Promoting Teacher Ethics in Colleges of Teacher Education in Tanzania: Practices and Challenge

Abstract

This paper focuses on the initiatives and challenges of promoting ethics in teacher training colleges. It draws on qualitative data; generated from Dar es Salaam, Iringa and Mbeya regions of Tanzania in East Africa. Data collected reflect views of informants, including teacher educators, school teachers, student teachers, school inspectors, Teachers Service Department (TSD) officers, and education officers. The data was generated from both interviews (primary) and documentary (secondary) sources. Analysis of data involved data reduction, organization, and interpretation (Huberman & Miles 1994). The findings unveiled two major initiatives: the use of college regulations and the teaching of religious code of conduct. Challenges, on the other hand, ranged from the absence of a course related to teacher ethics, professional “incompetence” of teacher educators, shortage of qualified teachers, lack of resources, the moral problem of society or the irresponsibility of parents and society. The study has concluded that without a well-defined education policy in favour of promoting teacher ethics education, efforts to that effect are doomed to fail.