Abstract
Like other countries around the world, distance education approach has been exceptionally beneficial for the continuation of teaching learning activities in Bangladesh during the covid-19 pandemic situation. Teacher training is a very crucial and integrated part of teaching learning activities as it helps to enhance the quality of teaching. Despite the continuation of teaching learning through online and distance education approach, the teacher training was not happening on a regular basis during this pandemic period. Therefore, this study is an attempt to explain the necessity of distance education for the persistence of teachers training program during and after the covid-19 pandemic situation in order to maintain a continuity in the professional development especially for teachers in the rural areas in Bangladesh. This study was conducted by following the concurrent mixed method research design. Data were collected with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and interview schedule from the secondary school teachers from rural areas, trainers and experts in distance education and teacher training program. The results of this study indicated that distance education can play a significant alternative role in arranging teacher training program for teacher across the country during this covid-19 crisis moment. Moreover, the participants also agreed that the continuation of distance education approach should be paralleled with the conventional approach for teacher training program in the post covid-19 period as it brings more flexibility, accessibility, inclusiveness and responsiveness. However, the study also revealed few challenges which can impair the arrangement of distance education in teacher training programs.
 
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Highlights
In Bangladesh, the role and importance of a teacher in students’ learning is highly significant; mainly at the primary and secondary level
Total 98 teachers were selected for this study. 3 university professors who has expertise in distance education and teacher training program, and 5 trainers from government teachers training colleges were chosen on the basis of convenience sampling to collect required information for the study
Distance education is unlike the regular education in terms of physical presence of a student or teacher, it requires higher degrees of discipline and planning to successfully complete the course of study or program
Summary
In Bangladesh, the role and importance of a teacher in students’ learning is highly significant; mainly at the primary and secondary level. Students from rural areas are heavily depended on the teachers for continuation of learning. If teachers are well educated, well trained and skilled with modern teaching methods and techniques, and can properly utilize knowledge and skills in teaching, students are the first ones who are receiving direct and greater benefit (National Education Policy, 2010). In Bangladesh most of the teachers from rural areas are not highly educated and well trained, not very much familiar with the modern teaching methods, and on top of these, teaching is not their first preference of job. In rural areas of Bangladesh, there are very few teachers who can teach the subject content properly to the students as one teacher tend to teach all the subjects and due to limited number of subject specialist teachers. Most of the teachers do not distinguish the proper teaching method and technique and mostly depend on the lecture method; where students listen to teacher and later on memorize (National Education Policy, 2010)
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