Fine-Tuning Teaching with the ITTECF: Evidence that Drives Learning
Ever wondered why some explanations land while others float past blank faces? Why some “busy” lessons leave little long-term learning? The Initial Teacher Training & Early Career Framework (ITTECF) answers those questions with two simple but powerful idea types:
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Learn that… concise findings from high-quality research (how learning, attention, memory, motivation and behaviour really work).
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Learn how to… practical moves that translate those findings into day-to-day teaching.
Below are eight high-leverage pairings. For each, you’ll see what the evidence says, how to do it, and how to adapt it to Bangladesh—large classes, exam pressure, mixed language backgrounds, limited tech, and time constraints included.
1) Working memory & small steps
Learn that… Working memory is limited, especially when pupils tackle new or complex ideas; novices benefit from explicit guidance.
Learn how to… Break new content into small, connected steps; model one step at a time; check for understanding before adding complexity.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Teach via a board-first, stepwise model (chalk/whiteboard or projector): title → key idea → Step 1 (model) → 1–2 guided items → quick check → Step 2.
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Use “Say it Back”: students restate the step in Bangla or English to reduce ambiguity.
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Seat peer explainers at the ends of crowded benches; they whisper-walk others through steps while you circulate.
Try tomorrow: 8–10 minute “I do” worked example, then 3 “We do” items, then a 2-minute hinge question before independent practice.
2) Retrieval practice & spacing
Learn that… Spaced retrieval (remembering little and often over time) builds durable learning; cramming is brittle.
Learn how to… Plan a retrieval calendar (last lesson, last week, last month); begin lessons with short, no-stakes recall.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Do-Now 3–2–1 on scrap paper: 3 Qs from last lesson, 2 from last week, 1 from last month. Mark in 60 seconds with answer reveal.
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Keep offline retrieval decks (A6 slips or exercise-book “question banks”) for power-cut days.
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Align retrieval to board exam strands so recall habits feed exam success.
Try tomorrow: Create six mini-quizzes for the next three weeks; rotate them regardless of timetable disruptions.
3) Modelling, worked examples & fading scaffolds
Learn that… Well-sequenced modelling reduces cognitive load; worked examples accelerate novice learning; scaffolds must fade to build independence.
Learn how to… Think aloud; show the full process; provide partially completed examples; remove prompts over successive tasks.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Photograph your worked example and post to a WhatsApp class group—low bandwidth, high access.
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Use “fewer, better” examples that mirror local contexts (BD agriculture data in maths; Dhaka air-quality graphs in science).
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Fade to “no-help” final item each lesson; students annotate which prompt they no longer needed.
Try tomorrow: Two fully worked examples → two partially worked → two independent; collect the last two for a quick sample check.
4) Vocabulary, oracy & disciplinary language
Learn that… Oral language and vocabulary underpin comprehension in every subject; explicit teaching of high-utility and subject-specific terms boosts attainment.
Learn how to… Pre-teach 3–5 key terms; give examples/non-examples; insist on full-sentence responses; structure turn-and-talk.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Build bilingual word walls (English–Bangla) with visuals; keep a running “Say it better” sentence stem strip (e.g., “The data suggest…”, “Therefore…”).
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In mixed-language classes, pair a fluent English speaker with a Bangla-dominant peer for structured talk; rotate roles each week.
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Use quick choral responses to rehearse pronunciation before cold calling.
Try tomorrow: 90-second vocabulary routine—Frayer mini-boxes in exercise books for 3 target words.
5) Adaptive teaching for mixed attainment & SEND
Learn that… High expectations plus targeted support raise outcomes; labels don’t fix potential; adaptations should follow assessment of need, not assumptions.
Learn how to… Check prior knowledge; provide alternative representations; pre-teach key steps; design tasks with progressive challenge; use flexible grouping.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Plan multi-level tasks: A (core), B (challenge), C (extension). Everyone attempts A; some move up once secure.
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Use visual anchors (diagrams, timelines, manipulatives improvised from card/counters) for pupils who need concrete representations.
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Deploy peer tutors to rehearse instructions with a small group while you launch the main task.
Try tomorrow: 3-minute pre-teach huddle with 4–6 pupils before the main explanation.
6) Assessment for learning & actionable feedback
Learn that… Formative assessment guides next steps; feedback only works when it is specific, timely, and acted upon—grades alone don’t teach.
Learn how to… Use hinge questions mid-lesson; finish with an exit ticket; give short targets; build DIRT (Dedicated Improvement & Reflection Time) into the next lesson so pupils use the feedback.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Make no-tech mini-whiteboards: laminate A4 paper inside a plastic sleeve + dry-wipe marker; instant whole-class checks even in large rooms.
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Use “Two ticks & a target”: mark quickly, then students spend 5 minutes improving one answer while you circulate.
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Tie exit-ticket items to board-exam command words (“explain”, “evaluate”, “compare”) to grow exam literacy.
Try tomorrow: One hinge MCQ with distractors based on common misconceptions; change course if >40% pick the same wrong option.
7) Behaviour routines, relationships & attention
Learn that… Predictable routines and explicit teaching of behaviour dramatically reduce disruption; a sense of belonging supports motivation and effort.
Learn how to… Teach routines like you teach content; use least-intrusive corrections; narrate the positive; rebuild attention with short, well-timed active participation.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Establish an entry routine even in crowded rooms: “Books out, date and title, Do-Now started” within 90 seconds.
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Adopt an attention signal that travels in noise (e.g., clap-pattern, raised hand + countdown).
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Use seating plans that balance peer support and visibility in long, narrow classrooms.
Try tomorrow: Practise the entry routine twice—once for speed, once for perfect setup. Praise the micro-wins.
8) Professional behaviours: coaching, collaboration & workload
Learn that… Ongoing, practice-based professional development with coaching has the strongest impact on instruction and pupil outcomes.
Learn how to… Plan short deliberate-practice cycles: agree a tiny target (e.g., “cold call 6 times in 10 minutes”), rehearse it, try it, get feedback, repeat.
Bangladesh adaptations
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Form WhatsApp coaching triads (three teachers, three-week cycles): observe a 10-minute slice, voice-note feedback against one target, swap roles.
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Share common retrieval banks and model slides across departments to cut workload and raise consistency.
Try tomorrow: Pick one move from this post, tell a colleague, and ask them to watch you for five minutes. Tiny goal, fast feedback.
Pulling it all together in your context
The thread that runs through every pairing is simple: teach in ways that respect how learning actually works, then adapt the routines to your pupils, your subject, and your constraints. Whether you teach Grade 6 science in Rajshahi or Higher Secondary English in Dhaka, these moves scale: from no-tech to low-tech, from 25 to 70 students, from mixed-ability to exam-focused groups.
Where to go next with EBTD
If you’d like curated summaries, tools and ready-to-use templates mapped to the evidence above, browse our Research Hub (regularly updated with concise guides, planning tools and Bangladesh-specific exemplars). And when you’re ready to turn evidence into habit, explore The Integrated Teacher Development Award — a suite of practical modules built from this evidence base that helps you transform research into successful classroom practice. The Initial Teacher Training & Early Career Framework (ITTECF) can be found here.
