An evaluation of computer aided learning (BRAC-CAL) in secondary schools in Bangladesh

Abstract

Over recent decades, Bangladesh has made substantial improvements in terms of children’s access to and equity of education, as well as making significant efforts to improve the quality of education. Yet challenges remain: classroom over-crowding is common (secondary school class sizes may typically be around 60-70 students, but can be double this); there are often few classroom resources beyond national textbooks; teachers may be underskilled, with limited curriculum or pedagogic knowledge. Taken together, these factors may contribute to an over-dependence upon didactic classroom practices such as lecturing or ‘chalk-and-talk’ by teachers; they can negatively affect students’ motivation, attendance, learning and schoolcompletion. Such problems may be most severe where multiple forms of disadvantage (rurality, socioeconomic status, minority status, gender) intersect.