Exploring English language education: challenges, perceptions, and aspirations in Qawmi girls' madrasas - a case study

Abstract

The religious and cultural dynamics of Bangladesh are significantly influenced by madrasa education. More than 1.7 million pupils are being taught at Qawmi Madrasa, with 339,496 of them being girls, or 24.28 percent of the total (BANBEIS, 2022). This qualitative case study explores the attitudes, hurdles, and aspirations related to English language instruction in Bangladesh's Qawmi girls' Madrasas in Dhaka City. Several instructors and students from two distinct Qawmi girls' madrasas in the southern region of Dhaka city are participants in this study; they were chosen using a snowballing sample technique. In order to conduct the study face-to-face semi-structured interviews, field notes, qualitative classroom visits, and researcher’s own observation were conducted then the study findings are presented and analysed thematically. Classroom observation illustrates a deviation from the conventional layouts which give rise to several challenges that are plaguing the Qawmi girls' Madrasa including pedagogical concerns, curriculum and instructional issues, inadequate infrastructure and financial crisis, learner-specific needs in substandard settings. Furthermore, a general lack of positive perceptions towards English language education prevails among teachers and students, with instances of potential positive shifts among students. Finally, while investigating the aspirations of Qawmi girls, it was discovered that traditional religious roles are emphasised as career paths for students among Qawmi teachers; however, findings show that a good deal of students wish to defy the convention and pursue alternative roles.