UDOM IR :: Browsing by Author "Matete, Rose Ephraim"

Browsing by Author "Matete, Rose Ephraim"

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Challenges facing the implementation of fee-free education in primary schools in Tanzania
(Elsevier BV, 2024) Lucumay, Lucia Samwel; Matete, Rose Ephraim
In this paper we investigated the challenges facing the implementation of Fee-Free Education (FFE) in primary schools in Tanzania. We adopted a qualitative approach with a case study exploratory design. The study was carried out in the Geita District Council, involving 28 participants. These were 12 school committee members, 10 headteachers, 5 Ward Education Officers (WEOs), and a District Education Officer (DEO). Data were collected through interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and documentary review. Thematic and content analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that FFE contributed to an increased enrolment rate of pupils from poor families and it improved the retention and attendance rates in primary schools. However, the findings indicate that the visited schools faced a shortage of teachers, school infrastructure such as classrooms, toilets for pupils, and desks because of an increased pupils' enrolment that affected the implementation of FFE. The findings also indicate that headteachers did not receive any in-service training for them to manage the schools’ financial resources. We argue in this study that for effective implementation of FFE in primary schools both headteachers and teachers need in-service training and seminars on financial management. The government also needs to employ more teachers if the quality of education is to be sustained in primary schools. Nevertheless, increasing the budget for education for classroom construction is equally imperative.
Contribution of External Quality Assurance in Improving Instructional Practices among Heads of Schools and Teachers in Secondary Schools in Zanzibar
(The Open University of Tanzania, 2024) Kassim, Khadija Said; Matete, Rose Ephraim
In this study, we explored the contribution of External School Quality Assurance (ESQA) towards the improvement of instructional practices among Heads of Schools (HoSs) and teachers in secondary schools in Zanzibar. A mixed-methods research approach coupled with a convergent parallel design was employed to generate data. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to get the study participants. Data were collected from the Kaskazini Region in Unguja. The study involved 167 teachers, 12 HoSs, 1 REO, 2 DEO, and 11 ESQ assurers. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and documentary review and analyzed through content analysis and bar charts. The findings indicate that although ESQA has a great contribution to the improvement of instructional practices, classroom observation was not effectively carried out by ESQ assurers. The findings also indicate that ESQ assurers created fear and tension among teachers because teachers knew that their work performance was to be reported to higher authority. The findings indicate further that there were irregular school visits which hindered the HoSs' and teachers’ effective improvement of instructional practices. The key argument in this study is that the current ESQA is ineffective in enhancing instructional practices in secondary schools. For ESQA to contribute to the improvement of instructional practices among HoSs and teachers, ESQ assurers need to concentrate on classroom observation. The government needs to support the ESQA with both human and financial resources and training programmes for the ESQ assurers are equally imperative for effective monitoring of the quality of education in secondary schools.
Decentralisation policies and their rationales in Tanzanian education system
(The University of Dodoma, 2019) Matete, Rose Ephraim
Decentralisation of education is among the current reforms that have been taking place in different African countries. Tanzania, as part of African countries, has also adopted decentralised policies in its education system. The arguments for advocating decentralisation are to give more power to the local people, minimise unneccesary bureaucracy and to ensure a proper utilisation of the educational resources. Findings from Dar es Salaam and Mbeya in Tanzania indicated that community involvement in school development plans has reduced the absenteeism and truancy among the pupils and it has improved the pupils’disclipline and attendance. There were also some improvements in classroom contruction especially in peri-urban schools in both Kindondoni Municipality and Mbeya City. The school committee members, however, focussed their attention on the Standard VII results and did not take care that the schools improve in all levels from Standard I-VII. The visited schools faced a massive problem of congested classrooms and shortage of desks. While the government promised the schools to receive the Capitation Grants (CGs) and Development Grants (DGs), the provisions of these funds from the government were far short of these promises. The findings in the visited schools indicated that the amount that was contributed by the pupils far exceeded the amount pledged and provided by the government. The school committee members appeared to be a mere signatory tool of the funds from the District Education Office (DEO) as they came with specifications on how to use them. The argument in this paper is that while involving the community in school-development plans in a decentralised setting may be good for local democracy and for the improved accountability of the service providers. The government needs to intervene where seems to be a problem in order to safeguard the interests of the pupils
Evidence based impact of school inspection on teaching and learning in primary school education in Tanzania
(Open University of Tanzania, 2021) Matete, Rose Ephraim
This study aimed to investigate the impact of school inspection on teaching and learning in primary school education in Tanzania. The study was carried out in Mbeya region and data was collected qualitatively from 59 participants where 6 were head teachers, 44 classroom teachers, 8 school inspectors, and a District Education Officer (DEO). Data was collected through open-ended questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and documentary analysis. The findings indicate that school inspectors gave some advice to teachers on how to teach and help the pupils with learning difficulties. However, it was found that school inspectors did not regularly visit the classroom for lesson observations to identify the strengths and weaknesses of teachers for the improvement of teaching and learning. The findings also indicate that school inspectors focused on the professional documents when evaluating the teachers’ work performance without classroom observation and helping teachers on how to teach the difficult topics that could be the added value of the school inspection. It was further found that school inspectors’ working conditions were poor as they lacked allowances to facilitate their school visits and they lacked a means of transport. It is argued in this paper that for teachers to grow professionally and improve the quality of teaching and learning in primary schools, school inspectors need to carry out classroom observations and be trained based on the subject matter. Nevertheless, improvement of the school inspectors’ work conditions and provision of a means of transport to the school inspectorate department is equally important
Forms of decentralization and their implications for educational accountability in Tanzania
(Cell Press, 2022) Matete, Rose Ephraim
This study investigated the forms of decentralization and how they can bring about educational accountability in Tanzania. Open-ended questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and documentary reviews were methods for data collection. The findings indicate that the school committee as a representative organ of the community and parents in a decentralized educational management system, succeeded in improving the attendance rate, maintaining discipline, and controlling truancy among pupils. The findings also indicate that the teachers and school committee members appreciated the financial transparency in their schools. However, teachers commented that school committee members concentrated their attention on the Primary School Leaving Examinations () and financial matters without ensuring that schools improve the environment in which education is provided for teachers to be accountable for the pupils' learning. Further, it was, found that financial contributions from the parents and community members were a challenge because of a lack of awareness of the importance of education for their children. It is argued in this paper that although financial contributions from the community members are necessary for the school development plans, the government needs to play a leading role in the provision of education to safeguard the poor and fight inequality in education
Implementation of management by objective through Open Performance Review and Appraisal System for teachers in Tanzania
(Australian International Academic Centre, 2016) Matete, Rose Ephraim
Management by Objective through Open Performance Review and Appraisal System (OPRAS) was introduced in Tanzania for evaluation of public servants work performance in 2004. The aim of this study was to investigate how teachers perceive the implementation of OPRAS as a mechanism of assessing their work performance and making them accountable for their teaching. The study was mainly qualitative with some aspects of quantitative data. It involved 108 informants, where 90 were the primary school classroom teachers, 10 headteachers, 6 school committee members and 2 district educational officials. The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussion. While some teachers think if OPRAS contract could well be worked out it to improve the performance, there are those teachers who think OPRAS is impractical and unrealistic to the Tanzanian context where pupils are congested in classrooms with shortage of desks. During the school visit in both Kinondoni Dar es Salaam and Mbeya City findings indicated that OPRAS had been abandoned as it created hostility between headteachers and teachers. Teachers complained of the expenses involved in duplicating the copies and the time consumed for discussion. I argue in this paper that although evaluation of teachers is important, the adoption of the type of assessment for their work performance has to be considered because of the nature of the field and the complications involved in dealing with human mind. Teaching is a labour-intensive process. Teachers cannot, by means of their teaching, determine how many pupils will pass a given exam and how well they will do in their exams under the OPRAS requirements.
Teaching profession and educational accountability in Tanzania
(Elsevier, 2021) Matete, Rose Ephraim
Teaching profession has recently been scrutinised by different groups of people and sometimes, head teachers have been demoted because of poor academic performance of pupils in the National Examinations. In a decentralised framework through the Primary School Development Programme (PEDP), the school committees have to oversee the functions of the schools to ensure that teachers are accountable for the pupils' learning. This study investigated how teachers as professionals are accountable for pupils' learning and achievement in the National Examinations in Tanzania. This was a qualitative study that was conducted in Dar es Salaam and Mbeya Regions. The study involved 90 classroom teachers, 10 head teachers, 6 school committee members and 2 district educational officers, making a total of 108 participants. Data was collected through open-ended questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussion and documentary analysis. Results from both Dar es Salaam and Mbeya indicated that demoting teachers because of poor performance in the National Examinations is unfair and it undermines the teachers' professional credibility and status although demotion can be warranted to irresponsible and those who do not adhere to the professional standards. Teachers also opposed to be supervised by the school committee as its members do not belong to the teaching profession. Teachers thought school committee members need to deal with all activities that facilitate teaching and learning environment outside the classroom. Some teachers, however, thought that involving the school committee is important because it consists of people who represent the parents who need to know the value for money invested in the education of their children. The argument in this paper is that while teachers' accountability for pupils' learning is important, however, teachers' evaluation of their work performance needs to base on their fulfilment of the ascribed professional code of conduct. Pupils’ academic performance is a combination of many factors and it cannot be determined by teaching alone.
The contribution of school quality assurance for the improvement of instructional practices in secondary schools in Zanzibar
(AJOL, 2024) Kassim, Khadija Said; Matete, Rose Ephraim; Mwinjuma, Juma Saidi; Ali, Habibu Dadi
The study investigated the contribution of school quality assurance in the improvement of instructional practices in secondary schools in Zanzibar. While employing a convergent parallel design, the study involved 167 teachers, 12 Heads of Secondary Schools, 11 External School Quality Assurers, 2 District Education Officers, and the Regional Education Officer, totalling 193 participants. Data were collected through interviews, documentary reviews, and questionnaires. Data were analysed through pie charts and content analysis. The results indicate that although ESQA plays a significant role in improving instructional practices in secondary schools, it was found that the respective authorities did not work on the ESQA reports and recommendations. The results also indicate that ESQ assurers had inadequate knowledge and technical competency in instructional supervision. It was again found that ESQ assurers used unfriendly language to the Heads of Schools (HoSs) and teachers. The results indicate that the ESQ assurers were few and the budget for ESQA was insufficient to enable them to perform their work efficiently and effectively. It is concluded that ESQA plays a significant role in the improvement of the quality of education and thus the ESQA Department needs to be strengthened by providing financial resources and relevant training programs to the ESQ assurers for effective monitoring of the quality of education provision in the country. The owners of the schoos and responsible authories need to take immediate actions upon receiving ESQA reports to achieve the desired impact in secondary schools.
Why are women under-represented in STEM in higher education in Tanzania?
(FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education, 2021) Matete, Rose Ephraim
Women’s underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has been documented worldwide. This study investigated the factors underlying women’s underrepresentation in STEM in higher education in Tanzania. The study employed a qualitative research approach that was informed by historical design. Data were collected through a systematic literature review and analyzed using a content analysis. Drawing from the literature, the study findings indicate that a lack of women’s participation in STEM is due to both socio-cultural and psychological factors. Sociological factors indicate that a patriarchal system and male dominance perpetuate gender inequality in STEM. Findings also indicate that cultural myths and beliefs that the science field is hard and that women are incapable of handling masculine activities hinder women from participating in science-related fields. The findings indicate further that a lack of laboratories in Tanzanian secondary schools force teachers to teach science subjects by using theories as an alternative to practical instruction. From a psychological point of view, evidence suggests that a lack of confidence among female students themselves regarding performance in science subjects hinders them from participating in STEM fields. It is recommended in this paper that if Tanzanian female students are to participate in science-related subjects in Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs), the government needs to orient them towards science subjects at the primary school level for them to build up an interest in science-related subjects. In addition, the training of science teachers remains imperative.

Browsing by Author "Matete, Rose Ephraim"

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