British Council Publications and Research Reports

The MOEST formulates the policies for teacher professional development, while CEHRD certifies and prepares customised curricula, and the PETCs run teacher development courses. Although the SESP acknowledges that the existing in-service training and professional development programmes are not able to fill the knowledge and skills gap among serving teachers, the role of trainers in the professional development process is not given much policy attention.

Simon Borg and Prem Prasad Poudel ran extensive research to document the present need of teacher trainers in Nepal in this report. 

Download the report here. 

The Status of Teacher Education and Development in Nepal

In the context of significant recent changes to the administration of education in Nepal, this report presents the findings of a research project commissioned by the British Council into the status of teacher education and development in the country. The primary focus is on continuing professional development (CPD), though, to contextualise what happens at in-service level, we also provide an analysis of initial teacher preparation. While the issues examined here are of broad relevance, the study targeted basic education teachers and secondary education teachers of three core subjects – English, Mathematics and Science – working in community (public) schools. The report starts by outlining the national context, with particular attention to recent changes in the political system and their implications for education and specifically for teacher development. This is followed by a brief review of insights from the literature into effective approaches to teacher education and professional development. The objectives and methodology of the research are then described, after which the results are presented for pre-service teacher education and CPD in turn. The report concludes with recommendations for both these sectors. 

The report and case studies can be downloaded from this section. 

This report by Prithvi N Shrestha and Ganga Ram Gautam provides an overview of how English language teaching, learning and assessment are currently situated within school-level education in Nepal. The report provides up-to-date contextual information, exploring policies and practices. The authors draw on policy documentation, research studies and a small number of interviews and focus groups to provide an overall picture of the current scenario. They provide commentary on the status of English within the curriculum, classroom practices, how teachers are supported to develop their skills and knowledge and the opportunities, challenges and future trends that the authors have extrapolated from their research. 

The report is available here.

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Supporting remote teaching and learning in developing countries: Publication in English 

Supporting remote teaching and learning in developing countries: Publication in Nepali

Supporting remote teaching and learning in developing countries: Book review

This publication outlines how governments across South Asia, including Nepal, employed several strategies to enable continued learning in the most innovative ways. Furthermore, it also explores various models for RTL, ranging from low-tech solutions to radio and television broadcasting, to support education continuity. 

Download:  Volume research 

 This British Council publication on developing successful schools in Nepal provides on-the-ground insights into curriculum, pedagogy and school leadership. Through case studies from researchers, teachers and practitioners within the country, alongside reviews of the research literature from international academics, the reader comes away with a deeper understanding of the opportunities, challenges and best practice unfolding in the Nepalese school system.

Download:

• Developing effective learning in Nepal: Insights into school leadership, teaching methods and curriculum
• Book review: Developing effective learning in Nepal: Insights into school leadership, teaching methods and curriculum

This research focuses on the baseline study of the existing situation of teachers’ digital literacy and the use of ICT in public secondary schools. The research explores challenges in using ICT, assessing the effectiveness of the current ICT practices at schools and including teacher’s motivation for using these tools in the classrooms.

Download: The Existing Situation of Digital Literacy and Use of ICT in Public Secondary Schools

This EMI position paper presents some of the complexities, confusions and challenges of English as a Medium of Instructions in basic education, summarises available evidence on the relationship between the medium of instruction (MoI) and learning outcomes, and outlines the British Council’s position on English in mother tongue-based multilingual education. 

Download: English language and medium of instruction in basic education in low- and middle-income countries: a British Council perspective

The book is focused on English language teaching (ELT) in Nepal and offers numerous insights into policy and practice in English teaching in Nepal. It also contributes to a solid foundation for the evidence-based educational policymaking that is critical if English language education in Nepal is to make a meaningful contribution to improving the lives of all children in schools across the country and not just act as another means of differentiation between those in higher and lower socioeconomic groups – bluntly put, between the rich and the poor.

Download: English Language Teaching in Nepal: Research, Reflection and Practice

This book is a compilation of the research findings and reflections from 10 teacher educators who have effectively demonstrated their understanding of action research and classroom enquiry.

Download: Journeys of Reflective Practice

The report explores the evidence that exists about the relationship between education, English language skills, skills development, and economic development. This research conducted in South Asia confirms a link between quality education and economic development. 
Download: Role of English in Skills Development in South Asia

Civil Society in a Federal Nepal: A Landscape Study was funded by the British Council. The study focused on three key areas: (a) the political and economic dynamics around the CSO environment in the country, (b) the challenges and opportunities for CSO effectiveness and sustainability, and (c) the best practices and potential approaches for improved CSO engagement in Nepal's development, especially in the socio-political sector.

Access the full report here 

The British Council and Bangor University hosted an event in Kathmandu, Nepal on 10 - 12 April 2018 that brought together policymakers, researchers, and clinicians in the South Asia region and researchers in the UK to develop an agenda and strategy for mental health research and practice. The event represented a step to building collaborations between South Asia and the UK and served to promote science, innovation and partnership between South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and the UK.

Download the report here