Browsing by Author "Mwalongo, Alcuin"

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    Gender differences in the use of asynchronous discussion forums and quizzes for promoting critical thinking dispositions
    (IGI, 2018) Mwalongo, Alcuin
    This study examined female and male students’ perceptions of the use of asynchronous discussion forums and quizzes to promote critical thinking dispositions. Research suggests that there are differences between female and male students in terms of learning in online environments. However, studies that focus on these differences, especially in promoting critical thinking dispositions, are limited. To this end, this chapter explores gender differences in the use of the discussion forums and quizzes to promote critical thinking dispositions. A mixed methods research approach was used. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently through a questionnaire. Findings indicate that female students had higher critical thinking dispositions related to open-mindedness and inquisitiveness than male students. There was no statistically significant difference between female and male students in the other critical thinking dispositions. Implications for pedagogical practices have been discussed. Further research can involve a larger sample from different sociocultural settings.
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    How primary School Teachers Handle Pupils' Errors_ in EFL Classrooms: A Case Study of Primary Schools in Dar es Salaam
    (Institute of Adult Education, 2011) Mwalongo, Alcuin
    There has been a public discontent in Tanzania regarding pupils' fluency and competency in English as a foreign language (EFL). The blame has been directed to teachers due to their inability to deal with the said problem. Since handling pupils' errors is a fundamental process of teaching and learning that has the potential of improving pupils' linguistic fluency and competency, this study sought to explore how primary school teachers handled errors in EFL classrooms. The research study used a qualitative paradigm that employed a case study of sixteen teachers from eight schools of the three Municipalities of Dar es Salaam City, that is, Ilala, Temeke and Kinondoni. Data were mainly collected through classroom observations and were analysed using QSR NVivo NUD*IST. The findings revealed that teachers used a variety of strategies to correct pupils' errors .However, some of the strategies employed were unprofessional and could undermine the teaching-learning process. Implications for teaching and learning EFL in the primary schools in Tanzania and the areas for future research have been discussed.
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    Peer Feedback: Its Quality and Students’ Perceptions as a Peer Learning Tool in Asynchronous Discussion Forums
    (Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science, 2013) Mwalongo, Alcuin
    The study examined two aspects, namely the quality of peer feedback in asynchronous discussion forum when such peer feedback is used as a formative learning tool, i.e. not for assigning grades; and students’ perceptions about the process of peer feedback. Twenty four students enrolled in higher education were involved. They were assigned two tasks: in the first task, they contributed lessons learnt about the course on the learning management system, via the asynchronous discussion forum. Thereafter they read the comments posted by their colleagues and critiqued them. In the final task that was given at the end of the course, students wrote reflections about peer feedback process. Thus all data collected were in the form of posts. Using NVivo, the posts generated in the first task were used to examine the quality of peer feedback, while the posts generated from students’ reflection about peer feedback were used to examine students’ perceptions about peer feedback. Results indicate that peer feedback is a useful tool for formative learning as well as assessment purposes. Future research could involve a larger sample, a diverse population, and a range of other courses.
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    Student teachers' perceptions of the use of LMS for promoting critical thinking in their future teaching career
    (IGL Global, 2019-04) Mwalongo, Alcuin
    The chapter examined student teachers’ perceptions of the use of Moodle for promoting critical thinking in their future teaching career. The study used a mixed methods approach with a sample of 70 student teachers from three public universities in Tanzania. Data were collected through a survey, focus group discussions, and a review of documents. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed through SPSS 25 and MaxQDA 18, respectively. The findings indicate the potential of Moodle for promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and professional development. Similarly, there were statistically significant differences between pre-service and in-service teachers in perceptions of satisfaction with Moodle and taking LMS-related jobs in the future. Pedagogical implications of the findings and the area for further research have been discussed.
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    Student teachers’ and tutors’ perceptions of the use of online resources for promoting critical thinking
    (2018) Mwalongo, Alcuin
    The study examined student teachers’ and tutors’ perceptions of the use of online resources for promoting critical thinking in three campuses of the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A sample of 69 participants was used. The study employed a mixed methods research approach. Data were collected through a survey, focus group discussions, interviews, and documentary review. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed through SPSS 25 and MAXQDA 18 respectively. The findings suggest that the use of online resources is likely to promote critical thinking, especially if online resources are up-to-date, authentic, use a simple and clear language, and if a variety of them are used. The study revealed that there were no statistically significant gender differences in perceptions of the use of online resources for promoting critical thinking amongst student teachers. Implications related to key findings and areas for further research are discussed.
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    Teachers’ perceptions about ICT for teaching, professional development, administration and personal use
    (2011) Mwalongo, Alcuin
    Tanzania has been investing in the integration of information and communications technologies (ICT) in education for several decades. However, little is known about teachers’ perceptions about ICT integration in education. This study examined teachers’ perceptions about the use of ICT tools for teaching, administration, professional development and personal use. Seventy four teachers were involved in the study. Data were collected through an online survey using SurveyMonkey and postings generated from the researcher’s blog. Qualitative data were downloaded from the blog and from SurveyMonkey; read word for word; and analysed using Weft QDA where themes related to the research questions were coded while quantitative data from SurveyMonkey were analysed online in the form of percentages. Results indicate that while the frequency of use of ICT was influenced by access, the competence of ICT use was influenced by training; teachers used ICT in a wide range for teaching, administration, professional development and personal use. However, teachers did not use ICT to radically change their pedagogical practices, but rather to sustain their traditional practices. Future research could focus on classroom observations to ascertain the actual use of ICT as data for this study have solely depended on self-reports; and the role of school leadership for integration of ICT in the teaching-learning process needs to be examined.
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    Teacher’s Knowledge, Beliefs and Pedagogical Practices in Integrating ICTs in different Curriculum Areas in Secondary Schools
    (2010) Mwalongo, Alcuin
    This study set to explore teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and pedagogical practices in integrating information and communications technology (ICT) in curriculum areas in a private secondary school in Karachi, Pakistan, through a case study of four teachers. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews, informal conversations and analysis of documents, and analysed using QSR NUD*IST. It was found that teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and pedagogical practices significantly influenced how teachers integrated ICT in the curriculum areas. Due to limited time, the study could not trace longer how the teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and pedagogical practices changed over time, thus, a longitudinal study is needed to trace how teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and pedagogical practices change over time.
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