From Policy Adoption to Classroom Practice: Institutional Readiness for Outcome-Based Education in Bangladesh
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Outcome-Based Education (OBE) has become a central strategy for improving higher education quality through competency-based learning, constructive alignment and continuous quality improvement. Although Bangladesh has formally adopted OBE through national quality assurance initiatives, empirical evidence regarding institutional readiness and implementation remains limited. This study assessed the implementation status of OBE in Bangladeshi universities by examining stakeholder awareness, institutional readiness, implementation challenges and policy priorities while proposing an Outcome-Based Education Readiness Index (ORI) as a multidimensional assessment framework. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed involving 357 faculty members and undergraduate students from two public and two private universities, complemented by 6 Focus Group Discussions and 12 Key Informant Interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis and integrated during interpretation. The findings indicate that faculty members demonstrated moderate-to-high awareness and positive acceptance of OBE, whereas students exhibited comparatively limited conceptual understanding. Institutional readiness was rated as moderately high, with curriculum alignment and quality assurance emerging as the strongest dimensions, while assessment capacity, digital infrastructure and faculty assessment literacy remained comparatively weaker. Private universities demonstrated significantly higher readiness and institutional support than public universities, although both sectors experienced similar pedagogical, assessment-related, institutional and policy challenges. Qualitative findings further revealed a persistent gap between policy adoption and classroom implementation, emphasizing the need for sustained faculty development, authentic assessment practices, stronger institutional leadership and enhanced student engagement. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Outcome-Based Education Readiness Index (ORI) as a practical framework for evaluating institutional preparedness, benchmarking and continuous quality improvement. The study contributes to the growing literature on competency-based higher education by providing one of the first comprehensive mixed-method evaluations of OBE implementation in Bangladesh and offers evidence-based recommendations for universities, accreditation agencies and policymakers.
Institutions: Ministry of Education, Southern University Bangladesh
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203579043