BRIEF REPORT ON SPINE DISSEMINATION WORKSHOP FOR STAKEHOLDERS IN ZANZIBAR
1.0Introduction:
After the completion of studies 5.1 & 5.2 on students demonstration of subject knowledge in Science through L2 medium of instruction the SPINE research teams arranged for dissemination of the findings . Apart from the dissemination carried out in international conferences other sessions followed at national level in Zanzibar .Hence 8 workshop sessions : 5 in Unguja and 3 in Pemba were conducted on different dates between Tuesday 27th April 2010 and Friday 7th May 2010.
1.1Paticipants:
Teachers
Headteachers
Teacher Centre Coordinators
Subject advisors
Subject Inspectors
Exam Setters
Exam Moderators
Exam Administrators
Director of Curriculum and examination
1.2Selection of participants:
Except for TC coordinators and the headteachers, all the other participants shown above were invited to the workshops by virtue of their subject specializations, the workshop focus being those teaching or involved in science subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics) and English Language. However, it coincided that some of the headteachers were teaching science subjects in their schools and some TC coordinators had been either teaching science or humanities. Also it was noticed that the English Language teachers were either teaching Kiswahili, Geography or History as another combining subject.
About 51 schools in Unguja and 35 schools in Pemba inclusive of the target schools which participated in the research as well as the remote oneswere represented .Each school was required to give 5 teachers including the headteacher. However, it was not possible for most schools particularly the rural ones because some schools were sharing science teachers and for those schools which have their own most of the teachers were teaching more than one science subject.
Total School Coverage by Districts :
UNGUJA Districts / PEMBA DistrictsNorth A & NorthB / Central / South / West / Urban / TOTAL / Mkoani / Chake / Wete / Michewen / TOTAL
No.of Schools / 12 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 7 / 43 / 9 / 10 / 9 / 7 / 35
Teachers’ Turn up by subject :
SUBJECT / NO. OF TEACHERSUNGUJA / PEMBA
Biology / 18 / 13
Chemistry / 16 / 11
Maths / 13 / 11
English / 15 / 11
TOTAL / 6 2 / 46
Head teachers with a teaching role by subject
Subject / No.of head teachersUNGUJA / PEMBA
English / 09 / 05
Biology / 03 / 05
Chemistry / 06 / 05
Maths / 06 / 06
Geography / 05 / 07
Kiswahili / 05 / 05
History / 03 / 01
Arabic / 01 / 01
TOTAL / 38 / 34
Turn up of other workshop participants:
Participant / Turn up / Subject representationUNGUJA / PEMBA / UNGUJA / PEMBA
Subject Inspectors / 06 / 05 / Eng, Maths, Chem, Biol. / Eng, Physics,Biol.,Maths, Chem
TC coordinators / 04 / 06
Subject Advisors / 04 / 06
Resource teachers / 05 / _
INSET Officer / 01 / _
Exam setters / 04
Exam moderators / 04
Exam supporting staff(admins) / 05
TOTAL / 33 / 17
Workshop Dates:
Session for / Date / FacilitatorsExam setters & exam moderators / Tuesday, 27 April 2010 / Dr. Neil Ingram & Mr. Mohamed Abeid
UNGUJA / PEMBA
Teachers / Tuesday,
27April2010 / Wednesday,
5 May 2010 / Zuleikha, Amour, Abdulla, Haji , Mohamed*
Head teachers / Wednesday,
8 April 2010 / Thursday,
6 May 2010 / Zuleikha, Amour, Abdulla, Haji , Mohamed
TC coordinators, Subject advisors, inspectors resource teachers / Thursday,
29 April 2010 / Friday,
7 May 2010 / Zuleikha, Amour, Abdulla, Haji , Mohamed
Director of Curriculum & Exams,Inspectors* & exam administrators / Wednesday ,
28 April 2010 / _ / Dr. Neil Ingram & Mr. Mohamed Abeid
- Mohamed worked with Neil for 2 days with exam personnel in Unguja and then joined the other RTMs when the sessions with Neil were over.
- The Unguja inspectors did not join the group of TC coordinators and subject advisors
2.0Workshop Proceedings:
In the teachers and headteachers sessions because of big rolls, the participants firstly were asked to sit according to their subjects. Then they identified themselves by numbers 1, 2, 3 to form three larger groups. Later the larger groups had to identify themselves again by number 1,2,3,4, and/ or 5 to split into smaller groups of manageable size. Eventually each ‘parent group’ came out into three small constituent groups which had a heterogeneous mix of all the target subject teachers and the additional ones which crop up coincidentally.
Tasks:
Three tasks were set each for one parent group which is to be shared by its constituents. Each constituent group was seated separate from one another and discussion was group - dependents so that views are absolutely original of individual sub groups.
Task 1: Theme: Students’ Responses on Post - Examination Interviews
Task Question:
When students write examinations or tests some of them comment that the questions are difficult and could not attempt them well, some leave the questions unanswered at all while some try to answer them partially with incomplete parts. In your teaching and learning experience what problems do you think students face when answering examination / test questions? What makes an exam question easy and what makes it difficult?
Task 2: Theme: Teachers’ Responses on Assessment System
Task Question:
In your experience as a teacher/ head teacher do you think that there is a need to keep continuous assessment for students? Whether your answer is Yes or No please give reasons.
(The wording of these tasks was accordingly adjusted to suit a particular category of participants).
Task 3: Theme: Students’ Performance in the Modified exams
Task Question:
a)In your experience as a teacher/ head teacher can you predict which of the three versions of language (English only, Bilingual i.e. English and Kiswahili and Kiswahili only) would likely enable the students to perform better if it is used to write examinations? Give reasons for your prediction.
b)Do you think language isa factor in students learning and demonstration of subject knowledge content in science?
All the groups that were discussing tasks 2 & 3 had a controversial discussion. The responses shown below have been taken from a common and general perspective.
The workshop was conducted in English but some participants were not articulate enough so for the sake of equity they were allowed to give their views in Kiswahili.
2.1Participants ‘Responses:
Task 1 / Task2 / Task3Language problem – unfamiliar words / Assessment should continue to be recorded because it helps and motivates students but should be done honestly. Head teachers should take strict supervision / Students will perform better in Kiswahili because it is their mother tongue; it is familiar; some teachers teach them in Kiswahili.
Unclear instructions
Teachers use Kiswahili mostly in class but during exams students answer in English. Teachers do not demonstrate practical until the last moment nearing exams / No there is no need of keeping assessment. It is a waste of time because no fairness and consistent manner by teachers / Students will perform better in Bilingual because it simplifies terminologies, concepts and instructions, it translates the English instructions
Students do not come to the topic- incomplete syllabus
Students do not understand the language of exams
Science subjects are difficult
Some questions lack clear instructions
Students lack enough vocabulary
Some students are truants they don’t have enough content / No need of keeping assessment because exams are enough. Large classes it is too much for teachers to assess all the students work appropriately. / Students will perform poorly in English because: it is a foreign language; they don’t understand it; in the classroom they are taught in Kiswahili but write exams in English; the duration of shift to English is too short compared to 7 years of primary school under Kiswahili instructions
Students lack learning skills and facilities
Teachers use Kiswahili throughout in class but exams appear in English / No there is no need of keeping assessment of students because it is not valid. Slow learners just copy from other students / No, language is not a factor , factor is long syllabus, poor teaching methods, lack of interest in science
In appropriate teaching methods
Misconception of words. Words are not contextualized
No simplification of words - exam setters and moderators are assessing themselves and not the students !!!!☺ / Ndiyo kwa sababu mitihani pekee haitoshi kupima wanafunzi. Je kama mwanafunzi akipata matatizo wakati wa mitihani hizo alama atazipata wapi? Assessment ziwepo lakini ziwe na usimamizimadhubuti.( Yes we need to keep assessment . Exams only cannot suffice the need. What if a student encounters a problem during exams where will he/she get the marks? Assessment should continue but should be well supervised) / Yes, language is a factor because students won’t understand question instructions if they don’t understand the language
Hatuhitaji maana zina upendeleo, mwanao utamtilia nyingi lakini kwenye mtihani wewe huko.(We don’t need to keep assessment because there is no fairness, you give your child a high score but you forget that you won’t be there at the exam processing) / A student will perform better in any language version if he/ she has enough content
Ndiyo tunahitaji lakini utaratibu wa darasani uwe mzuri uwestrong(Yes we need it but the classroom recording system should be firm. Should be strong)
Hakuna haja maana hazimpimi mwanafunzi kimtihani. Maswali tunayotoa darasani ni mepesikuliko ya mtihani(No there is no need because they do not actually measure the students and tune him/ her to the exams format. The classroom tasks are too simple and easy to match with the exam questions)
Assessment ziendelee kuwekwa. Zinamsaidia mwanafunzi kuongeza bidii ya masomo. Uwepo usimamizi madhubuti walimu wasiachiwe kufanya wanavyotakatu(Assessment should continue to be kept. It motivates students to work hard. There should be firm supervision and not letting teachers use their own discretion)
No there is no need because some teachers are not assessing student learning progress but they assess their facial looks instead.!!!!☺
Yes we need them because they show us students strengths and weaknesses in learning
After the discussions individual group constituents were asked to display their charts on the board and one member of each group was coming to the front at a time to present their views. The above responses came up from such discussions.
When all individual group presentations were over, the RTMs chipped in to present the study findings and participants got a chance to match their views with the research findings. Eventually there was a general plenary discussion the regarding overall research findings and finally the participants were asked to say in their own words the message that the study findings were trying to give, how concerned are they in the message of the research and what advice they would like to give to the decision- makers.
Views from the Plenary Discussions:
Task 2: / Task 2: / Task 2:Question: / Question: / Question:
When students write examinations or tests some of them comment that the questions are difficult and could not attempt them well, some leave the questions unanswered at all while some try to answer them partially with incomplete parts. In your teaching and learning experience what problems do you think students face when answering examination / test questions? What makes an exam question easy and what makes it difficult?
RESPONSES:
- Medium of Instruction ni tatizo hata sisi wenyewe walimu hatujui Kiingereza, hatuwezi kujieleza kwa Kiingereza, tunamtarajiaje mwanafunzi aweze kujibu mitihani kwa Kiingereza?(The medium of instruction is the problem. If we teachers are not proficient in English we cant express ourselves properlyin English howcould we expect students to be able to answer exams in English?)
- Mradi wa orientation ambao uliwalazimisha walimu na wanafunzi watumie Kiingereza mbona ulitufanya sisi walimu na wanafunzi tujue Kiingereza? Bado hakujawa na sheria ya kutaka masomo yote yafundishwe kwa Kiingereza. Tungali tunafanya mzaha ( The Orientation programme restricted teachers and students to use English and it managed to upgrade our proficiency both teachers and students How?. There isn’t still a regulation on English across the curriculum we are only joking.)
- School –based training ifanywe maskuli. Haw panel leaders wanafanya nini humu maskuli?
- Tatizo ni wanaotunga mitihani ha wamuangalii mwanafunzi level yake kwa mfano tukiangalia paper za O – level manenoyanayotumiwa hata sisi walimu yanatushinda. Maneno rahisi yapo kwa nini mtu atumie maneno magumu? Suala hili liangaliwe. (The problem is with the exam setters they are not concerned with the students level of proficiency. For instance if we look at the O level papers the vocabulary used in the papers is too tough for even we (teachers) to comprehend. Why should one choose to use difficult words when the simple ones are there? This issue should be looked into.)
RESPONSES: / In your experience as a teacher/ head teacher can you predict which of the three versions of language (English only, Bilingual i.e. English and Kiswahili and Kiswahili only) would likely enable the students to perform better if it is used to write examinations. Give reasons for your prediction.
Do you think language is a factor in students learning and demonstration of subject knowledge content in science?
RESPONSES:
- Chanzo cha tatizo ni sisi wenyewe si wanafunzi
- Katika assessment kuwe na maswali common ambayo yatachukuliwa maksi wengine si wakweli
- Bodi ya Elimu iliyopo ibadilishwe. Iwe na wajumbe mchanganyiko mpaka kutoka vyama vya siasa (The current Education Board should be changed to include different people from different organizations including political parties)
- University graduates wasipewe madarasa ambayo hawana University experience nayo kwa kuwa ni graduate (University graduates should not be allocated classes which they are not experience d to teach just for the sake of being a graduate)
- It appears that when the tests were administered under supervision of SPINE the conditions were so tight and that’s why the scores were generally low
Shortage of science teachers. In my school I allocated Biology to a teacher who qualified in teaching Arabic and religious studies. I had no other alternative
- Mimi TC coordinator nadhani kuna mambo zaidi ya lugha yanayo changia low achievement. Kama lugha ya Kiingereza ni tatizo mbona wanafunzi wa darasa la 7 wanafundishwa kwa Kiswahili na wanafeli kwenda michepuo. (I TC coordinator have an opinion that there are factors other than language that contribute to low achievement. If the English Language is the problem why are the standard 7 students who are taught in Kiswahili since standard one not able to pass well the exams written in Kiswahili to enter special biased classes in Form one?
- Wasomi wanaona wanafunzi wanafanya vibaya lakini mbona jamii inawaona wanapasi na wanaendelea na form 3? Huu utafiti wenu umeangalia hizi assessment huko juu zinapitishwaje?
Afisa mitihani alisema kuwa mwanafunzi ikiwa hana assessment asipelekewe dash mgaie chochote japo 5 au 10. Huu mpango wa assessment uko wapi. Hao Necta wanao mpango wao. Mwanafunzi anaehudhuria masomo kwa kawaida hakosi assessment. Assessment si kurikodi alama tu inataka walimu wawe wakweli na waadilifu. Je sisi walimu ni wakweli na waadilifu? (One Examination Officer said that if a student doesn’t have assessment he/she should not be presented with a dash but be offered some marks even 5 or 10, where is the assessment system? Even NECTA have a kind of system. A regular student wont miss assessment. Assessment is not mere recording of marks it requires teachers to be fair and honest. Are we being fair and honest?)
Sisi walimu kuna wanafunzi tunajua hawapiti kwenye mitihani lakini yakija matokeo utawasikia wamepasi (We teachers know that some of the students are not capable of passing the exams but when the results are out you hear that they have passed)
Ilivyo assessment zinataka mwanafunzi apewe anachostahiki sivyo hali halisi ilivyo. Mwalimu Mkuu mwanafunzi kama hukumpelekea maksi fomu zinarejeshwa
(Ideally assessment requires students to earn what he/ she deserves but the situation is not like that. If a head teacher submits assessment forms with students who don’t have marks the forms are sent back to him/her)
Tatizo ni kuwa sisi walimu tunaotumia Kiingereza muda wote skuli hatupendwi na baadhi ya wanafunzi. Wengine hawatusikilizi na wengine wanakimbia madarasa.(The problem is that we teachers who use English frequently in the classroom s are not liked by students. They tend to be inattentive when we teach in English or else run away from classes) /
- Mimi mkaguzi naona wanafunzi hawana content knowledge ingekuwa wanayo wange score vizuri kwenye version za bilingual( I inspector feel that students lack in content knowledge. If they had it they would have scored well in the bilingual versions
- Haiwezekani kuwa wanafunzi content hawapewi ila ni interest hawana (another inspector)