Accelerating Quality Midwifery Education: Identifying Educators’ Professional Development Needs

Background The quality of midwifery education and by extension, the quality of care, is influenced by the capabilities of those who educate future midwives. Ensuring that midwifery educators in Bangladesh, where midwifery is a new profession, are well-prepared, professionally supported and equipped with the competencies necessary to teach in both academic and clinical settings is therefore essential. This study aimed to identify the professional development needs of midwifery faculties in Bangladesh. Methods A cross-sectional, mixed-methods study used a questionnaire with structured questions that included structured questions with Likert-scale ratings and open-ended comments. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative responses were analysed using textual analysis. Results Among 118 respondents, working as a faculty the majority (66.9%) held a master’s degree. The most reported development needs were in midwifery theory (40.7%), face-to-face teaching (39.8%), clinical simulation (39.0%) and curriculum design (36.4%). Research capacity was also a key area, with 37.4% reporting a need for support in scientific manuscript writing. Leadership and management development were prioritised by 36.4% of respondents. Faculty preferred face-to-face programme delivery (53.4%) and short, intensive formats (65.3%). Qualitative data underscored a need for structured pedagogical training, research and leadership mentorship. Conclusions Continuous faculty development is still needed in Bangladesh, particularly in education, research and leadership. Findings reveal a partial alignment with the ICM Global Standards for Midwife Faculty Development , highlighting needs in key standards. To address this, we propose co-creating a national faculty development programme focusing on the partially met standards.