Browsing by Author "Gabrieli, Prosper"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Building an assessment of community-defined social-emotional competencies from the ground up in Tanzania
    (Society for Research in Child Development, 2021) Jukes, Matthew C. H.; Mgonda, Nkanileka Loti; Tibenda, Jovina J.; Gabrieli, Prosper; Jeremiah, Grace; Betts, Kellie L.; Williams, Jason; Bub, Kristen L.
    Two studies were conducted in 2017 to investigate children's competencies seen as important by communities in Mtwara, Tanzania. Qualitative data from 95 parents (34 women) and 27 teachers (11 women) in Study 1 indicated that dimensions of social responsibility, such as obedience, were valued highly. In Study 2, the competencies of 477 children (245 girls), aged 4–13 years, were rated by teachers and parents. Factor analysis found the obedient factor explained the most variance in parent rating. In line with predictions, urban residence, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and parental education were all positively associated with ratings of curiosity, and parental SES was negatively associated with obedience and emotional regulation. Findings illustrate the need for culturally specific frameworks of social- emotional learning.
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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.
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    Early grade teachers’ professional development programs for promoting school safety: Does it make a difference?
    (Elsevier, 2024-07) Basil, Pambas Tandika; Ndibalema, Placidius; Lawrent, Godlove; Gabrieli, Prosper; Mbepera, Joyce
    This study explored the influence of training on helping teachers to promote greater school safety. A qualitative case study design was adopted, and 213 early grade teachers from Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar took part in the study. Data were gathered through individual semi-structured interviews before being thematically analysed. It was evident that teachers were inadequately prepared in terms of autonomy and supportive communication to help their pupils develop crucial skills for creating a safe learning environment. In- service professional development programs related to social and emotional learning would enhance teachers’ ability to support their pupils to address school safety concerns.
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    Early grade teachers’ professional development programs for promoting school safety: Does it make a difference?
    (Elsevier BV, 2024) Basil, Pambas Tandika; Ndibalema, Placidius; Lawrent, Godlove; Gabrieli, Prosper; Mbepera, Joyce
    This study explored the influence of training on helping teachers to promote greater school safety. A qualitative case study design was adopted, and 213 early grade teachers from Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar took part in the study. Data were gathered through individual semi-structured interviews before being thematically analysed. It was evident that teachers were inadequately prepared in terms of autonomy and supportive communication to help their pupils develop crucial skills for creating a safe learning environment. In- service professional development programs related to social and emotional learning would enhance teachers’ ability to support their pupils to address school safety concerns.
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    Enhancing pre-school teachers’ competence in managing pediatric injuries in Pemba Island, Zanzibar
    (BMC, 2022) Salim, Mohamed A.; Gabrieli, Prosper; Millanzi, Walter C
    Safe and healthy learning environment in pre-schools has received increased attention in promoting the well-being of pre-school children. However, pediatric injuries have remained one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality around the globe. Empowering pre-school teachers with first aid competencies have been identified as being of potential strategy against pediatric health burdens of problem. This study tested the effect of established pediatric first aid training on pre-school teachers’ knowledge, attitude, and intention to practice first aid management to pre-school children in Zanzibar. Uncontrolled quasi-experimental design with a quantitative research approach was conducted in Teachers’ Resource Centers among 120 preschool teachers at Pemba Island, Zanzibar. First aid training was facilitated based on the prescribed guidelines and standards of materials adapted from the American Academy of Pediatrics and implemented. The intervention was preceded by a baseline assessment using structured questionnaires adopted from previous studies that served as the main data collection tool. Participants’ mean age was 32 years±6.2 with 84.2% of the sample being females. The established pediatric first aid training can enhance the spectrum of managing pediatric injuries among preschool teachers in Zanzibar. Ongoing public health services opportunities should be structured within teachers’ continuous learning against pediatric injuries in Zanzibar-Tanzania
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    From access to quality secondary education: developing language supportive textbooks to enhance teaching and learning of biology subject in Tanzania
    (SCIENCEDOMAIN international, 2018) Gabrieli, Prosper; Sane, Eliakimu; Alphonce, Richard
    This paper reports findings from the development of Language Supportive Biology Textbook (LSBT) for Form I students in Tanzanian secondary schools to address the challenge of language barrier to learning. The LSBT was thus developed to facilitate smooth transition from Kiswahili to English language medium of instruction in learning Biology. The study used a participatory action research design that involved 2 experts from Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), 2 Biology specialists from universities, 1 language specialist from UDOM, a total of 12 Biology teachers and Form I students from 12 rural secondary schools located in Dodoma, Lindi and Morogoro Regions in Tanzania. Accordingly, we designed and prototyped a Biology textbook that is language accessible, supportive and relevant to Tanzanian context. We presented Biology content using a variety of illustrations and hands-on activities. The language features included English-Kiswahili glossary on each page and bilingual activities within which Kiswahili is used as a resource to learn English. Besides, the material has learning activities filled with examples drawn from the students’ context. The study used classroom observations during prototyping process, analysis of experts’ reviews, and the interviews with teachers and students to gather data to document the development and effectiveness of the LSBT. The overall findings indicated that students’ interaction in learning through talking, negotiating meaning, forming sentences, and presenting biological facts increased than it was before. The paper recommends that it is necessary to use of action research that involves educational stakeholders to develop potential features of a language and pedagogical supportive textbooks for quality education.
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    Improving human settlements for safe, resilient and sustainable life through collaborative efforts in developing Elementary Survey Lesson (ESL) materials for secondary schools in Tanzania
    (2019) Kisanga, Abel; Gabrieli, Prosper
    This study developed Elementary Survey Lesson (ESL) materials to support learning of Geography in secondary schools in Tanzania. The ESL materials include practical learning experiences that are geared to address land use conflicts which are persistently reported in many regions of Tanzania. The study adopted mainly qualitative research approach to capture and analyze the teachers‟ views, students‟ voices and appraisals from various education experts and survey practitioners. Again, the study adopted some quantitative aspects to simplify the collection and analysis of the groups‟ mean scores, standard deviations, and some other descriptive statistics such as graphs and frequencies and tables. The study used a collaborative approach along with quasi-experimental design. A total of 136 Form III students, 2 Land survey practitioners, 3 Geography experts 3 Curriculum experts, and 3 Geography Teachers from Dodoma Region in Tanzania collaborated during the study. The team worked together in prototyping the ESL materials in the classrooms and in actual field through iterative cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting. Two schools, one being an intervention school (SA) and the other being control school (SB) were randomly selected from Dodoma Municipal Council. Questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion and classroom observation were used to document the data from the teachers, experts and students learning Geography using the ESL. The findings unveiled that the involvement of various experts, teachers and students contributed to the development of practicable and effective ESL materials. The teachers and students were observed using survey equipments appropriately during field practical activities. Moreover, the pre- and post- test analysis revealed a significant difference in terms of groups‟ mean scores between intervention school (56.96) and control school (37.79) in the post-test. This finding implies that the ESL materials facilitated the development of students‟ knowledge, skills and competences on elementary surveying topics in Geography lessons. The study recommends the use of the developed ESL materials in learning survey topics to ensure safe, resilient and sustainable human settlement in Tanzania
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    “Respect is an investment”: community perceptions of social and emotional competencies in early childhood from Mtwara, Tanzania
    (Longbridge Publishing Company Limited, 2018) Jukes, Matthew; Gabrieli, Prosper; Mgonda, Nkanileka Loti; Nsolezi, Florentina; Jeremiah, Grace; Tibenda, Jovina; Bub, Kristen L.
    Education programs in Africa increasingly aim to develop and measure social and emotional competencies. However, assessments are typically adapted from those developed in other continents and are not derived from local perspectives. In the current study, we conducted focus groups and individual interviews with teachers, parents and students in 4 randomly selected rural primary schools from Mtwara region in Tanzania, 3 of which had recently begun participation in a pre-primary education program. The aim was to understand the social and emotional competencies in early childhood that participants viewed as important for school and for life in general. Compared to existing frameworks of social and emotional competencies, participants placed more emphasis on aspects of social responsibility, for example respect, obedience and being an attentive listener. Individual competencies such as curiosity, self-direction and self-belief were valued more by teachers than parents and seen as most important for success at school. In general, most social and emotional competencies – even individual competencies - were discussed in terms of social relationships. Findings have implications for how cultural values are taken into account in assessment, curriculum design and parent and community engagement around pre-school education.