An Article on: Recognising and Engaging Diverse Creativity and Ability in Primary Classrooms in Bangladesh

Recognising and Engaging Diverse Creativity and Ability in Primary Classrooms in Bangladesh

By Sakil Imtsn Nirjhor 1

Director (Training and Development, EduAid – Education Development Centre

Founder and Director CHOLO (Citizens for Humanity, Opportunity, Leadership & Outreach)

Abstract

Kids in school have a lot of creativity and talent. They like to express themselves in ways, such as music, dance, talking, being a leader and thinking carefully. Some kids are really good at music while others are great at dance. Kids in school like to talk and share their ideas. They also like to be leaders and think about things.

In Bangladesh teachers usually teach in this way. Teachers in Bangladesh focus on writing things down and using textbooks. They do not really encourage kids to express themselves in ways, such as music or dance. Kids in school in Bangladesh mostly write things down. Read from textbooks.

This article is about helping kids with talents learn together in their class. We thought about what experts said, like how kids learn and that kids are smart in their own ways. We also found out what other countries are doing to help kids with talents. Then we used this information to come up with a plan that will work for all the kids. The main thing we are thinking about is schools in Bangladesh that do not have a lot of things they need. We talk about the things that limit what we know, the problems we face in this context and what we still need to learn about schools in Bangladesh. We think about what this means for what happens in the classroom at schools in Bangladesh, how we train teachers for primary schools in Bangladesh, how we can make assessments better at primary schools in Bangladesh and what we should research next about primary schools in Bangladesh.

Keyword: Inclusive classroom pedagogy, Learner diversity, Multiple intelligences, Differentiated instruction, Creativity-based learning, Constructivist education, Alternative assessment, Primary education in Bangladesh, Equity in learning outcomes

1. Introduction: 

Kids come into classrooms with things they have been through things they like and ways of thinking about the world. This is not a coincidence. It is because kids are all different, in how they’re made, the families they come from, the things they learned at home and the things they did before they started school. Schools need to deal with these differences by trying to make all the kids the same.. In many countries, including Bangladesh, where people do not have a lot of money, classrooms are still set up so that the teacher teaches everything the same way and all the kids are tested in the same way.

In schools in Bangladesh people think you are doing well if you can remember things from your book and say them back. If you are good at singing or dancing or putting on a show or if you are a leader or can talk about things in a smart way you do not always get the recognition you deserve. Because of this a lot of kids get bored. People think they are not smart or they do not get to be a part of things that’re important. This is a problem because schools in Bangladesh are not set up for kids who learn in ways. Education in Bangladesh should be fair and good, for everyone. This is not happening.

This article is trying to answer one important question about:

To make classroom learning in Bangladesh really work for kids we need to think about how to get them excited about learning. We have to find ways to include all sorts of activities and ideas that can help children with different abilities. We should look at what has been proven to work and use ideas that are based on theories. This way we can make sure that classroom learning in Bangladesh is fun and helpful for all the children no matter what they are good at or how they like to learn. We have to use approaches that are based on evidence and theory to help children in Bangladesh learn in a classroom setting. Classroom learning in Bangladesh should be designed to engage children with forms of creativity and ability.

This article does not suggest a curriculum or expensive changes. Instead it presents an idea that works with what we already have. The article looks at what other countries have done and what works for them then thinks about how this can apply to classrooms in Bangladesh. It uses information that already exists and real life experiences to understand what is going on in Bangladeshi classrooms. The article uses a way of looking at things and it knows that some types of evidence may not be very helpful in this situation.

2. Conceptual Clarification: Creativity, Ability, and Learning

2.1 Defining Creativity and Ability

People often think that creativity is about being good at art.. That is not what it is. Creativity is really about being able to come up with ideas, show what you know and find solutions to problems in different ways. When we talk about ability we are talking about what a learner’s capable of doing and what they can actually do well. This includes lots of areas, like thinking, social skills, feelings and physical things.

We know that what people can do is not one thing. It depends on the situation they’re in. Just because someone is good at one thing does not mean they will be good at something. That is why it is not right to say that a kid is smart or not smart based on one thing. We have to look at all the things that kids can do. Ability is a word that means what people can do. Ability is multidimensional which means it has parts.

• Kids can be good at music
• Kids can be good at sports
• Kids can be good, at school work

So we should not say that kids are smart or not smart. We should say that kids have abilities. Ability is context-dependent which means it depends on the situation. That is why we should look at all the things that kids can do, not one thing.

2.2 Diversity as a Norm, Not an Exception

People who study how we learn and grow have found that everyone learns at their pace and in their own way. This is a normal part of being human. So when we have classrooms where everyone is expected to do the thing that is a choice we make, not something that has to be that way. The problem is that when we build systems for the learner we are leaving out a lot of children. Developmental psychology shows us that this variation in learning pace and expression is normal. Developmental psychology tells us that kids are all different and that is okay. When we design classrooms and systems for the learner many kids are left out and that is not fair to them.

In Bangladesh people are different because of the language they speak, how much money they have, what they eat, if they have a disability and what is expected of men and women. So when we think about helping people be creative and use their talents Bangladesh needs to make sure it is fair to everyone no matter what their situation is. The framework for helping people be creative and use their ability in Bangladesh must consider the fact that some people have more opportunities than others because of things like poverty and gender norms, in Bangladesh.

3. Theoretical Foundations

3.1 Theory of Multiple Intelligences

The idea of intelligence, which was thought of by Howard Gardner goes against the thought that there is only one kind of intelligence that can be measured. This idea of intelligence finds many areas where people can be smart like being good with words, music using their bodies, getting along with others and figuring things out logically. The theory of intelligence is really about these different areas, like linguistic abilities, musical abilities, bodily-kinaesthetic abilities, interpersonal abilities and logical reasoning abilities.

The theory of education has been looked at closely. Some people think it is not perfect because it has not been tested enough.. It is still very important in schools because it helps teachers teach. The theory gives teachers a way to talk about what students are good at and to create different lessons for them. What is really important about the theory of education is that it does not say people are stuck in one way of learning. The theory of education says people can learn and grow depending on what’s around them and the theory of education helps teachers understand this.

3.2 Constructivist Learning Theory

The constructivist theory sees learning as something that people do for themselves. People learn by doing things and talking to others. The constructivist theory is, about the constructivist theory being an active thing.

People who are learning are not just sitting there doing nothing. They are doing stuff. That is how they learn.

The constructivist theory says that people make their meaning. They do this by talking to people thinking about things and then doing things. This is how people learn according to the theory.

The way Vygotskian perspectives see it, learning is a thing. When students interact with each other and get help from teachers and use language these things are really important. The idea of perspectives is that students learn from each other. This is good for classrooms where students work in groups and help each other with problems like in classrooms, in Bangladesh where Vygotskian perspectives can be really helpful.

3.3 Sociocultural Perspectives

Learning is really shaped by the culture we’re in, the language we speak and the power relations that exist. For example in Bangladesh people have a lot of respect for authority. They really focus on doing well on exams and they have to deal with time constraints. So when we think about how people learn we have to consider these things. Learning in Bangladesh is influenced by respect for authority, exam orientation and time constraints, which can affect how students and teachers interact in the classroom. We cannot just take ideas about learning from places and use them in Bangladesh without thinking carefully about how they will work. Any idea about learning must be thought about critically. We should not just use it without thinking because it may not work well in our own context like Bangladesh.

4. Review of Evidence

4.1 Global Evidence

People who study education around the world have found that teaching methods that are tailored to students and focus on what the students want to learn really work. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or OECD for short has done reviews that show when teachers use ways of teaching students are more likely to participate in class. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO says that creativity is an important part of getting an education that will prepare students for the future. International research like this shows that differentiated instruction and learner-centred pedagogy are key to keeping students engaged and motivated.

The arts are really good for kids because they help them feel more confident and like they belong in the classroom. When kids do sports and run around it helps them pay attention and get along with others. If kids get to be leaders they become better at talking to people. Working together. The arts are great for building self-confidence. The kids really feel like they are part of the classroom.

The thing is, most of the evidence from around the world is based on things that happen together. We do not have experiments where people are chosen by chance, which is a problem, especially in places where people do not have a lot of money. So we cannot be sure that what works in one place will work in another place especially when it comes to evidence and cultural things, like that and global evidence is really important here.

4.2 Evidence from South Asia and Bangladesh

In South Asia we see that kids do well when they get to participate in learning activities. For example in Bangladesh some organizations have started doing group work and telling stories to help kids learn. They also have kids perform what they have learned. This seems to be working because more kids are coming to school and they are actually paying attention in class. The learning activities are really helping the kids, in Bangladesh and all of South Asia.

Education Watch reports have shown that what the curriculum is supposed to do and what actually happens in the classroom are not the same. The country says it wants schools to teach kids to be creative. Education Watch reports say that the way teachers are teaching is still pretty limited because of the way kids are tested. Education Watch reports are talking about the issue.

There are gaps in the evidence. We do not have studies that are done over a long period of time and reviewed by other experts. The things we do know about are often based on studies that just describe what is happening.

5. Current Classroom Practices in Bangladesh

5.1 Instructional Uniformity

In Bangladesh the way things are taught in a classroom is mostly based on textbooks. Teachers tend to follow the lesson plans closely because they are being monitored and there is a lot of pressure to do well on exams. When it comes to classroom instruction in Bangladesh, teachers usually do not like to try things because they think it is safer to stick with what they know. Classroom instruction in Bangladesh is pretty standard. Does not often change.

Big classes make it really hard for students to try things. Teachers focus on keeping everyone in line and making sure all the work gets done rather than letting students explore and learn in their own way. This is really bad for things like science class, where experimentation’s a big part of the learning process and it is especially bad for classes like art, where students need to be able to express themselves and try new things like the science class and the art class, where experimentation and exploration are key, to the students learning experience.

5.2 Assessment Practices

The way we assess people is mostly done with written tests. You do not often see tests or tests where people have to do something to show what they can do. People also do not often work together to complete a test. Because of this the way we learn is very limited. The thing that suffers the most is creativity. Learning and assessment are defined by written tests. Assessment is about written tests. This means that people who are good at writing tests do well but creativity in learning and assessment is not very important.

Kids who are really good at talking or sports and things like that do not always do well on written tests. This means they might be put into the group. Children with oral abilities like being able to talk well or physical abilities like being good at sports often do poorly on written tests, which can lead to them being misclassified as not being as smart as they really are.

6. Methodological Orientation of This Article

This article looks at things from a picture perspective and uses a straightforward approach to understand the information. It uses existing information from sources like research papers, government reports and official national documents. The information from these Social Policy Reports and national documents is then looked at to find themes. The article is about the national documents and how they are used to find these themes, in the Social Policy Reports and research papers.

No primary data is collected here. The goal of this is not to prove something is true because of something but to understand the idea clearly and see if it can actually work. This way of doing things makes sense because we do not have a lot of data to look at in Bangladesh.

7. A Conceptual Framework for Engaging Diverse Abilities

The framework they are talking about is based on four parts that are all connected to each other. These four parts are, like the foundation of the framework. The framework is built on these four parts, which work together. The four main parts of the framework are what hold it up.

7.1 Ability Recognition through Observation

Teachers watch the children when they are doing things. They look for things the children’re good at like expressing themselves working together moving around or thinking things through.

They make a note of these things in a way. This way the children do not feel like they are being labelled or that they have to do a test. The teachers just want to see what the children can do like how they can express themselves or work with others and they want to do this without putting any pressure on the children.

We are always. It is an ongoing thing. The main goal of observation is to help with teaching and learning, not to compare people. Observation is continuous, rather than something that happens in short episodes. The purpose of observation is to adapt the way we teach to make it better not to rank people.

7.2 Flexible Learning Design

Each lesson has lots of ways to get students involved. The teacher will try to teach one thing in different ways. Students get to make choices when they can.

For example when we want to understand a story we can do things like read the story, act out the story, draw pictures of the story or have a discussion about the story. We can also learn about ideas by playing games that involve math using objects to help us understand the math or by listening to someone explain the math to us.

7.3 Collaborative Learning Structures

We do group work in a smart way. The groups have people of all abilities in them. The person in charge of the group changes each time. We think it is really important for people to learn from each other so we make sure that happens in group work. Group work is a part of what we do.

When someone explains something to someone it helps the person who is explaining and the person who is listening. This way of teaching makes sense because it is based on the idea that people learn by building on what they know. It is also something that can be done even when there are a lot of students in a class. Peer explanation is helpful, for the person who is explaining. The person who is listening and this is why peer explanation is a good way to learn.

7.4 Expanded Assessment Practices

The assessment is made up of a lot of things. It includes watching what the students do which is called observation. We also look at how they do their work and we call that performance. Students have to put a collection of their work and that is called a portfolio. The students also get to tell us what they think of each other’s work. That is called peer feedback. We still have written tests. They are not the most important thing.

When we are looking at assessment criteria the main thing is to see if the students really understand the material not just if they can repeat back what they have learned. To make this work we need to have guidelines that’re easy to follow and teachers who are available to help the students when they need it. Assessment criteria, like these are very important because they help us figure out if the students really get what we are trying to teach them.

8. Teacher Role and Professional Development

Teachers are really important when it comes to making things happen.. The thing is teachers need some help if they are going to make changes. Teachers cannot just change everything on their own. Teachers need support to make that happen.

When we talk about development we need to focus on things that actually work, not just ideas that sound good. Professional development is about learning things that we can really use. So professional development should be about strategies that we can use every day.

We also need to think about what we’re doing and how we can do it better. This is called reflection. It is very important for professional development. We should also learn from each other. This is called peer learning. It is essential for professional development. Professional development is about getting better at what we do and we can do this by using practical strategies, reflection and peer learning.

We need to think about how much work teachers have and how many students are in their classes. Teachers do not need things to do. What they need is for things to be made easier, for them. The idea is to make things simpler not to add to the teacher workload and class size problems that already exist. Teachers are already dealing with a lot so we should be looking at ways to make their jobs easier, not harder. This means we should focus on simplifying things, not adding work for teachers to do.

9. School Leadership and System Support

School leaders need to make flexibility a normal part of things. The systems they use to monitor progress should care about how engaged the students are not just how much material they are covering. School leaders should make sure flexibility is okay. Monitoring systems should look at how interested students are in the school, not just what they are doing.

We need to make sure that the curriculum guidelines have life examples that students can understand. The way we assess students has to change when we change the way we teach them. This means that assessment reform has to go hand in hand with change. We have to make sure that assessment reform and instructional change work together to help students learn better. Curriculum guidelines and assessment reform are very important. They have to include concrete examples and align with instructional change.

If we do not get everything working together with new ideas, the classroom will not last. The classroom innovation will stay weak. Will not be able to survive on its own. We need to make sure that classroom innovation is supported by everything that is going on. Classroom innovation is very important. It needs to be strong.

10. Equity and Inclusion Considerations

Kids who do not have a lot of things are really hurt by tests that only look at one thing. If we teach in different ways we can help make sure more children are included. Diverse learning approaches can really help reduce the number of children who feel left out.

The way we think about what it means to be a man or a woman affects who plays sports and who becomes a leader. We need to make a plan to make sure everyone has a chance. This means we have to think about gender norms and how they impact sports and leadership. We have to be intentional about creating opportunities for everyone so that gender norms do not hold people back from participating in sports and leadership.

Children with disabilities really need to have instruction that’s flexible because it helps them a lot. The thing is, the support services that these children with disabilities need are not always available. We have to do something about this problem. We have to be very careful when we do it because children with disabilities are counting on us to get it right.

11. Limitations and Research Gaps

This article does not give us any proof that one thing causes another. The situation is really different, in parts of Bangladesh.

We need to do research on what happens in the long term with the long-term outcomes of these programs. We also need to see if teachers can really use them and if they are worth the money, which’s the cost-effectiveness of these programs.

We really need studies that use a mix of methods like watching what happens in the classroom and looking at how the learners do. These kinds of studies that combine classroom observation and learner outcomes are particularly important.

12. Future Directions

We need to take a look at pilot programs to see if they are working. The people who train teachers should make sure they are teaching in a way that includes everyone. Teacher training institutes should teach pedagogy. This way pilot programs and teacher training can work together to help all students.

Assessment reform must be gradual and context-sensitive. Community awareness is essential.

We need to think about tools and how they can help us in the future. These digital tools may give us some opportunities.. We have to make sure they are fair for everyone. We have to check if these digital tools are really good for people who do not have the same chances as others. We are talking about tools and we need to make sure they are fair and equal, for all people who use digital tools.

13. Conclusion 

Kids are all different, from one another. When schools do not take this into account it can make some children feel like they do not belong. Education systems that ignore the fact that children’re diverse can create situations where some kids are left out. This is because every child is unique and the education system should consider the diversity of children.

In Bangladesh you can find able students in every single classroom. The thing that is missing is a system that actually notices these students and gets them involved in things. The classrooms in Bangladesh have a lot of creativity and ability. What they really need is a system that recognises the creativity and ability of the students and engages them in a meaningful way.

We can make a plan that really works without having to change everything. The hard part is getting everyone on the page, making sure we have the support we need and changing the way people think about things. This plan, a plan is all about making things better and we can do it with the framework, a good framework, in place.

Recognising diverse creativity is not an optional enhancement. It is a requirement for equitable and meaningful education.

References  

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind.
OECD. (2019). PISA Results.
UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining Our Futures Together.
UNICEF. (2018). State of the World’s Children.
Education Watch Bangladesh. (2015). Annual Report.
Ministry of Education, Bangladesh. (2019). Primary Curriculum Guidelines.