This book chapter explores the critical role of professional development in equipping teachers to navigate the challenges and barriers of emergency contexts. It focuses specifically on the resilience exhibited by teachers in teaching the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The Rohingya refugee crisis, characterised by forced displacement and limited access to education, presents unique challenges and barriers for both teachers and students. Drawing upon secondary sources and theoretical frameworks, this chapter unpacks the various dimensions of teachers' professional development for both the Rohingya and the host community teachers in such adverse circumstances in refugee camps in Bangladesh. It highlights the adaptive strategies employed by the Cox's Bazar Education Sector and the teachers themselves to enhance their pedagogical skills, foster socio-emotional well-being, and address the diverse needs of the Rohingya learners. Furthermore, the chapter analyses the organisational support systems, policies, and interventions aimed at promoting teacher resilience and effectiveness in emergency settings.
Top1. Introduction
In the refugee context, faced with challenges and barriers like language barriers, geo-politics and limited resources, paramount importance must be placed on professional development (PD) for teachers. This equips them to support refugees through quality education and fosters their resilience (Pherali, 2020). The Rohingya crisis, characterised by forced displacement and limited access to education (Shohel, 2022 & 2023), presents significant challenges for both teachers and students living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. This chapter explores the critical importance of PD for teachers working in emergency contexts, with a specific focus on the resilience exhibited by teachers in teaching the refugee children in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps in Bangladesh.
The latest Rohingya crisis, unfolding since August 2017, has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of the Rohingya people, particularly from Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh (Shohel et al., 2022, 2023a, 2024a). This mass movement has resulted in overcrowded Rohingya refugee camps and strained resources, exacerbating the challenges faced by the Rohingya refugees in accessing education (Suma, 2022). Despite the adversities, teachers in the refugee camps have demonstrated remarkable resilience and commitment to providing education to the Rohingya children even under difficult circumstances (Nilsen et al., 2023).
The concept of Teachers’ Professional Development (TPD) in emergencies goes beyond simply equipping teachers with new teaching techniques (Crompton et al., 2021). In these situations, teachers themselves are often refugees who have experienced trauma and displacement. Their own well-being directly impacts their capacity to effectively support their students (Zee & Koomen, 2016). Based on existing literature and derived theoretical frameworks, this chapter aims to explore the various ways TPD in emergency settings can pave a crucial path for supporting the teacher to be resilient in complicated and challenging situations. It highlights the adaptive strategies employed by teachers to enhance their pedagogical skills, foster socio-emotional well-being, and address the diverse needs of the Rohingya learners. Additionally, the chapter analyses the organisational support systems, policies, and interventions aimed at promoting teacher resilience and effectiveness in emergency settings. This chapter seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the resilience exhibited by teachers and the factors influencing their PD in emergency contexts. Thus, by examining the complexities surrounding TPD in the Rohingya emergency contexts, this chapter seeks to provide insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers striving to support teachers in similar crisis-affected settings.