Faculty of Education

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The 2005 Secondary School Curriculum Reforms in Tanzania: Disjunction between Policy and Practice in its Implementation
(2005) Paulo, Albert; Tilya, Frank
The growing need for education system to produce school leavers with capabilities in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes useful for solving social and economic challenges has prompted education reforms in Tanzania. Recent education reform involved the introduction of competence-based curriculum in secondary schools. This paper reviewed recent research on the implementation of competence-based curriculum reforms in Tanzania and compare the findings with the original policy intentions to establish the congruence between the two. The paper has established that classroom teaching, learning and assessment in most secondary schools has remained traditional contrary to the competence-based curriculum demands. Lack of comprehensive orientation to the reformed curriculum for the teachers and poorly resourced learning environment are among many drawbacks to the implementation of the reformed curriculum.
Academic Advising and Students’ Academic Achievement in Higher Education: Experiences from Dar es Salaam University College of Education in Tanzania
(Journal of Education, Humanities and Sciences, 2015) Kavenuke, Patrick Severine
Academic advising in higher education is a mounting field of study that requires special attention as it is significant for enrolled university students to persist and retain to the point of graduation. This study aims to explore the contribution of academic advisors in enhancing students’ academic achievement in higher learning institutions. Data were collected from 58 respondents, including 48 students and 10 academic advisors both from the Faculty of Education of the Dar es Salaam University College of Education in Tanzania. The data collection methods were questionnaires, focused group discussions and unstructured interviews. A majority of student respondents (67%) revealed that their academic advisors had not contributed at all to their achievement. In contrast, 33% indicated that academic advisors had made contributions. The findings also indicated that among the challenges that students encountered when seeking for advisory services included the unavailability of academic advisors for advisory services, students’ lack of knowledge on academic advising, ability and readiness of academic advisors to the advisory roles, and psycho-social related issues. Thus, a quality academic advising programme is indispensable to increase students’ academic achievements in higher education. The study recommends a mutual relationship between the advisor and advisee that is based on trust and respect, shared responsibility and shared problem solving.
Access, use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for teaching and learning in Tanzania
(2012-07) Kafyulilo, Ayoub
This study explored the access, use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for facilitating teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls. A total of 29 pre-service teachers and four college instructors from Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE) as well as 12 in-service teachers and 40 students from Kibasila secondary school in Tanzania, participated in the study. Data were collected by using pre-service teachers’ questionnaire, students’ questionnaire, and the instructors’, and in-service teachers’ interviews. Findings showed that all in-service teachers, college instructors and pre-service teachers had mobile phones. Also 60 % of school students owned mobile phones, or had access to mobile phones. Students, pre-service teachers and college instructors were in favour of the use of mobile phones for learning, but the majority of in-service teachers were against it. Since mobile phones are the most available technological tools in schools, this study, recommend a professional development programme for in-service teachers to help them develop a positive attitude towards mobile phones use in teaching and learning.
Are Pre-service Teachers Prepared to Teach? Investigating their Locus of Control, Self-efficacy and Attitude towards the Teaching Profession and Teaching Subjects
(Papers in Education and Development No.38 (2), 2020, 2020-09-30) Kinyota, Mjege
The study examined pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach using a sample of final-year students (n=454) in a Tanzanian teacher education university. The study measured pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach using four dimensions—internal locus of control, self-efficacy, attitude towards the teaching profession and attitude towards teaching subjects. With exceptions of relatively low teachers’ attitude towards the teaching profession, results indicated that student teachers have higher levels of self-efficacy, positive internal locus of control and positive attitude towards teaching subjects. Also, a significant difference (p ˂ 0.05) was found between teaching subjects on the dimension of locus of control with social science majors having higher locus of control than science and mathematics majors. Future employment intentions had significant impacts (p ˂ 0.05) on student teachers’ attitude towards teaching with those intending to work in non teaching sector having significantly lower attitude. Regression results indicated that working with students and pre-service teachers’ persistence were strong predictors of overall pre-service teachers’ attitude towards teaching (R² = 0.319). Results further revealed that 40.2 % of pre-service teachers regret that they chose the teaching profession and 56.2% are not intending to work as teachers after graduation.
Are Pre-service Teachers Prepared to Teach? Investigating their Locus of Control, Self-efficacy and Attitude towards the Teaching Profession and Teaching Subjects
(Papers in Education and Development, 2020) Kavenuke, Patrick Severine
The study examined pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach using a sample of final-year students (n=454) in a Tanzanian teacher education university. The study measured pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach using four dimensions—internal locus of control, self-efficacy, attitude towards the teaching profession and attitude towards teaching subjects. With exceptions of relatively low teachers’ attitude towards the teaching profession, results indicated that student teachers have higher levels of self-efficacy, positive internal locus of control and positive attitude towards teaching subjects. Also, a significant difference (p ˂ 0.05) was found between teaching subjects on the dimension of locus of control with social science majors having higher locus of control than science and mathematics majors. Future employment intentions had significant impacts (p ˂ 0.05) on student teachers’ attitude towards teaching with those intending to work in non-teaching sector having significantly lower attitude. Regression results indicated that working with students and pre-service teachers’ persistence were strong predictors of overall pre-service teachers’ attitude towards teaching (R² = 0.319). Results further revealed that 40.2 % of pre-service teachers regret that they chose the teaching profession and 56.2% are not intending to work as teachers after graduation.
Are they Stress-Free? Examining Stress among Primary School Teachers in Tanzania
(Center for Educational Policy Journal, 2021-11-30) Kinyota, Mjege
eachers enter the profession with enthusiasm for the new adventure. Unfortunately, when they start working, they encounter circumstances that give rise to stress. The present study, which used a sample of 550 participants from 50 primary schools selected from the Kisarawe district in the Coastal Region of Tanzania, examines the extent of stress among primary school teachers and the factors influencing stress. Overall, the results indicate that teachers’ levels of stress range from low to moderate. Moreover, the results from hierarchical regression analysis indicate that factors such as sex, class size, age, career intentions and teaching subject significantly predict teachers’ stress. The study concludes that there is a need for the government, policymakers and school administrators to reduce teachers’ workload. Furthermore, school administrators in particular should be supportive and should design mechanisms that could develop a sense of collegiality among teachers in order to improve teacher-to-teacher relationships.
Are they Stress-Free? Examining Stress among Primary School Teachers in Tanzania
(University of Ljubljana, 2021-11) Kavenuke, Patrick Severine; kayombo, Joel Jonathan; Kinyota, Mjege
Teachers enter the profession with enthusiasm for the new adventure. Unfortunately, when they start working, they encounter circumstances that give rise to stress. Te present study, which used a sample of 550 participants from 50 primary schools selected from the Kisarawe district in the Coastal Region of Tanzania, examines the extent of stress among primary school teachers and the factors inﬂuencing stress. Overall, the results indicate that teachers’ levels of stress range from low to moderate. Moreover, the results from hierarchical regression analysis indicate that factors such as sex, class size, age, career intentions and teaching subject significantly predict teachers’ stress. Te study concludes that there is a need for the government, policymakers and school administrators to reduce teachers’ workload. Furthermore, school administrators in particular should be supportive and should design mechanisms that could develop a sense of collegiality among teachers in order to improve teacher-to-teacher relationships.
Assessing Digital Fluency among Teacher-Educators in University Schools of Education: The case of Tanzania
(The IRES International Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2020-03-03) Fulgence, Katherine
This study assesses digital fluency among university teacher educators given its relevance in education industry. Digital fluency refers to educators‘ knowledge about digital tools and ability to make critical, creative, and autonomous blending of their potentials to realize teaching and learning objectives. Largely, the teacher education curriculum the educators studied did not integrate digital fluency as a key competence making the subject of interest to explore. The study established dimensions of digital fluency as a concept through literature review. The study used SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) model with its four levels of technology integration as a framework for assessing teacher educators‘ digital fluency. Data were collected through survey and interviews from 90 teacher educators at the university level including the management in schools of education. Findings show that most of the teacher educators perceive to have digital fluency at the substitution level, which is the lowest level. Educators with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and science backgrounds sound to be more digitally fluent compared to the ones from the fields of humanities and social sciences, partly due to discipline exposure. The study contributes knowledge towards digital fluency as a key competence for teacher educators. Higher Education Institutions need to explore mechanisms for developing digital fluency skills in line with the preparation of 21st century teachers taking into consideration variations among educators‘ disciplines. Further research can shed light on the competence profile of digitally fluent teacher educators.
Assessing the status of entrepreneurship education courses in higher learning institutions: The case of Tanzania education schools
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015-03) Fulgence, Katherine
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the status of entrepreneurship courses offered in education schools. It provides recommendations for how to address the existing challenges by developing entrepreneurship initiatives in education schools. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was circulated to the management of all education schools in Tanzania, respective entrepreneurship educators and graduates from these schools. Random sampling was used to select teachers who had graduated from education schools. Findings – The findings show that all education schools have an entrepreneurship module in the development studies course, which is mandatory for all students in first year. From 2008 to date, six education schools (31.6 per cent) have introduced stand-alone courses at undergraduate level reflecting entrepreneurship in their title and 68.4 per cent are planning to introduce entrepreneurship courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Although entrepreneurship educators demonstrate subject specialty, they use traditional teaching and assessment techniques. The lack of books on entrepreneurship and the large number of students were cited as the main challenges affecting their role as subject facilitators. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to education schools in higher education institutions. Similar studies in non-business disciplines need to be conducted to establish how entrepreneurship is developed among graduates of higher education institutions. Practical implications – The study recommends that the management of all education schools should be made aware of the need to provide courses in entrepreneurship, to integrate experiential learning and innovative techniques in the teaching and assessment processes and to involve students in extra-curriculum activities. Originality/value – This is the first study to be conducted in Tanzanian higher education institutions that focuses on the teaching of entrepreneurship to education school students.
Child Sexual Abuse among University Students in Tanzania
(Elsevier, 2006) McCrann, Denis; Lalor, Kevin; Katabaro, Joviter K.
Child sexual abuse is a serious breach of basic human rights and is responsible for numerous adverse sequelae (Roberts, O’Connor, Dunn, & Golding, 2004; Steel, Sanna, Hammond, Whipple, & Cross 2004); its wide-spread presence in both developing and developed countries is well documented (Finkelhor, 1994; Back, Jackson, Fitzgerald, Shaffer, Salstrom, & Osman, 2003; McGee, Garavan, de Barra, Byrne & Conroy, 2003). Gorey and Leslie (1997) reported a 22.3% prevalence rate of child sexual abuse among women and 8.5% prevalence rate among men from an aggregate of 16 studies. A review of about 30 studies of community and convenience samples found widely varying estimates of the prevalence of child sexual abuse ranging from 3% to 30% for males and from 6% to 62% for females (Fergusson & Mullen, 1999). Child sexual abuse appears to be a universal phenomenon; wherever it has been sought out it has been found (Finkelhor, 1994). The latter study reported that most perpetrators were male and that one third of sexual abuse was intra-familial.
Collegiality in Teacher Design Teams: Experience from the Netherlands and Tanzania
(2012) Kafyulilo, Ayoub C.
Teachers’ collegiality is becoming an increasingly important component of teachers’ professional development programmes that are geared at improving students’ learning. Studies have shown that, through collaboration, teachers can learn from one another and develop professionally. This study investigates the extent to which true collegiality exists in teacher design teams in the Netherlands and in Tanzania. It specifically investigates the ways in which teachers establish collegiality in schools and the influence of education authorities (inspectorates, school management and policy makers) in teachers’ decision making in the design teams. It also investigates how varying interests, values and attitudes of teachers are accommodated in the design teams. A convenience sampling approach was used to recruit eight participants: four from the Netherlands and the other four from Tanzania. Through interviews with the participants it was revealed that almost all design teams were formed through external influences, such as research teams and school management. In both cases (the Netherlands and Tanzania) educational authorities such as the government, school inspectorate systems and the school management had a direct influence on the teachers’ participation and decision making in design teams. Almost all teachers’ collaboration groups had some elements of contrived collegiality, although the magnitude differed from one collaborative team to another, as well as from one country to another
Conceptualizing Digital Fluency among Teacher Educators
(International Open & Distance Learning Conference, Anadolu University, Turkey, 2019-11-16) Fulgence, Katherine
Digital Fluency as an emerging concept needs to be conceptualized in education setting. This is important, now that technology has revolutionized teaching and learning processes as evidenced in the delivery of curriculum through online courses and increased use of open education resources among others. Against this background, digital fluency as a concept and its defining characteristics are systematically analyzed in the education context for teacher educators mostly PhD holders at the University level. The findings provide guidance as regards the conceptualization of digital fluency and the related dimensions and attributes for teacher educators. Policy implications and areas for further research are provided.
COVID-19 and Technology Enhanced Teaching in Higher Education in sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
(Commonwealth of Learning, 2021-07-31) Mtebe, J. S.; Fulgence, K; Gallagher, M
This article aims to share an experience on the process taken by the University of Dar es Salaam to adopt and deliver technology-enhanced teaching and learning during the COVID-19 crisis. The university started by forming a team which conducted an audit to identify existing ICT infrastructure, skills gaps amongst instructors, and information systems that could be quickly adopted to deliver various courses during the COVID-19 crisis. The Moodle system, Zoom video conferencing system, and Postgraduate Information Management System were identified and recommended. After the audit, 340 instructors were trained on identified systems and 369 new courses were developed. Although face-toface classes resumed a few months after the training and preparations, postgraduate courses continued to be offered via the blended mode with the Zoom and Moodle systems being used. The experience gathered from this study contributes towards knowledge of ICT integration in teaching and learning and can be integrated into teaching during the COVID-19 crisis in resource-constrained universities in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
A Critical Review of e-Learning Research Trends in Tanzania
(Journal of Learning for Development - JLD4, 2018) Mtebe, Joel; Raphael, Christina
This study investigated research trends on eLearning implementation in Tanzania from 2007 to 2017. A total of 74 articles from electronic databases, conference proceedings, and selected electronic journals were reviewed. Using content analysis, the study found that there is an increasing interest in eLearning research with the majority of studies conducted by researchers from three universities. Students was found to be the most studied population group while quantitative research design being the most preferred research design. It was also revealed that mobile and game based learning were the least investigated eLearning technologies despite the proliferation of mobile telephony in Tanzania. Internet access and lack of support were the most ranked challenges hindering eLearning implementation in Tanzania. This study will also help policy makers to promote further research in areas where the research gaps have been identified and find interventions to overcome barriers that hinder eLearning implementation in Tanzania.
The critical thinking skills of prospective teachers: Investigating their systematicity, self-confidence and scepticism
(Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2020-06-16) Kavenuke, Patrick Severine; Kinyota, Mjege; kayombo, Joel Jonathan
Recently, researchers have shown an increased interest in studying about Critical Thinking Skills (CTSs). Indeed, the theme has become one of the most significant current discussions amongst many other international agendas. Given the perceived importance of CTSs in this 21st century, we investigated the CTSs of prospective teachers. The aim was to investigate the extent to which prospective teachers possess CTSs. Moreover, the study examined factors influencing CTSs of prospective teachers. The study sample (n = 965) was comprised of first, second and final-year students from one of the teacher education universities in Tanzania. The CTSs were measured using three dimension—systematicity, self-confidence and scepticism. Overall, the results indicated that prospective teachers had higher mean scores in systematicity and scepticism, but significantly lower mean scores in self-confidence. Also, factors such as parents’ education, parents’ occupation and year of study were significantly related to at least one dimension of CTSs. For instance, father’s education positively and significantly predicted prospective teachers’ scores on scepticism. These results have far-reaching implications for policy and future research.
The Critical Thinking Skills of Prospective Teachers: Investigating their Systematicity, Self-confidence and Scepticism
(Elsevier, 2020-05-03) Kavenuke, Patrick; Kinyota, Mjege; Kayombo, Joel
Recently, researchers have shown an increased interest in studying about Critical Thinking Skills (CTSs). Indeed, the theme has become one of the most significant current discussions amongst many other international agendas. Given the perceived importance of CTSs in this 21st century, we investigated the CTSs of prospective teachers. The aim was to investigate the extent to which prospective teachers possess CTSs. Moreover, the study examined factors influencing CTSs of prospective teachers. The study sample (n = 965) was comprised of first, second and final-year students from one of the teacher education universities in Tanzania. The CTSs were measured using three dimensions—systematicity, self-confidence and scepticism. Overall, the results in dicated that prospective teachers had higher mean scores in systematicity and scepticism, but significantly lower mean scores in self-confidence. Also, factors such as parents’ education, parents’ occupation and year of study were significantly related to at least one dimension of CTSs. For instance, father’s education positively and significantly predicted prospective teachers’ scores on scepticism. These results have far-reaching implications for policy and future research.
A decade of technology enhanced learning at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Challenges, achievements, and opportunities
(International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 2017) Mtebe, Joel S.; Raphael, Christina
For a decade past, integration of technology in teaching and learning has been received with both apprehension and skeptism from academics and student majority at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). The study recounts real, professional and practical experiences, challenges, and opportunities of integrating educational technologies using available official documents and reports covering real practical experience in the period of ten years at UDSM . The study identifies gaps th at need to be worked upon to unleash full potentials brought by educational technologies at the university. The study recommends more support to early adopters committed to initiating blended learning programs, strengthening and expanding existing blended distance programs as well as seeding new ones and building capacity in developing and testing more reliable blended distance program innovations.
Deficiencies of Indigenous African Pedagogy
(German Adult education Association, 1989) Mushi, Philemon A. K.
Developing digital fluency among teacher educators: Evidence from Tanzanian Schools of Education
(International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2020-08-30) Fulgence, Katherine
This study explores how teacher educators develop digital fluency as a key competence in the contemporary world. Largely, the teacher education curriculum that the educators studied did not integrate digital fluency as a key competence. The study established dimensions of digital fluency as a concept through reviewing the literature. The study was qualitative, with data collected through interviews with ninety educators, including the management of university schools of education. The findings show that both individual mechanisms, particularly individualized learning, practice, engagement in research and consultancy, and institutional mechanisms - specifically training, infrastructure and the delivery of online programmes - contribute to the development of the digital fluency of teacher educators. The study contributes to the existing body of literature regarding digital fluency as a key competence for teacher educators. As regards practice, on-going training should be aimed at professional development, supported by continuous practice.
Developing Pre-service Teachers’ Technology Integration Competencies in Science and Mathematics Teaching: Experiences from Tanzania and Uganda
(2012) Kisalama, Robert; Kafyulilo, Ayoub C.
This study investigated the ICT integration practices in pre-service teacher education in the School of Education at Makerere University (College of Education and External Studies) in Uganda and Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE), a constituent college of the University of Dar es salaam in Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at establishing ways in which ICTs were being deployed in pre-service teacher training in the two colleges. It also investigated the factors constraining integration of ICTs in pre-service teacher education as perceived by the pre-service teachers and lecturers at the colleges. Using questionnaires and interview, data were collected from both the lecturers and final year pre-service teachers during the academic year (2009/2010). The findings revealed that, limited access to ICTs, limited lecturers’ knowledge of ICTs and limited use of the available ICTs affected usage of the technologies. Thus, it emerged that there is a need to explore models situated in a more encompassing theoretical framework like Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) so as to realise sustainable pedagogical practices in classrooms proliferated with technology.

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