Assessing the Effectiveness of Essential Components of Enabling Teachers (Bangladesh, 2026)

Persistent learning gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy, exacerbated by systemic constraints and post-pandemic disruptions, continue to challenge primary education in Bangladesh. This study assessed the effectiveness of the Empowering Children through Education (ECE) project’s Enabling Teachers approach, which aims to improve student learning outcomes by strengthening teacher capacity, motivation, wellbeing, and system support for remedial learning.

Using a quasi-experimental mixed-methods design, the assessment drew on student learning assessments, teacher and parent surveys, classroom observations, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions conducted across intervention and comparison upazilas. Findings indicate that the project successfully strengthened teachers’ ability to organize and deliver remedial learning, institutionalized structured remedial practices within schools, and improved teacher motivation and community engagement. Student assessments showed that most learners achieved proficiency in foundational literacy and numeracy; however, challenges remained in higher-order literacy, writing, mathematical reasoning, and conceptual problem-solving, particularly in upper primary grades and more disadvantaged contexts. The study identified structured remedial materials, dedicated instructional time, Teacher Learning Circles, and ongoing mentoring support as the most effective intervention components.

These findings demonstrate that a system-aligned, low-cost model centered on enabling teachers can contribute meaningfully to learning recovery and foundational learning improvement. The study further highlights the model’s potential for scale and sustainability through integration into government education systems, provided that remedial learning, teacher support mechanisms, and mentoring functions are formally institutionalized.