Conference Proceedings

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Browsing Conference Proceedings by Author "Mbembe, Flora"

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    Competency based biology curriculum an opportunity to life skills development: is it real?
    (The University of Dodoma, 2019) Mbembe, Flora; Gabrieli, Prosper
    The currently used competency based Biology curriculum focuses on ensuring maximum development of life skills among learners. Life skills guide learners in decision making. It is also a tool used for advising and solving various problems. Despite the recognition of the focus of education, there is a need to assess the level at which learners acquire the expected skills from school learning. This study investigated the life skills acquired by the students through school learning of Biology subject. In doing so, it examined the skills possessed by the ordinary level secondary school students and the ways through which those skills are applied in their day to day life. This study was conducted in two districts of Dodoma region in Tanzania: Dodoma Municipality and Chamwino. It involved 13 ordinary level secondary schools, 9 from Dodoma Municipality and 4 from Chamwino district. It also involved 8 families and 1 health institution. The sample size for the study was 217 which included 199 secondary school students, 8 parents and 10 Biology teachers. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, documentary review and observation. Only data from questionnaires were analysed quantitatively using SPSS version 20 while the remaining were analysed qualitatively using content data analysis procedures. The study revealed poor linkage between skills expected to be developed by students and what they demonstrated in actual practices, especially on nutrition, health and reproduction issues. Thus, it is concluded that, the life skills component of the Biology curriculum is not fully attained by learners and not well implemented in their daily life. The study recommends on improving the teaching and learning materials to focus on skills expected to be developed by students; researching the pedagogies essential for ensuring life skills development among learners and improving assessment practices in schools by focusing on expected skills.