Primary School Teachers' Digital Literacy in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Social Science Review of Classroom Practice, Barriers, and Professional Development Needs

Abstract

This qualitative social science review examines how existing literature discusses digital literacy among primary school teachers in Bangladesh, with particular attention to classroom practice, barriers, and professional development needs. The study synthesises policy documents, peer-reviewed articles, education technology reports, and teacher development studies published mainly between 2015 and 2026. Guided by DigCompEdu and TPACK, the review applies thematic analysis to identify how digital literacy is defined, how teachers use digital tools, what constraints shape practice, and what forms of support are needed. The analysis shows that teacher digital literacy in Bangladesh is still often framed through basic ICT skills, device operation, and multimedia classroom use, while international frameworks conceptualise it as a broader professional competence involving digital resources, pedagogy, assessment, learner empowerment, online safety, and reflective professional engagement. The review finds that teachers use smartphones, multimedia projectors, online videos, Teachers' Portal resources, and informal social media groups, but practice remains uneven because of infrastructure limitations, unstable connectivity, device shortages, limited technical support, workload, language barriers, and rural-urban inequality. The paper argues that one-off ICT training is insufficient. Sustainable improvement requires school-based mentoring, Bangla-friendly digital resources, practice-oriented digital pedagogy workshops, teacher digital competence standards, and targeted investment in rural schools.