The untaught skill of teaching in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, university teaching is often seen as a natural extension of academic brilliance. A high-achieving student becomes a lecturer, and it is assumed that their subject knowledge will automatically translate into effective teaching. But this assumption is deeply flawed. Teaching is not just about possessing knowledge; it is about facilitating learning, which requires development. This became clearer to me after participating in a six-week programme at the University of Glasgow designed to help academics grow as teachers. The programme explores questions such as: how does learning work? How do academics develop as teachers? What do the top university teachers do?

Two influential models—Peter Kugel's five stages (1993) and Gerlese Akerlind's five approaches (2007) to teaching development—offer valuable insights into this journey. Though developed independently, these models align remarkably well and together provide a powerful framework for understanding how academics evolve from novice lecturers to transformative professors.

At the beginning of this journey, Kugel describes the "Self" stage, where the teacher is focused on survival—designing courses, preparing lectures, and managing classrooms. Akerlind's corresponding approach is "Content Familiarity," where confidence comes from mastering the subject matter. This is where Bangladeshi lecturers begin, and unfortunately, where many remain.

Kugel's second stage, "Subject," is where teachers become fluent in delivering content. Akerlind calls this "Practical Experience." Teaching is still teacher-centred, and learning is passive. This is the dominant mode in most Bangladeshi universities, where lectures are the norm and student engagement is minimal.

The third stage marks a turning point. Teachers begin to notice that students are not all the same; they learn, think and respond differently. Kugel calls this "Student as Receptive," and Akerlind's parallel is "Strategy," where teachers start experimenting with varied methods. This shift from "What am I saying?" to "What are they hearing?" is critical but rarely supported in our institutions.

In the fourth stage, the teacher becomes a facilitator. Kugel describes this as "Student as Active," and Akerlind calls it "Effectiveness for Teacher." Here, student feedback, self-reflection, and peer input become tools for development. This stage is almost absent in Bangladesh, where teaching is rarely evaluated, and reflection is not institutionalised. However, this stage is not without its limitations. Without a focus on concrete learning outcomes, teachers are seen as experts who must "deliver" knowledge, not as coaches who guide students to discover it themselves.

The final stage is the most transformative. Kugel's "Student as Independent" aligns with Akerlind's "Effectiveness for Students." The teacher empowers students to take control of their learning, encouraging them to explore beyond the syllabus, even into areas the teacher may not have mastered. This is where true learning happens. This shift from teacher-comfort to student-learning-outcomes marks a profound transformation in teaching philosophy. It requires academics to move beyond satisfaction surveys and embrace the ultimate indicator of learning outcomes.

One of the biggest barriers to achieving the final stage is cultural resistance. In many institutions, the teacher is seen as the unquestioned authority. Student-centred learning is still viewed with suspicion; their feedback is too often dismissed. Ultimately, education must be judged not by how well it is delivered, but by what it enables students to achieve. Defining a clear threshold or benchmark for successful learning outcomes might not be an easy task. Yet, without an honest attempt to articulate and assess these outcomes, we risk perpetuating a system that values tradition over transformation.

But the problem runs deeper in Bangladesh. Students, from their first year of university, often shift their focus from academic learning to government job preparation. Coaching centres flourish, offering shortcuts to success in a system where memorisation is rewarded more than creativity. As a result, academic study is devalued. Even meritorious and well-trained professors find themselves teaching half-engaged classrooms. This disconnect is compounded by politicised teacher recruitment. Appointments are often based on political loyalty rather than academic merit. Many teachers are neither encouraged nor equipped to go through the developmental stages described by Kugel and Akerlind. Subsequently, students do not demand quality teaching, and teachers do not feel compelled or empowered to provide it.

Adding to this crisis is the unregulated expansion of universities and educational institutions. While access to higher education has increased, quality assurance has not kept pace. Many institutions were established without ensuring qualified teachers or adequate infrastructure. This rapid expansion has also made political considerations more entrenched in faculty recruitment and institutional governance. In such a landscape, the space for pedagogical innovation and reflective teaching has shrunk even further.

To break this cycle, we must normalise developing teaching. Pedagogical training should be embedded in academics' lives—not treated as optional, but as a professional obligation. Universities must celebrate teaching excellence over research output. Most importantly, teaching development must be linked to career progression. When promotions and recognition depend on teaching quality, faculty will have a reason to engage.

Structured teaching development can transform one's approach and offer not just a roadmap for development, but a mirror to reflect on our own teaching journeys. We can continue with outdated models of teaching, or we can embrace a future where academics are supported to grow as teachers.

Altaf Russell is a PhD researcher of economics at University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom. He can be reached at [email protected].

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

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