INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2

Government Primary School Teacher Training Needs for Inclusive
Education in Bangladesh

Md Abu Bakor Siddik
Hiroshima University

Norimune Kawai
Hiroshima University

To cite this article: Siddik, M. A. B., & Kawai, N. (2020).
Government primary school teacher training needs forinclusive education in Bangladesh. International Journal of
Whole Schooling, 16(2), 35-69.

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Government Primary School Teacher Training Needs for Inclusive
Education in Bangladesh

Abstract
Bangladesh adopted inclusive education for all government primary schools when it
implemented the National Education Policy 2010. However, Bangladesh continues to face
several challenges in implementing inclusive education, and low teaching quality remains asignificant issue in teaching children with special needs. To overcome this challenge,
Bangladesh is developing inclusive teacher education. The current study reviewed 25 studies
published in the last 15 years to compile and describe teachers’ needs for implementing
inclusive education in Bangladesh. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate
teachers’ training needs to implement inclusive education. This study also addressed thechallenges of limited teacher training resources and discussed the three critical components ofteacher training: professional learning, practice and engagement, and specific training content,such as involving children with special needs and collaborating with stakeholders including
students, parents, and local leaders. This study also found that government primary school
teachers need to be involved in long-term pre-service training. The result of this study can beused to develop a teacher training program for inclusive education in the future to fulfill
government primary school teachers’ training needs in Bangladesh. The findings of this study
suggest the in-service training for government primary school teachers be improved toprovide them teaching techniques for diverse students and collaboration skills withstakeholders in school communities to implement quality inclusive education.
Keywords: Bangladesh, inclusive education, children with special needs, teacher education.

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Introduction
In the era of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries around the world
require inclusive, equitable, and quality education (United Nations, 2015). As part of Goal 4,
to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all, Bangladesh has introduced inclusive education in all of its government
primary schools (GPSs). As a developing country, Bangladesh is also trying to realize theSDGs by implementing inclusive education. The Directorate of Primary Education (DPE)runs 66,540 primary schools (including GPSs, registered non-government primary schools,
non-government primary schools, and new nationalized primary schools) across Bangladesh(DPE, 2017).
Studies have established that Bangladesh continues to face numerous challenges in
implementing inclusive education at the primary education level. The major challenge isteachers’ abilities to teach children with special needs in regular classrooms (Ahsan, Tasnuba,
Akter, Islam, & Miah, 2016; Ahsan & Mullick, 2013; Avramidis & Norwich, 2002; Siddik &Kawai, 2018). This is due to insufficient human and structural resources, which is a common
issue for other developing countries as well (Ahsan & Mullick, 2013; Ajuwon, 2007; Azam,
2015; Barnamala, 2015; Charema, 2010; Lamichhane & Kawakatsu, 2015; Osborn, Cutter, &Ullah, 2015; Sharma, Forlin, Deppeler & Guang-Xue, 2013). To overcome this challenge,
Bangladesh has been developing inclusive teacher education since 2008 (Ahsan et al., 2013;
Ahsan et al., 2016).

Inclusive Education in Bangladesh
Bangladesh became a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.
It ratified Education for All (EFA) in the same year and implemented a new national law
called The Primary Education (Compulsory) Act, 1990, that made primary education37

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2
compulsory for all the children in Bangladesh. This law enforced the provision of education
for children with special needs but considered it social work, not an academic activity(Zaman, Khan, & Mahbub-ul-Alam, 2011). Furthermore, Bangladesh ratified the Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007. In 2008, Bangladesh
legislated a special law for persons with disabilities called the Persons with Disabilities
Rights and the Protection Act 2013 (Ministry of Social Welfare, 2013). Moreover, the new
National Education Policy 2010 includes a clear, mandatory directive on inclusive education
for children with mild and moderate disabilities (Ministry of Education, 2010). Therefore,
current GPSs have to include children with special needs from the school catchment area.

Inclusive Teacher Education in Developing Countries
Teacher preparation programs play a significant role in supporting inclusive education(Forlin & Hopewell, 2006; Sokal, 2012). One of the most significant challenges developing
countries encounter is the effective preparation teachers receive for implementing inclusive
education programs in their schools. If teachers want to become efficacious, inclusive
practitioners and understand and meet the needs of all learners, they need to receive theappropriate training on inclusive education (Forlin, Earle, Loreman, & Sharma, 2011;
Sharma, Loreman, & Forlin, 2011).
Teacher education systems are based on pre-service models in most countries(Sharma et al., 2013). They seek to develop new programs to form strong connections andcollaboration between training institutions and schools (Florian & Rouse, 2009). Even thoughsome countries have had teacher education systems since the 1980s, they are still ineffectivein improving teachers’ quality in inclusive education (Sharma et al., 2011; Sharma et al.,2013). In most jurisdictions, teachers continue to rate insufficient opportunities for training as
the key reason for finding inclusion too challenging to implement. According to Forlin (2012,38

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p. 4), “teacher education for inclusive education in most regions has been tokenistic at bestand non-existent at worse.”
Another critical issue in countries where inclusive education has been embraced
recently is the insufficient pre-service and in-service inclusive teacher training in professional
practice (Forlin, 2010a). According to Deppeler (2012, p. 132), “Quality teaching within
inclusive schools requires focused attention on improving the collective professional
knowledge and practices of teachers.” Therefore, teacher training reform for inclusive
education remains a challenge because, in Bangladesh, very few academics are engaged indeveloping appropriate curricula for inclusive education and employing suitable inclusive
pedagogies for children with special needs.

Inclusive Teaching Education in Bangladesh
The training system for GPS teachers in Bangladesh is mostly in-service. To becomea teacher, individuals do not need to join pre-service training or have pre-teaching experienceat school. After obtaining their teaching positions, they join a long-term training program for
18 months, where they acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of teaching. This training
program is the only mandatory long-term training opportunity for GPS teachers. In addition,some universities in Bangladesh offer a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree programs in
Education; however, those are not considered pre-service teacher training because thosedegrees do not provide any advantage to candidates for procuring teaching jobs in GPSs.
Even though the candidates have their Master’s degrees, it does not help them obtain better
positions in GPSs.
GPS teachers engage in a one and a half year-long regular pre-service training called
Diploma in Primary Education (DPEd). However, teachers can attend the course within three
years of their recruitment because of the heavy workload of the training centers, which serve

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a large teacher population (Ahsan et al., 2016; Quddus, 2007). It was observed that an
inaccessible environment, inadequate training, insufficient resources, absence of teachingmaterials, low confidence of teachers and staff, negative attitudes toward children withspecial needs, gender discrimination, prejudice, and a rigid teaching-learning process inassessment systems are common barriers in Bangladesh for including children with special
needs in the regular education system (Ahsan, 2006; Ahsan, Sharma & Deppeler, 2012b;
Ahsan et al., 2016). Therefore, implementing inclusive education in Bangladesh still has along way to go to achieve success. Initiatives are required to develop positive beliefs andattitudes in regular teachers toward inclusive education.
The students’ primary education curriculum in Bangladesh has not been updated since1995 and is not suitable for children with special needs because of the study content andevaluations (Ahsan, Deppeler, & Sharma, 2013; Ahsan & Sharma, 2018; Das, 2011).
Moreover, the primary school teacher education curriculum was initially revised in1988 and 1993, and the third revision was completed in 2001 (Ahsan & Mullick, 2013). After
2003, it was only in 2013 that significant changes were introduced in the teacher education
curriculum when Primary Teachers Training Institutes (PTIs) introduced DPEd. However, theDPEd program did not contain any inclusive education content at the beginning, though achapter related to inclusive education was added in 2015 (Ahsan et al., 2016).
The dropout rate in Bangladesh is still high (18.6%), and 53% of the students whodrop out of primary schools have some form of disability (Ahsan, Haq, Johora, & Siddik,
2013; Directorate of Primary Education [DPE], 2018). Regular school teachers are not very
confident about including children with special needs in their programs (Ahsan et al., 2016;
Forlin, Loreman, Sharma, & Earle, 2009; Kim, 2011). Several studies have identified theinadequate preparation of school teachers as a significant barrier to inclusive education(Ahsan, Sharma, & Deppeler, 2012a; Ahsan et al., 2013; Ahsan et al., 2013; Avramidis &40

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2
Norwich, 2002). Therefore, it is apparent that teacher education for inclusive education in
Bangladesh needs enhanced reformation to improve pre-service and in-service training
programs (Ahmmed, Sharma, & Deppeler, 2012; Ahsan et al., 2012a; Ahsan et al., 2013;
Ahsan et al., 2016).

Challenges of Implementing Inclusive Education in GPSs
The Ministry of Education (MoE) oversees the regular education system, whereas the
Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW) oversees the education of children with special needs.
Despite that, there has been little communication among MoE, MoSW, and schools. Due to thelimited communication among these ministries and schools, teachers and students with special
needs do not receive teaching materials or assistive devices on time (Das, 2011; Miles,
Fefoame, Mulligan, & Haque, 2012; Zaman et al., 2011). Linking MoE and MoSW’s programs
could resolve some of the resource mobilization challenges for children with special needs.
Besides having a collaborative program between specialized (special schools, government, andnon-governmental project schools) and regular schools, it may be fruitful for teachers to
involve children with special needs in regular schools.
Students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders do not appear to possess positive
attitudes toward children with special needs (Ahsan & Mullick, 2013; Hoque, Zohora, Islam,& Al-Ghefeili, 2013; Mullick, Deppeler, & Sharma, 2012). Likewise, the negative attitudes
of local leaders toward children with special needs can result in significant obstacles to theeffective implementation of inclusive education in regular classrooms. The positive aspects ofinclusion are to raise awareness of disability issues and educational needs systematically(Das, 2011). Malak (2013b) found that most of the pre-service teachers mentioned students
with special needs as “dull,” “unhappy,” and “strange,” which indicates a lack of knowledge
and a negative attitude. Ahmmed et al. (2012) reported that most of the parents of children

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without disabilities do not want their children to play with children with disabilities. Children
without disabilities may ridicule children with disabilities (Mullick et al., 2012). Sometimes
children with special needs are made into an object of ridicule and are often bullied by otherstudents (Das, 2011; Mullick et al., 2012, 2013).
Teachers, too, face many challenges with large-sized classrooms and the challenging
infrastructure of schools for children with special needs (Das, 2011). Specifically, teaching inlarge-sized classes is one of the biggest challenges in implementing inclusive education forteachers, which creates negative attitudes in teachers toward dealing with students withspecial needs (Forlin, 2010b).

Resources for Inclusive Education
The Bangladeshi government enacted the Bangladesh Persons with Disability Welfare
Act-2001 to ensure the rights of people with special needs. This law legally permitted

education for children with special needs in regular classrooms (Ministry of Social Welfare,2001). According to this act, mainstream schools are expected to include learners withdisabilities in their classrooms. In the history of education in Bangladesh, Persons with
Disabilities Welfare Act-2001 provided the first legal framework for ensuring the educationalrights of people with special needs (Ahsan et al., 2016). However, this act suggested asegregated educational setting for children with special needs, not an inclusive educationalsetting (Ahsan & Mullick, 2013).
GPS stakeholders such as school managing committees, parent-teacher committees,
Union Chairmen (local community leaders), and private donors to schools (i.e., local
businesspeople and wealthy people) should work together to implement inclusive education
successfully. These stakeholders express their positive attitudes toward implementing
inclusive education in Bangladesh, and their positive attitudes are a significant resource for42

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2
supporting inclusive education in GPSs (Ahmmed et al., 2012; Loreman, Deppeler, &Harvey, 2011).

Teacher Education for Inclusive Education
Teachers require adequate knowledge about children with special needs and need topossess specific skills to change their behavior toward children with diverse needs toimplement inclusive education (Avramidis & Norwich, 2002; Donnelly, 2010; Sokal, 2012;
Forlin & Sin, 2017). For example, Sokal (2012) mentioned conducting observations, recordkeeping, and situation analyses, as well as implementing strategies to teach students
effectively, identifying additional supports and resources, teamwork, appropriate
implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with special needs,
and understanding student diversity.
The European Union (Donnelly, 2010) emphasizes the following seven essential
components of teacher preparation programs in inclusive education based on theirexperiences in training teachers:
1) The teacher preparation program should include awareness of the diversity of learners
and social issues in their communities because the school is the point where different
people engage and meet. Teachers have a pivotal role in encouraging everyone toparticipate, regardless of race, social status, and disability.
2) Teachers need to know how to recognize individual differences and implement learning
strategies for all students.
3) Teachers need to know how to collaborate with other teachers and staff of the school toteach students with special needs. Additionally, teachers need to have a good
relationship with other stakeholders, including the school managing committee andguardians.

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4) Teacher education should be interpretative and comprise critical paradigms so thatteachers can understand their tasks and are prepared to do action research to develop
their tasks.
5) Teachers need to connect with other institutions outside their schools, such as otherneighborhood schools, to understand their educational skills and the support facilitiesof these schools.
6) Inclusive teachers should be cross-categorical or multi-tiered persons so that they cangather knowledge about the global and multicultural aspects of education andphilosophical approaches.
7) Teachers are required to learn from other experienced teachers who already know how
to teach diverse students within one class. Therefore, teachers need to improve theircollaboration skills.
Forlin and Sin (2017) stated four essential elements for teachers to make theirclassrooms inclusive: valuing learner diversity, supporting all learners, working with others,
and personal and professional development. According to Donnelly (2010), Sokal (2012), andForlin and Sin (2017), the essential elements for teachers to make their classrooms inclusive
are knowledge about students’ diversity and their teaching strategies, involving all students inin-class activities, and collaborating with all stakeholders of the school.

Study Objectives
This review summarizes the current situation of the implementation of inclusive
education in primary schools in Bangladesh. The overall project concerns inclusive teacher
education that will help teachers acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching
students with special needs in regular classrooms. This review focuses on teachers’ training
needs as they have been presented in previous studies in Bangladesh. This review also44

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2
includes quantitative and qualitative studies on inclusive teacher education in Bangladesh.
The findings will help to construct a practical teacher training manual on inclusive education.
The objective of this study is to explore the status of the GPS teacher education
program and teacher training needs of inclusive education for children with disabilities inregular classrooms in Bangladesh.

Research Questions
The following three research questions underpin the current research.
1) What are the training needs of GPS teachers for professional learning or
knowledge to implement inclusive education?
2) What are the training needs of GPS teachers for professional practice development
to implement inclusive education?
3) What are the training needs of GPS teachers for professional engagement
development to implement inclusive education?

Methods
The current study conducted a content document review, which is a research synthesisthat aims to integrate findings on a specific topic (Neuendorf, 2002). The scope and subject
were too narrow to conduct a systematic literature review (Petticrew & Roberts, 2006). The
current study was conducted by reviewing published peer-reviewed journal articles. The
selected articles were selected published study from 2005 to 2019. To locate relevant peerreviewed articles, the following databases were used: CiNii Articles, JAIRO (NII), Academic
Search Premier, EdLink, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Web of Science-Cross Search (ISI Ver.3.0),
Academic Search Complete, SCOPUS (Elsevier API), Primo Central (Ex Libris) Education
Full Text, and ERIC. Ninety-seven articles from the peer-reviewed journal were selected at45

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2
the primary selection for the current study. To search articles for the current study, different
keywords were used, such as Bangladesh, primary education, inclusive education, teachers'
education in different combinations. Eventually, among the 97 studies, 25 studies werereviewed for the current study. Those studies were reviewed by using thematic analysis, andthe themes emerged from the literature.

Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria applied in this review were as follows (Cooper, 2017):
1) Settings: studies had to be carried out in inclusive settings in regular schools orclassroom contexts in the primary education sector in Bangladesh.
2) Study methods: studies could be qualitative and quantitative as long as they wereconducted on inclusive education or teacher education for inclusive education.
3) Participants: studies had to be related to students/children with disabilities or
special needs. Although the meaning of disabilities and special needs are thesame, for the keyword, they were different.
4) School-level: studies that are related to GPSs. In Bangladesh, many private andpublic organizations are implementing inclusive education at the primaryeducation level. This study focuses on the literature related to GPSs only.
5) Timeframe: studies had to be published between January 2005 and March 2019.
The earliest study on inclusive education in Bangladesh was published in 2005,
and this study began in March 2019.
6) Publication status: studies had to be published in peer-reviewed journals.
7) Language: the authors of the reviewed studies could be from any country;
however, the studies had to be written in English. There is no peer-reviewed
journal on education in the Bengali language.

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Selection Procedure
This review followed the stages of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
and Meta-Analyses (Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, Altman, & The PRISMA Group, 2009).
Figure 1 describes the study selection process.
In the first scanning, 97 studies were selected by searching the databases related toinclusive education in Bangladesh. Eight studies had been included twice; the remaining 89
studies were selected in the first round. Figure 1 describes our selection and screening
procedures. Among the 89 studies, 35 studies were not related to inclusive education forchildren with special needs; therefore, those studies were not considered for this study. The
full-text article analysis eliminated 54 studies, which left 25 studies.

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Records identification through database searching(n=97)

Duplicates removed(n=8)

Records screened(n=89)

Records excluded(n=35)

Full text articles
assessed for
eligibility(n=54)

Full texts excluded(n=29)

Included

Eligibility

Screening

Identification

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2

Studies included insynthesis(n=25)

Figure 1. Flow chart of the selection procedure of studies with numbers of studies selected or
rejected (Moher et al., 2009).

Coding
The following key themes were created in line with the research questions from theliterature review: (i) professional learning/knowledge, (ii) professional practice, and (iii)48

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WHOLE SCHOOLING, Vol. 16, No. 2
professional engagement (Ahsan et al., 2016; Brennan, 2017; Campbell & Fyfe, 1995;
Dyson, Plunkett, & McCluskey, 2018; Lundqvist, 2016). The professional knowledge theme
consists of two sub-themes: a) content knowledge and pedagogy, and b) knowledge about
students’ learning and development (Dyson et al., 2018). The professional practice theme
consists of four sub-themes: a) skills and instructional strategies, b) classroom management,c) challenging environments and communication techniques, and d) curriculum and planning(Ahsan et al., 2013). Moreover, the professional engagement theme consists of two subthemes: a) active learning and reflective practice and b) professional relationships andmembership (Ahsan et al., 2016). Table 1 presents the themes and subthemes of the current
study to analyze the data, which was adopted by Dyson et al. (2018). The analytical findings
were presented according to those themes and subthemes what were emerged from theliterature review.

Table 1
Themes and Subthemes for Analyzing Data (Dyson et al., 2018)
ThemesProfessional
learning/knowledge
Professional practiceProfessional
engagement

SubthemesContent knowledge and pedagogy
Knowledge about students’ learning and development
Skills and instructional strategies
Classroom management
Challenging environment and communication techniques
Curriculum and planning
Active learning and reflective practiceProfessional relationships and membership
Findings and Discussion

Descriptive Findings
The selected 25 studies describe the training needs of GPS teachers about inclusive
education. Out of 25, 16 studies recommend both pre- and in-service training for teachers to49

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acquire appropriate knowledge and skills to implement inclusive education, ten suggested
pre-service training, and eight recommended in-service training. Table 2 indicates the studies
that suggest pre-service and in-service training for GPS teachers for inclusive education.

Table 2
Studies Promoting Pre- and In-service Training for GPS Teachers for Inclusive Education
Pre-service Training
Ahmmed & Mullick (2014)
Ahsan & Mullick (2013)
Ahsan, Sharma, & Deppeler (2012a)
Das (2011)
Hoque, Zohora, Islam, & Al-Ghefeili (2013)
Ahmmed, Sharma, & Deppeler (2012)
Malak (2013a)
Malak (2013b)
Ahsan, Sharma, & Deppeler (2013)
Ahsan, Sharma, & Deppeler (2012b)

In-service Training
Ahmmed & Mullick (2014)
Ahsan & Mullick (2013)
Ahsan, Sharma, & Deppeler (2012a)
Das (2011)
Hoque, Zohora, Islam, & Al-Ghefeili (2013)
Ahmmed, Sharma, & Deppeler (2012)
Malak (2013a)
Das & Ochiai (2012)

Though the studies listed in the left column of Table 2 suggest the importance of preservice training for GPS teachers, GPS teachers do not have the opportunity to undergo it
before acquiring their positions as teachers. Therefore, most GPS teachers join the teachingprofession without any training in education. Before 2015, GPS teachers used to receive a
one-year training called Certificate in Education (C-in-Ed) as a prerequisite training. From
2015, the Bangladesh government introduced a new prerequisite training for GPS teachers
called the DPEd, where GPS teachers received training for one and a half years, which
included six months of practice teaching. C-in-Ed and DPEd are the only long-term training
programs for GPS teachers; however, this training is not sufficient for GPS teachers tospecialize in any specific subject (Ahsan et al., 2016). Due to the insufficient training
provided, it is difficult for GPS teachers to acquire in-depth training on inclusive education.

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Analytical Findings
Professional learning/knowledge
Pedagogical content knowledge is unique to teachers because it is based on the way
teachers relate their pedagogical knowledge to their subject matter knowledge (Cochran et al.,
1991; Forlin, 2010b; Gess-Newsome & Lederman, 2002; Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Studies
recommend several knowledge components as important for GPS teachers to implement
inclusive education in their schools. These include the concept of inclusive education,
children with special needs, special education, and laws and acts about inclusive education
both in the national and international context (Ahmmed et al., 2014; Ahsan et al., 2013; Das& Ochiai, 2012; Kibria, 2005; Miles et al., 2012; Mullick et al., 2012).

Content knowledge and pedagogy about Inclusive Education. Several studies
established that teachers do not have adequate knowledge of inclusive education, such as thedefinition and context, laws, policies, and the target groups (Das & Ochiai, 2012; Miles et al.,2012; Mullick et al., 2012). Ahmmed et al. (2014) and Hoque et al. (2013) found that
although teachers are interested in inclusive education, they do not have a broad enoughscope of knowledge about it. Mullick et al. (2012) observed that not only teachers but local
leaders (e.g., school management committee, school donors, local union chairpersons) andeducation officers also have limited knowledge of inclusive education.
Several studies indicated that teachers are relatively unaware of national andinternational education policies (Mullick et al., 2012). Das and Ochial (2012, p. 7) stated,“GPS teachers do not know about the national education policy and other policies related toinclusive education.” GPS teachers have a shortage of knowledge about the national
education system and policy, and they have limited knowledge about the policies forinclusive education. This shortage of knowledge is making GPS teachers reluctant to include

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children with special needs in regular classrooms (Das, 2011; Hoque et al., 2013; Mullick etal., 2013; Šiška & Habib, 2013).
GPS teachers often have a misconception about inclusive education since they regard
inclusive education as education for children with special needs (Ahsan et al., 2012a). They
consider children with special needs as children with severe disabilities (Ahsan et al., 2012a,
p. 252). Most of the studies found that GPS teachers do not have a clear understanding ofinclusive education or diversity (Ahmmed et al., 2012; Das, 2011; Khan, 2011; Miles et al.,2012). Those studies recommended enhancing the knowledge of teachers on disabilities andinclusive education.
Several studies indicated that teachers are not very aware of gender issues (Ahmmed& Mullick, 2014; Ahsan et al., 2013; Kibria, 2005). Gender discrimination has become achallenge in implementing inclusive education because of the physical attributes of humanbeings. Teachers need to learn about gender issues from both the physical and social
perspectives to implement the correct methods and techniques to teach children with diverse
needs.
The above findings support Forlin and Sin’s (2017) recommendation; they also
recommend that teachers required a clear concept of inclusive education. Bangladesh’s
government clarifies inclusive education in the Primary Education Development Program-II(PEDP-II) and the National Education Policy 2010. Teachers need to understand inclusive
education according to the PEDP-II and the National Education Policy 2010 (Ahsan &Mullick, 2013). Teachers also need to be aware of the target groups of inclusive education as
the government specifies four such target groups in the PEDP-II report. The target groups arechildren with special needs, girls, children from ethnic communities, and children who are
disadvantaged due to socioeconomic reasons (Ahsan & Mullick, 2013). GPS teachers in
Bangladesh are required to know about these four target groups.

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Bangladesh is a developing country, and international organizations are involved indeveloping the teacher education system in the country (Ahsan et al., 2016; Malak et al.,2013; UNICEF, 2014). GPS teachers need to be aware of both international and local laws
and acts on children’s rights to education, including inclusive education, because Bangladesh
shaped its educational policy structures based on the global framework (e.g., EFA, UNCRPD,
SDGs) (Enamul et al., 2013; Malak, 2013b; Miles et al., 2012).

Knowledge about students’ learning and development. According to the PEDP-II,
the target group for inclusive education in Bangladesh is not limited to students withdisabilities. It also includes children with special needs, children who are impoverished,ethnic minority children, and those children who have experienced gender discrimination(Ahsan et al., 2016). The GPS teachers should have the opportunity to acquire knowledge
about the process of reaching target groups, as mentioned in the PEDP-II (Ahsan et al.,2012b). Inclusive education provides education for all children, regardless of social,economic, and individual barriers (UNESCO, 1994).

Knowledge about disabilities and children with special and individual needs.
Some studies explained that GPS teachers remain uncertain about the concepts of children
with special needs or disabilities (Das & Ochiai, 2012; Khan, 2011; Kibria, 2005; Mullick etal., 2012). Ahsan et al. (2012a) noted that GPS teachers thought the definition of inclusive
education is the education of children with disabilities and that teachers were concerned that“children with special needs” meant severe disabilities. Some teachers have a negative
concept of disabilities and believe they are the result of evil deeds (Ahsan et al., 2013).
According to the above findings, GPS teachers need to know about disabilities andchildren with special needs. Studies find that people in Bangladesh, including GPS teachers,

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still have a misconception about disabilities (Das, 2011; Malak, 2013b). People withdisabilities are seen as a curse, and some teachers consider them as untouchables orcontagious, and so, they do not accept disabilities positively. GPS teachers’ social status ishigh, and people are accustomed to following them as local leaders, especially in villages. As
such, teachers may assist in removing misconceptions about disabilities from society.
Therefore, knowledge about disabilities and children with special needs will create a positive
attitude in GPS teachers, and which can also help to create their positive attitudes towards
students with special needs and parents who have children with special needs.

Professional PracticeThe skills of instructional strategies. Most GPS teachers do not have any teachingexperience to teach children with special needs. Ahsan et al. (2012b) found that 50.4% ofteachers had significant interaction with people with disabilities, but only 5.1% had teachingexperience in teaching children with disabilities. Having contact with persons withdisabilities has a positive impact on teaching in inclusive classrooms (Ahsan, 2006). Studies(Ahmmed et al., 2012, 2014; Ahmmed & Mullick, 2014; Ahsan et al., 2012a; Ahsan et al.,2013; Ahsan & Mullick, 2013; Das & Ochiai, 2012; Hoque et al., 2013; Malak, 2013a,
2013b; Mullick et al., 2012) recommended teacher training on instructional strategies forchildren with special needs. In DPEd training, teachers receive an internship practicalteaching program in their own schools.
Therefore, if there are children with special needs in their schools, they can practicethe theory they have learned; however, if they do not have any children with special needs intheir school, then they have fewer chances to gain practical experience in teaching children
with special needs. In this case, GPS teachers can gain their teaching experience in special

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schools to develop their skills for children with special needs by participating in the one-week
to the one-month by an internship teaching program.

Classroom management. Large classes were considered particularly
disadvantageous to students who were new to schooling (e.g., indigenous children, children
living in urban slums or the street, refugee children, or children from very low-income
families) (Mullick et al., 2012). Most of the studies noted that large classes are a big problem
for teachers (Das & Ochiai, 2012; Enamul et al., 2013; Khan, 2011; Kibria, 2005; Malak,2013a; Malak, 2013b; Mullick et al., 2012). Due to the extra pressure that results from a large
number of students, some teachers also recommend special schools for students with special
needs (Malak, 2013b). Malak (2013a) indicated that teachers were concerned about a few
issues of inclusive education, for instance, the extra workload, large class sizes, andinterruption of the regular students’ progress due to the presence of students with special
needs.
In Bangladesh, there is a shortage of GPSs; as such, the available ones have to teachmany learners in one classroom. Teaching many learners in one classroom poses a challenge
because teachers are unable to include those with special needs. Therefore, GPS teachers are
required to acquire knowledge and skills in peer-teaching and group work to manage largesized classes.

Managing challenging environments and alternative communication techniques.
Mullick et al. (2012) stated that GPS teachers need to know how they can gather local
resources and use them. Physical access has been a significant challenge for children withdisabilities from the beginning of the implementation of inclusive education (Ahsan, Haq, et55

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al., 2013; Kibria, 2005). Teachers need to know how they can modify their schools forchildren with disabilities.
GPS teachers have a heavy workload, and they are required to include children withspecial needs in their classrooms (Malak, 2013a, 2013b; Mullick et al., 2012). This
combination leads to stress (Ahsan et al., 2012b). In Bangladesh, GPS teachers do not have
any teaching assistants (Khan, 2011; Malak, 2013a, 2013b). Therefore, teachers have tocontrol large classes and are unable to provide individual attention to students in the class.
Hence, they need the training to acquire skills in collaboration with various stakeholders(school counselors, OTs, educational psychologists, parents) and to implement inclusive
education. GPS teachers also face challenges in including children with special needs,
especially children with behavioral challenges, and GPS teachers’ training in inclusive
education does not provide them information on how they can work with children withspecial needs behavior in the classroom (Ahsan et al., 2016). Therefore, teachers continue toface those challenges. In this case, GPS teachers need to acquire skills for alternative
communication and the strategy to control students.

Curriculum and planning. Primary schools in Bangladesh follow the national
curriculum. Moreover, all schools use the same books. When children with special needs
enter GPSs, their teachers find it difficult to use the same books and lesson plans for all theirstudents because their abilities and requirements differ. Studies found that GPS teachers do
not know how to modify their lessons or their evaluations for children with special needs(Ahmmed et al., 2012; Ahsan et al., 2013; Ahsan & Mullick, 2013; Ahsan et al., 2012a;
Kibria, 2005; Malak, 2013a; Zaman et al., 2011). They suggested that since children withspecial needs require revised lessons and assessments, GPS teachers need to know how they
can modify their lessons and evaluations for these children.

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The primary education sub-sector in Bangladesh follows a national curriculum
implemented in the whole country. Therefore, GPS teachers do not have the authority tomodify the curriculum or adapt it to teach diverse learners with various needs. GPS teachers
do not have enough knowledge about the development and implementation of IEP (Ahsan &Sharma, 2018). Ahsan et al. (2016) found that there is no content on the development andimplementation of IEP in the prerequisite and in-service training for GPS teachers. Sokal(2012) and Forlin and Sin (2017) stated that an inclusive teacher needs to know how todevelop and implement IEP for children with special needs in an inclusive classroom.

Professional Engagement
Active learning and reflective practice. Ahsan (2012a) found that 49.6% of GPSteachers do not have any experience meeting children with special needs during their training
or before joining their schools, and this finding supports the result of previous studies (Das &Ochiai, 2012; Kibria, 2005). Mullick et al. (2012) noted that the teachers who received
prerequisite training believe it was necessary to include the contents on special educational
needs in the program.
Studies found that teachers who have previous experience working with children or
persons with special needs prefer working with these children than those who have noexperience working with them (Ahsan et al., 2013). GPS teachers can be involved in a shortterm practice in special schools to develop their knowledge and skills in teaching children
with special needs. Sokal (2012), Forlin and Sin (2017), and Donnelly (2010) stated that an
inclusive teacher needs to know how to work around their challenges to make their classroom
more inclusive. Therefore, those studies keep enforcing the implementation of action research
for inclusive teachers. GPS teachers need to know how they can participate in action

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research, keep their records, analyze, and implement new ideas to include all learners in theirclasses.

Professional relationship and membership. Collaboration among teachers and withschools’ stakeholders is an important requirement for GPS teachers to implement inclusive
education. This collaboration should happen not only among teachers, but also with otherstakeholders such as students, parents, and local leaders of the schools.
In Bangladesh, GPSs recruit teachers who are not specialized in any subject. After
having obtained the positions, GPS teachers receive some in-service training. Most of thetime, GPS teachers cannot join the training in time because of insufficient resources in the
PTIs, and the training can be delayed for two to five years. After the DPEd training, theyreceive some specialized training based on the GPS teachers’ interests. Some GPSs have a
few teachers trained in inclusive education, but some do not as well.
Moreover, GPSs with trained teachers on inclusive education needs to help
neighborhood schools where there are no trained teachers. Therefore, GPS teachers need toprepare for collaboration among neighboring schools to implement inclusive education. As
per the National Education Policy 2010, GPS teachers must include children with special
needs in their educational practices, and thus, GPS teachers need to collaborate by teaching
all children in their classrooms. Several studies found that GPS teachers were not familiar
with collaboration to implement inclusive education, and these studies suggested that
Bangladeshi GPS teachers were required to know how to do so (Ahsan & Mullick, 2013;
Ahsan 2012; Malak, 2013a).
Mullick et al. (2012, p. 7) stated, “Students with disabilities often became the objectof entertainment and were bullied by other students.” Collaboration between students withand without special needs is vital for implementing inclusive education in GPSs. Studies

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found that students without special needs play a vital role in involving children with special
needs in regular classrooms (Ahmmed et al., 2012; Ahmmed & Mullick, 2014; Ahsan et al.,2012a; Das & Ochiai, 2012; Hoque et al., 2013; Malak, 2013a; Mullick et al., 2012; Zaman etal., 2011). Some students are motivated and are always trying to help children with special
needs, while other students have a negative attitude toward students with special needs.
Mullick et al. (2012) and Ahsan et al. (2012b) suggested that collaboration between children
with and without special needs is essential for implementing inclusive education, andteachers must take responsibility for the collaboration. Teachers need to become theconnection between children with and without special needs. The above studies found that
GPS teachers have limited ideas regarding establishing cooperation between children withand without special needs.
Studies also found that most of the parents of children without special needs have anegative concept of disabilities (Ahmmed et al., 2012; Ahmmed & Mullick, 2014; Ahsan &Mullick, 2013; Das, 2011; Hoque et al., 2013; Mullick et al., 2012) and have negative
attitudes toward including children with special needs in regular classrooms (Ahmmed &Mullick, 2014; Mullick et al., 2012). Those parents do not want their children to interact withchildren with special needs. Therefore, teachers need to remove the negative concepts ofdisabilities from parents of children without disabilities and encourage them (parents ofchildren without disabilities) to allow their children to help children with special needs.
However, a couple of studies (Ahmmed et al., 2012, 2014) found that a few parents ofchildren without special needs expressed interest and willingness to work with children withspecial needs and help teachers to implement inclusive education.
Teachers do not only play the role to connect students in schools and classrooms, butthey also work to bridge the gap among the school stakeholders such as students, parents, andlocal leaders. Local leaders and education officials play a significant role in developing

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teachers’ professional skills (Mullick et al., 2013). Several studies have found that local
leaders and education officers influenced teachers’ professional skills (Ahsan, Haq, et al.,2013; Mullick, 2013; Mullick et al., 2012, 2013). Moreover, local leaders help to shape thephysical development of schools through fundraising. Effective communication helps people
to express thoughts, assist in building relationships, and enhance practical problem solving(Sharma, 2011).
Collaboration is vital to implement inclusive education. Collaborations between
teachers and teachers, teachers and students, teachers and parents, teachers and local leaders,
and teachers and education officers are particularly important to implement inclusive
education (Loreman et al., 2011). Forlin and Sin (2017) also mentioned that teachers need theskills to work with school stakeholders and need to possess excellent communication skills.
Sokal (2012) also suggested that teachers need to have the ability to communicate andcollaborate with parents and other stakeholders of schools. In this case, GPS teachers are
required to develop their communication skills to involve themselves as effective
communicators inside and outside school. Moreover, parents of children without special
needs have a negative attitude toward children with special needs (Mullick et al., 2012).
Therefore, GPS teachers need to possess the skills to change the attitude of parents ofchildren without special needs.
According to the above analytical findings, from the perspective of Bangladesh, GPSteachers' training needs for inclusive education can be classified based on the issues related toprofessional knowledge, professional practice & professional engagement. The professional
knowledge segment focuses on content knowledge, and pedagogy about inclusive education,knowledge about students' learning and development, and knowledge about disabilities andissues related to children with special and individual needs. The professional skills segment
represents skills of instructional strategies, classroom management, challenging managing

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environments, and alternative communication techniques and issues related to curriculum andplanning. Professional engagement represents issues related to active learning and reflective
practice and issues related to professional relationships and membership.

Recommendations and Scope for Future Studies
Ahsan et al. (2016) found that GPS teachers receive just 4.5 hours of course time on
inclusive education, which is not enough to learn how to teach children with disabilities in a
regular education system. Under these circumstances, it is essential to provide extensive inservice and pre-service training for existing and new teachers. Future studies should bedesigned to explore what kinds of in-service training programs are the most valuable,
convenient, and effective for GPS teachers and how these programs should be implemented
for them.

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