Journal of Management and Policy Issues in Education

Mastering the digital frontier: Development of pedagogical use of ICT competences among student-teachers in Tanzania

Raymond Mutasingwa Bitegeko — 2024-10-17

This study investigated the factors influencing student-teachers’ development and use of pedagogical ICT competences in teaching and learning process. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge model. A descriptive research method was employed to gather quantitative data from a purposive sample of 187 third-year student-teachers from three universities in Tanzania. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between variables related to facilitative condition factors for the development of pedagogical ICT competences. Other factors such as attitudes and expectations, operational usefulness, and social influences had positive corrections; although, they were statistically insignificant. Regarding perceived pedagogical ICT competences related to content delivery, about 74% of the respondents perceived themselves as very skilled and 25.67% as fairly skilled. In addition, competences related to incorporating ICT in instructional strategies, 58.82% of the respondents reported that they were very skilled and 34.22% said they were fairly skilled. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to strengthen the training on pedagogical ICT competences and promote effective technology integration in content delivery and instructional strategies.

Exploring predominant marketing strategies for branding higher education institutions in Tanzania

Vitus Matembo — 2024-10-17

It is worth noting that the utilisation of marketing strategies by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) operates within a complex and unclear environment. This study, therefore, explored the predominant marketing strategies used for branding HEIs in Tanzania. The study adopted an embedded mixed methods research design. Semi-structured interviews with 12 staff members from 6 HEIs, including 6 public relations officers (PROs) and 6 registrars were utilised. An online questionnaire was also administered to 100 students through Google Forms. PROs and registrars were purposively selected, while a convenience sampling technique was applied for student participants. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, while quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 27. The findings indicated no statistically significant differences in the marketing strategies employed by public and private HEIs. This suggests that both private and public-owned HEIs employ a diverse range of marketing strategies, encompassing both traditional and digital approaches to enhance their brand image. The study also identified that word-of-mouth recommendations from current students, alumni, and other influential individuals emerged as a particularly influential marketing channel for HEIs. University websites and various digital platforms were also identified as key branding tools. Traditional approaches such as print media, school visits, and radio/TV advertisements still hold relevance to some extent. The study recommends that HEIs continue to invest in and optimise their digital marketing capabilities while also calling for the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) to provide comprehensive guidance and support for the effective utilisation of both traditional and digital branding approaches.

Utilisation of performance-based rewards to improve teachers’ work performance in Tanzanian secondary schools

Abich, Dah Omollo — 2024-10-17

In this study we explored the heads of schools utilisation of performance-based rewards (PBR) to improve teachers’ work performance (TWP). The study employed a qualitative approach and an exploratory case study design. A sample of 20 participants, including heads of schools, teachers, ward educational officers (WEOs), and internal school quality assurance officers (ISQAOs), was selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data collection methods involved interviews and documentary reviews, and were analysed using thematic analysis . The findings revealed that heads of schools utilised the PBR to motivate teachers to increase students’ pass rates in national examinations, fostering a culture of hard work among teachers, and recognizing and celebrating academic achievements in national examinations. Additionally, the study showed that teaching practice focused on content coverage and lack of a conducive teaching and learning environment impeded teachers from effectively integrating the LCA into their lessons. The study concluded that heads of schools utilised PBR to improve TWP. The study recommends expansion of the scope of PBR to include the reward of teachers who effectively incorporate LCA into their instructional practices. The study further recommends providing teachers with training on effectively integrating LCA into their instructional practices and creating teaching and learning environments that are conducive to the implementation of LCA. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of PBR in improving TWP within the context of private secondary schools.

Head teachers’ pedagogical leadership strategies in supporting children’s transition from pre-primary to primary school in Tanzania

Yohana Ephraim — 2024-10-17

This study explored strategies to support children's transition from pre-primary to primary school. It employed a case study design, and semi-structured interviews were administered to nine head teachers and nine pre-primary school teachers from nine public primary schools in Mpwapwa and Chemba District, Tanzania. The collected data were subjected to content analysis. The study’s findings revealed that the provision of teaching and learning resources, stakeholder or community engagement, teacher motivation, a supportive school culture, and learning follow-up are essential pedagogical leadership strategies employed by head teachers to support children's transition from pre-primary to primary school. The study recommends the implementation of pre-headship training programmes and in-service training on Early Childhood Education (ECE) management for head teachers, as well as the provision of increased budgetary allocations for pre-primary education. Since this study was conducted in the pre-primary educational aspect, the study also recommends conducting further research on other aspects of school readiness in an attempt to enable children to easily navigate the transition process into the education system.

Public information dissemination and its impact on force account implementation in Kalambo district council, Tanzania

Stephen Jovenatus — 2024-10-17

The study assessed the dissemination of public information and its impact on the implementation of force accounts in Kalambo District Council in Tanzania. A cross-sectional design was employed in collecting data at one point in time with a mixed approach which was used in an attempt to gain detailed information. A total of 145 participants which included ward development committees, construction committees and community members were involved whereby 46 key informants were selected purposely based on their positions while a simple random sampling technique was used in selecting 99 respondents from the community. The survey, interview, focus group discussion and documentary review method were used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis whereas qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The study findings revealed that information is not easily accessible to the public and a few shared information are not clear due to confidentiality and technical language. The findings also indicate that the public is unaware of the progress force account due to ineffective dissemination of information which leads to untimely completion of works and misuse of resources. The study concludes that there is inadequate information in the implementation of force account projects, thus resulting in poor support, acceleration of low value for money and lack of accountability due to poor public scrutiny. The study recommends that government institutions should emphasise the use of authorised social and religious gathering in an attempt to raise awareness. Moreover, the selected committee must engage the public in decision-making in order to improve transparency in the implementation of projects.

Enhanced internationalisation and marketisation as sustainability ventures for universities in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa

Emmanuel Shu Ngwa — 2024-10-17

This study examined internationalisation and marketisation strategies as sustainability ventures for universities in Nigeria and the Sub-Saharan African region in general. Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa have in recent times been confronted with the challenges of globalisation – a worldwide social, economic and political integration, greatly powered by the evolution of technology. The inability of these institutions to completely stand up to these challenges has impeded their quest towards greater sustainability. A larger percentage of universities in the region lag behind globally in terms of rankings. Considering the significance of university internationalisation and marketisation in sustaining higher education efforts, which Nigerian universities have not adequately exploited; it becomes necessary to review selected best practices and earmark a framework of enhanced internationalisation and marketisation strategies as sustainability ventures to imbibe. The review is anchored on the globalisation theory and the five capital model of sustainability. It adopts a post-positivist qualitative methodology, whereby document review and inductive analyses of existing literature and related secondary sources of information are exploited. The review is hinged on the tri-function (teaching-learning, research and outreach) of universities and the contextual borrowing approach in policy studies. It was evident that we live in a dispensation where no university system can work in isolation. Consequently, stakeholders of Nigerian and Sub-Saharan African Universities have the responsibility to adopt innovative/ICT management systems, adequate research capacity, transformational Leadership and quality assurance practices, that render the universities globally competitive.

Internal quality assurance strategies for enhancing students’ soft skills in Tanzania’s higher education institutions

Samwel Credo — 2024-10-17

This paper explored the strategies used by the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) units of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to enhance soft skills among university students in Tanzania. The qualitative research approach was adopted using a multi-case study design involving a sample of thirty-nine (39) participants obtained through purposive and convenient sampling procedures. The study used interviews, focus group discussion and documentary review methods to collect data for the study. The paper deployed thematic and content analysis procedures in the analysis of data. The findings revealed four quality assurance strategies to enhance university students’ soft skills, including developing and reviewing curricula, prolonged field attachment, student assessment and developing academic personnel. The study concludes that there is more to be done to ensure that HEIs students are competent in soft skills for their future life realities. The study recommends assigning soft skills greater emphasis in HEIs curricula due to their importance in future life of the students. More studies on the studied topic using larger samples and different contexts are also recommended.

The implementation of the fee-free secondary education policy in Ukerewe district, Tanzania: Teachers’ points of view on increased classroom workload

Boniphace Marco — 2024-10-17

The implementation of the fee-free secondary education policy offers significant comprehension into teachers' points of view, particularly regarding workload challenges. Guided by Expectancy-Value Theory, this study explores teachers' points of view on the policy's implementation in the selected government secondary schools in Ukerewe District, Tanzania. A key focus is on whether the government sufficiently considered the increased teacher workload resulting from higher student enrolments. In this article, surveys, non-participant observations, and focus group discussions were utilised to collect first-hand information. This was complemented by documentary reviews for secondary data. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, while quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics. A five-point Likert scale was also designed to assess three hypothetical statements regarding teachers' points of view on the implementation of the policy. In this study, 90.63% of the teachers considered that their workload had significantly increased due to the surge in student numbers following the policy's implementation. The study concludes that the implementation process was flawed, as the government did not recruit additional teachers to meet the growing demand. The study recommends the government to invest in more educational resources and recruit additional teachers to better accommodate the expanding student population.