Statement of Purpose

I intend to apply for the Ph.D. in Education program at the College of Education and

Human Development (CEHD), George Mason University for Fall 2017. In view of my

qualifications, skills and experiences I would like to covey myself as a potential candidate for this.

Being veracious, I found my true calling for studying ‘Education’ when I first made to work

with the UNICEF in 2007. I was selected as a ‘Young Champion for Education’ to act as a change

agent in Bangladesh. From then, I became increasingly aware about Bangladesh’s existing

educational practices and the most challenging problems facing education today through. Despite

considerable development in recent years, the situation is still unpleasant. It motivated me to get

enrolled in the Institute of Education and Research (IER), University of Dhaka with an objective to

contribute to support and advance the quality of education and development of children and their

families in our country.

During my B.Ed. and M.Ed., I have acquired intense knowledge in Methods and Techniques

of Educational Research; Educational Measurement and Evaluation; Policy, Strategy and Leadership

in Education; Education in Global Perspective; Organization, Planning and Management of

Educational Institution; Curriculum and Instructional Material Development, Early Childhood

Education, Educational Psychology and Education and Development etc. I also taught in a school for

six (6) months as part of my Practicum Course in my bachelor. I have achieved a CGPA of 3.80 and

3.73 (on a scale of 4.00) in bachelors and masters respectively and my penchant for the topic ‘happy

learning’ has come out in my master’s thesis, titled ‘Happy Learning- Effects of Classroom

Learning Environment on Pre-School Children’. My recent paper on ‘Best Practices of a Joyful

Learning Environment in the Classroom for Achieving the Potentials of Pre-School Learners’

is under review and awaiting publication in the ‘Teacher’s World’- an education and research based

journal of IER. I have self-studied my personal interests and attended several seminars and

conferences on Education which have enhanced my core knowledge and passion to work on
evidence-based models for teaching and educational administration. I have got selected for the high

level ‘Parliamentarians Consultation for Equity and Girls’ Education, Kathmandu 2011’

organized by UNICEF where I was a part of the delegation of honorable Parliamentarians of

Bangladesh and education experts and delivered a presentation on how the youth can play a vital role

in promoting educational rights. My special exposure in statistical software and graphics design

allowed me to work with several professors in their educational researches and projects during my

study. Working with the Meena Communication Initiative and Social Change Forum of UNICEF

provided me with amazing experiences and a platform to give a new voice to achieve equal access to

education through different medium of information.

After my Bachelor, I joined the British Council as a Project Coordinator there. I have

successfully delivered five (5) very high quality social projects that had nationwide impact. I have

also received 15 trainings including project proposal writing, business English, digital and social

media marketing, child protection training as part of my professional development.

Bangladesh is now seeking advancement and growth in all sectors of development. Education

is the prime factor which can make this process faster. But to meet the educational challenges of the

21st century, a new approach to educational research and human capital with more advanced

knowledge and skills are required. To do so, I would like to prepare me as an interdisciplinary

scholar to address policy and practice challenges associated with learning outcomes and quality

education. The United States occupies a leading position in the present-day-world in Education. The

CEHD, George Mason University is quite prominent among its counterparts in this field. I am

particularly attracted by the school's powerful faculty, pedagogical resources, vibrant intellectual

atmosphere and comprehensive curriculums that equip a graduate assuming roles as an education

specialist, faculty, researchers or leaders in policy-making. Moreover, I believe, the wide mix of

cultures in the United States will enable me to broaden my horizon of knowledge. In the long run, I

want to serve my nation as a faculty member of any university to develop more human capital in this
field.

Lastly, I confide that I possess the motivation, intellectual ability and preparation to do justice

to a demanding Ph.D. program at your institution and I will be a valuable addition to your academic

program. I am very much looking forward to joining your department as a Ph.D. student and

develop my full potential as a future leader in education.

Tareque Mehdi

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