Professional Development in Bangladesh Needs a New Approach
Professional development in Bangladesh has long struggled with three problems:
- It is disconnected — workshops happen, teachers attend, but classroom practice rarely changes.
- It is overwhelming — too many ideas, too fast, with little time for sense-making.
- It is short-lived — enthusiasm fades when old routines take over again.
Evidence Based Teacher Development (EBTD) exists to change this.
Our approach to professional development is not a checklist, not a rigid cycle, and not a formula. It is a philosophy of professional growth built around four simple, powerful forces that drive lasting improvement.
The 4 Cs of EBTD Professional Development
Clarity – Commitment – Craft – Consistency
These four forces are always present when meaningful improvement happens. Not in a fixed order. Not in equal measure. Not in a mechanical sequence.
Instead, the 4 Cs guide, shape and strengthen professional learning — whatever the context, whoever the participant, and wherever a school is on its journey.
They give EBTD a coherent way to design professional development that is practical, respectful, and genuinely transformative for Bangladeshi teachers and leaders.
The 4 Cs at a Glance
Each “C” captures a different dimension of effective professional development. Together, they act as a simple design language for any course, coaching cycle or partnership.
C1
Clarity
People understand the idea and why it matters — the problem it solves, the impact on students, and how it fits within great teaching in Bangladesh.
C2
Commitment
People feel motivated, respected and willing to try something new, because the purpose is clear and the culture is safe and supportive.
C3
Craft
People learn how to do it — not just what it is. Ideas turn into concrete, rehearsed classroom or leadership techniques.
C4
Consistency
People do it reliably enough for it to matter. New practices become part of everyday habits and school culture over time.
1. Clarity
People understand the idea and why it matters.
Clarity is the starting point of all good professional development.
It is not about simplifying everything into slogans. It is about helping teachers and leaders see:
- the core idea
- the purpose behind it
- the problem it solves
- the impact it can have on students
- how it fits into the bigger picture of great teaching in Bangladesh
Clarity respects teachers’ intelligence and time. It gives them the grounding to make sense of new ideas — especially in complex environments with large classes, exam pressure, and limited resources.
Where Clarity sits in the wider EBTD ecosystem
- The EBTD Framework for Great Teaching gives Clarity its content. It defines what “great teaching” looks like in Bangladesh.
- Leaders who model transparency and purpose strengthen Clarity.
- In training, Clarity shows up as clear explanations, examples, principles and models.
- In Deliberate Practice, Clarity helps teachers define one small change that matters.
Clarity is the difference between “interesting training” and “I finally understand what to do and why.”
2. Commitment
People feel motivated, respected, and willing to try something new.
Commitment is the emotional engine of change.
Teachers in Bangladesh work under enormous pressure. They will only invest effort when they feel:
- the practice is meaningful
- the challenge is manageable
- the purpose is clear
- the professional culture is safe and respectful
- their leaders value them and support their growth
Commitment cannot be demanded. It must be earned.
Where Commitment sits in the wider EBTD ecosystem
- EBTD Leadership Behaviours create the trust, fairness and relational warmth that allow Commitment to grow.
- Clarity fuels Commitment — people commit to what they understand.
- Commitment influences how deeply teachers engage in practice and reflection.
- Commitment varies by person, school culture, and timing — and that is normal.
Commitment is not an emotion; it is a professional stance:
“I believe this is worth trying — for my students, my school and myself.”
3. Craft
People learn how to do it — not just what it is.
Ideas alone do not change classrooms. Techniques do.
Craft is about turning understanding into action through:
- modelling
- guided examples
- rehearsal
- feedback
- refinement
- confident first attempts
Bangladeshi teachers rarely get structured opportunities to practise teaching before doing it live in front of 60 students. Leaders rarely rehearse difficult conversations or change-management conversations.
Craft fills this gap by giving people a safe, respectful space to try.
Where Craft sits in the wider EBTD ecosystem
- The Framework for Great Teaching defines the actual techniques teachers rehearse.
- Leadership Behaviours make practice feel safe and normal rather than evaluative.
- The Deliberate Practice Model (Define – Model – Practise – Refine – Reflect) is one way EBTD brings Craft to life — but not the only way.
- Craft adapts depending on the session, the group and the school context.
Craft helps teachers move from “I understand it” to “I can do it tomorrow.”
4. Consistency
People do it reliably enough for it to matter.
The final force — and often the hardest.
Real improvement does not come from inspiration. It comes from repetition.
Consistency means:
- routines
- cues
- shared expectations
- leadership follow-up
- peer support
- reflection
- patience
Consistency is not rigidity. It is sustained attention to the practices that make learning better.
Where Consistency sits in the wider EBTD ecosystem
- Leaders cultivate consistency by modelling, checking in, and protecting time.
- Reflection (part of Deliberate Practice) helps teachers notice progress and stick with it.
- The Framework for Great Teaching provides long-term development pathways.
- Consistency expands slowly — from one technique to a coherent body of practice.
Consistency is how small changes become habits — and how habits become culture.
How the 4 Cs Fit Together (Without Rigidity)
The 4 Cs are not a sequence. They are not a cycle. They are not “Stage 1 → Stage 2 → Stage 3 → Stage 4.”
Instead:
- They interweave.
- They interact.
- They rise and fall depending on context.
In one school, everything starts with Commitment because trust is low. In another, the priority is Craft because teachers have knowledge but lack technique. In a third, Consistency is the missing piece because turnover is high or routines break down. In a fourth, Clarity is needed because staff are drowning in contradictory advice.
The 4 Cs give EBTD:
- a shared conceptual language
- a flexible design framework
- a coherent identity
- a professional culture that values depth, respect and long-term improvement
They guide us. They do not constrain us.
How the 4 Cs Connect to the Rest of EBTD
1. The Framework for Great Teaching
The Framework for Great Teaching in Bangladesh defines what we are improving. The 4 Cs guide how we help teachers grow in each domain, across our teacher training programmes.
2. The Leadership Behaviours
The EBTD Leadership Behaviours define the conditions for improvement. The 4 Cs thrive in cultures built on trust, fairness, care and clarity, and inform our leadership development programmes in Bangladesh.
3. The Deliberate Practice Model
The Deliberate Practice Model provides practical strategies to enact the 4 Cs — especially Craft and Consistency — but never as a rigid template.
Together, these elements form a comprehensive, coherent ecosystem for teacher and leader development in Bangladesh.
Conclusion: EBTD’s Professional Development Philosophy
The 4 Cs are now the foundation of all EBTD course design:
- Clarity gives direction.
- Commitment gives motivation.
- Craft gives capability.
- Consistency gives durability.
When these forces are present, even small changes can transform classrooms. When they are absent, even the best ideas fade quickly.
Most importantly, the 4 Cs allow professional development to be:
- human
- contextual
- relational
- adaptive
- purposeful
- realistic
Exactly what Bangladeshi teachers and leaders deserve.
