Masters of Change?

Abstract

This chapter reflects on the author's experiences as Director of the Master Trainers strand of the Bangladesh College Education Development Project, a World Bank-funded programme to upskill pedagogical skills of Bangladeshi college teachers. The chapter contextualises the project in terms of educational and economic challenges in Bangladesh and discusses the challenges and opportunities afforded by the model of professional development adopted. Although the programme is still in process, which precludes detailed programme impact analysis, three dimensions of the project are identified as promoting effective change in college education: teacher ownership of the initiative, master trainers' engagement in their masters studies, and attention to means to maximise large-scale change. It is argued that cohort delivery of a Master's degree is more economic than sending individuals overseas for post-graduate study. In addition, although issues of teacher ownership are complex, the chapter describes how participants were given opportunities to evaluate and implement their own priorities for change.