some researchers with different socio-cultural or religious background. This includes sensitivity associated with religious identity, feminist view and socio-cultural aspects of the research subjects. This article used interview method, a frequently used tool for collecting data in the qualitative research paradigm by applied social scientists. The success of the interview method largely depends on the interviewees and their understanding of the research contexts. This article looks into the authors' understanding of using traditional interview method in a different cultural setting and tries to find out the challenges of using the method with Muslim women going for higher education. The interview process poses some distinct challenges to the interviewing process and needs to be addressed for a rigorous research. This article also reflects on a number of issues related to the interview process, working with the equipment (tape-recorder), flexibility of proposed schedule, and the way of posing research questions for in-depth inquiry. More importantly, it draws on both advantages and disadvantages of interview method for exploring this sensitive issue. The process of data analysis is also summarised along with the consideration of reflexivity and trustworthiness of the generated data. This article also highlights the issues related to gaining access to the participants, sampling, and ethical consideration.
This article is written by the British Council funded project team: Dr Prithvi N. Shrestha (The O... more This article is written by the British Council funded project team: Dr Prithvi N. Shrestha (The Open University), Dr Claire Kotecki (The Open University), Prof Rubaiyat Jahan (University of Rajshahi), Prof Halida Homyara (University of Rajshahi), Prof Kristina Hultgren (The Open University), and Nasreen Sultana Mitu (University of Rajshahi). It is based on their initial phase of the research project ‘Access, barriers and gender equality in STEM education at a Bangladeshi University’.
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