The University of York
A review of teacher education in Tanzania and the potential for closer links between PRESET and INSET
Professor Frank Hardman
October 2009
A report produced in support to the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) for the Development of an INSET strategy and development plan linked to the Teacher Development and Management Strategy (TDMS) 2008-2013

Table of contents

List of Acronyms

Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

  1. Introduction
  2. Background7
  3. Purpose of consultancy7
  4. Methodology8
  1. Findings
  2. Curricula9
  3. Entry qualifications9
  4. Models of teaching10
  5. Pedagogic Content Knowledge10
  6. Teaching and learning resources11
  7. Professional Studies11
  8. Teaching practice12
  9. School mentors13
  10. Some curriculum priorities13

2.10 Training needs of teachers14

  1. Harmonising PRESET and INSET– options and possibilities
  2. Introduction16
  3. Developing close links with schools16
  4. Infrastructure and learning materials17
  5. School-based training17
  6. Reforming PRESET and INSET18

References20

Annexes22

Acronyms

DEOsDistrict Education Officers

INSETIn-service Education and Training

MoEVTMinistry of Education and Vocational Training

NTEACNational Teacher Education Accreditation Council
PRESETPre-service training

PSLEPrimary School Leaving Examination

TTCsTeacher Training Colleges

TDMSTeacher Development and Management Strategy

TRCsTeacher Resource Centres

UNICEFUnited Nations Children’s Emergency Fund

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This study was made possible by the support and contributions from various individuals, groups and institutions. Specifically we would like to thank MoEVT and UNICEF for their support during the study.

During the field work the District Education Officers, and the staff and students of the TTCs and schools we visited played an important role in the study and we would also like to extend our thanks to them.The study team is very grateful for their support in terms of the commitment and high standards of professionalism shown.

The study team comprised the following:

NikiAbrishamian

Dr Richard W. Chediel,

Professor Frank Hardman

Audax Tibuhinda

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background

In 2008, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) requested the support of UNICEF in developing an INSET Strategy and Operational Plan based on the Teacher Development and Management Strategy (TDMS) 2008 - 2013. A team of consultants was engaged for 3 months to support strategy development culminating in a set of guidelines for the development of an INSET strategy linked to the TDMS (UNICEF, 2009a).

Amongst the report’s chief recommendations was the development of:

  • a school-based national INSET strategy placing teacher development at the school, classroom and cluster level;
  • an overarching national framework of teacher competencies covering both PRESET and INSET;
  • national training modulesfor use at PRESET and INSET allowing for flexible modes of delivery to meet local conditions.

As part of the strategic development of school-based INSET, the report also called for a review of teacher education in Tanzania with a view to developing closer links between PRESET and INSET and stages.

Findings and recommendations

This report presents the findings of the review of teacher education in Tanzaniaand the potential for closer links between PRESET and INSET. Key findings emerging from review of PRESET and its linkages with INSET are:

  • Teacher Training Colleges(TTCs) are often the only postsecondary institution in an area with a concentration of educational professionals, and thus the only source of advice and support to practising teachers (alongside any Teacher Resource Centres that may exist). The current TTCs in Tanzania therefore have many advantages in terms of local location linked to communities or clusters of school and they have an important role to play in PRESET and INSET. However, closer partnership links with schools will have to be developed if this is to become a reality.
  • There is a need to develop a series of national level training materials within an agreed competency frameworksetting out what teachers should know and be able to do in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudesat different stages in their careers, and which can be usedby the TTCs, head teachers, ward coordinators and inspectors at the PRESET and INSET stages.
  • The training modules will need to be designed around a reflective practitioner model which sees teaching as an interactive, problem-solving activity, requiring a thoughtful and reflective approach to classroom practice.
  • To effectively deliver the INSET modules, TTC staff will need orientation training and more systematic CPD. As part of their staff professional development, TTCs could be more closely affiliated to universities and staff given the opportunity to study for a higher degree. This will help provide more opportunities for TTC staff to research the scholarship of primary teaching and broaden their intellectual horizons.
  • Closer links with primary schoolsneed to be established. Training partnerships between TTCs and primary schools could be developed so that highly effective teachers are identified and trained as mentors to student teachers. Such teachers could also be seconded to TTCs to work as tutors. In return, staff from the TTCs could be assigned to schools for periods of time to gain recent and relevant experience of primary teaching.
  • If teacher development is to be effectively delivered with TTC input at school and ward cluster level, colleges will need to liaise closely with district and ward officials in the planning of INSET. Schools will also need to be allocated more time for systematic school-based INSET to take place, with official training days being set aside throughout the school year or during school holidays.
  • The balance between the time and money spent on initial training and subsequent INSET and CPD is a critical policy question for MoEVT. In the longer term, once school-based training and partnership arrangements with TTCs have been established, it may make sense to shorten the period of initial training in favour of more training inputs for NQTs and experienced teachers as their careers develop. Amongst other things, this has the benefit of directing INSET resources towards those teaching in the classroom.

Implementation

In the light of the abovefindings and recommendations, the following phases of implementation are suggested:

Timescale / Activity
November – December 2009 / Conduct a review of PRESET and INSET curricula against a nationally agreed teacher competency framework
January – March 2010 / Develop a generic teaching and learning module together with specialist training modules in English, maths and science
April – July 2010 / Train teacher educators, head teachers, inspectors and ward coordinators in the use of modules
April – July 2010 / Develop quality indicators for monitoring and evaluating PRESET and INSET provision
September – December 2010 / Development ‘advanced’ modules for more effective teachers who can act as curriculum leaders and student mentors in schools
September 2010 – August 2013 / Roll out training: 3 teachers from a primary school trained each year (i.e. 1 English, 1 maths, 1 science

1INTRODUCTION

1.1Background

In 2008, the Ministry of Education and Vocational training requested the support of UNICEF in developing an INSET Strategy and Operational Plan based on the Teacher Development and Management Strategy (TDMS) 2008 – 2013). A team of consultants was engaged for 3 months to support a baseline evaluation of INSET provision and the quality of teaching and learning in Tanzanian state primary schools and the subsequentdevelopment of an INSET strategy for primary teachers (UNICEF, 2009a).

Eight major recommendations emerged from the INSET Strategy and Operational Plan based on the TDMS:

  1. A well developed school-based development model for INSET
  2. A teacher competency framework established
  3. An agreed set of professional values and practice
  4. An effective scheme of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) which includes developing a series of training modules and the use of a variety of learning opportunities (blended learning) appropriate to conditions put in place
  5. A workable and agreed Incentive and Accreditation system in place
  6. A Professional Board (National Teacher Education Accreditation Council (NTEAC) for accrediting institutions and programmes in Teacher Education established
  7. A Human Resource Strategy developed for key players to manage systems
  8. A Communication Strategy that utilises a variety of means to establish good communication about the Professional Development System.

In discussing the role of TTCs, the report recognised the central role that they could play in teacher education beyond the initial stages of training. As part of the strategic development of school-based INSET, the report called for a review of teacher education in Tanzania with a view to developing closer links between the PRESET and INSET stages.

1.2 Purpose of consultancy

The main purpose of the consultancy was to develop guidelines for the design and implementation of the INSET in the seven learning Districts so as to inform the scaling up of INSET at a national level. As stated in the Terms of Reference (Annex 1) by September 2009, the consultant would:

  1. Conduct a rapid review of the overall primary teacher education system, including pre-service training and its linkages with INSET.
  2. Prepare a short report outlining how best the linkages can be enhanced with an emphasis on implications for INSET design.
  3. Develop an agreed set of primary teacher competencies, linked to the teacher qualification framework, with MoEVT’s guidance, through a participatory workshop with key stakeholders.
  4. Identify how the competencies will be used in developing the training materials/modules based on the competency framework.
  5. Prepare a final report of the work, including all the above outputs.

1.3 Methodology

The study was designed as a situation analysis of TTCs to see what capacity they had for delivering INSET in addition to their traditional role of providing PRESET. The study used a mixed-method approach (literature review, interviews, observations and documentary analysis) to allow for methodological triangulation to achieve greater validity and reliability. Prior to the visits to the colleges, a review of the Tanzanian and international academic and grey literature on teacher education was conducted. Each of the research instruments (Annex 2) were related to each other, ensuring a fully integrated research design.

Three colleges covering a wide geographical spread (Morogoro, Ilong, Tandala) were visited and semi-structured interviews were conducted with principals (n= 3) and focus group interviews with college lecturers (n = 18) and students (n = 18). The interviews explored their perceptions of the effectiveness of PRESET and INSET in terms of policy, mode of delivery and impact on teaching, learning and assessment, and the role colleges could play in delivering INSET. Alongside the interviews, observations of teaching in the TTCs were carried out (N= 12). Visits to three demonstrationschools attached to the TTCs were also arranged to interviewhead teachers (n= 3) and teaching staff (n = 18) about the PRESET partnership arrangements and provision of INSET. In addition to the TTC visits, interviews with District Officers (n = 3) wereconducted to examine current INSET arrangements with the TTCs and their potential for offering more systematic training.

In order to look at the pedagogic skills and knowledge covered in the PRESET and INSET training materials currently provided in the TTCs, a content analysis was carried out on all the materials made available to us. The focus of the documentary analysis was on those aspects of the curriculum which directly addressed pedagogic content knowledge and the promotion of active forms of learning, gender sensitivity and reflective practice.

2FINDINGS

2.1Curricula

Each of the colleges offers a 2-year full-time certificate course in primary school teaching with the curricula concurrently covering:

  • Subject Content Knowledge: knowledge and understanding of school subjects in the primary curriculum;
  • Pedagogic Content Knowledge (often known as methods courses): teaching methods and ways of assessing learning related to specific subject areas and matched to the capabilities of learners;
  • Professional Studies: understanding of how children learn and how cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and social development take place, knowledge and skill in classroom management and pastoral care, craft knowledge of effective techniques to promote learning, acquisition of professional identities as a teacher, awareness of relevant educational history, psychology, sociology, philosophy, legislation, responsibilities etc;
  • Teaching Practicum: opportunities to practice teaching under supervision from teachers and college tutors.

In addition, the pre-service programmes included more general programmes fortrainees to support personal growth, develop social confidence and leadership skills, and prepare young adults for taking on the responsibilities of being a teacher. All of the colleges were preparing the trainees to teach across the primary curriculum, i.e. to be able to teach all subject areas, and to play a full role in pastoral development. They also provided for a degree of specialisation,especially for upper primary teachers. This is most often related to core subjects - English, Kiswahili, mathematics, science - and in some cases also to teach subjects which are thoughtto require special expertise such as art, craft and music.

2.2Entry qualifications

The majority of students had entered the TTCs straight from school, although some were in their early twenties having had a gap since leaving schooland some experience of teaching suggesting their training needs were likely to be different to those entering straight from school. The majority of entrants came from family backgroundswhere the cultural and academic capital they bring with them to the trainingexperience is constrained. Many are from households with low levels of parentaleducation and non-professional livelihoods. The academic level of many of the entrants was weak and many had the minimalqualifications necessary for entrance so they were unlikely to have secure grounding incore subjects. This finding is supported by research by Towse et al (2002) who found a substantial proportion of students entering TTCs in Tanzania seeprimary teaching as a career choice of last resort or as a transitory phase in a questfor opportunities for further study.

The teacher education curricula in the three TTCs did not appear to make special provision for upgrading English language fluencyor for workingwith pupils in a multi-lingual environment where linguistic code-switching is likely tobe common. This was despite the fact that many would have to teach English on the timetable and cope with multi-lingual classrooms. It was reported by the college principals that simply raising minimum entry qualifications for Englishor other core subjects would reduce the numbers of qualified entrants and exacerbate teacher supply problems. This suggests that bridging programmes to raise the academic achievement prior to entry and enrichment of college curricula are needed to address the English language needs of students and upgrade their subject knowledge.

2.3Models of teaching

Because of their own experiences of being taught in primary and secondary school, traineeteachers often have poorly-developed images of good primary teachers. Often these models are essentially transmission-based which stress hierarchical learning of knowledgeand conventional teacher-centred classroom organisation (Osaki et al, 2002; UNICEF, 2009b). These images can becontrasted with those found in much recent curriculum literature which promotes morereflective and dialogic (rather than knowledge-centred) methods of teaching (Alexander, 2001; Lewin, 2005; Barrett, 2007). Theimages and beliefs of trainees about teaching and teachers constitute a starting pointfor training and their qualities and diversity need to be appreciated and incorporated intothe curriculum development process.

Our interviews with college tutors suggest that some have surprisinglylittle detailed knowledge of the characteristics of the cohorts of students they train, and of the school environments that newly trained teachers enter. Some have come straight from university degrees with no experience of teaching in the primary school and some just have secondary teaching experience. Sometimes the TTCs appear to be training students for schools as tutors think they ought to be, rather than for schools as they are. This cannot be an asset in tailoring curricular experience to a realistic appraisal of student training needs (Lewin, 2005). Nor can it be a basis for more responsive and reflective modes of training that recognise differences, address questions of motivation and commitment, and prepare traineesfor their first appointment (Lewin & Stuart, 2003).

2.4Pedagogic Content Knowledge

Pedagogic Content Knowledge (PCK) refers to the knowledge skills and attitudes thatare needed to teach subjects effectively and should therefore be central to teacher training curricula both at the PRESET and INSET stages. Such PCK courses have the goal of giving teachers skills in creating theconditions under which learning can take place. Extensive research into pre-service training in sub-Saharan Africathat PCK is best acquired through a mixture of theory and practice (Lewin & Stuart, 2003). Therefore learning experiences in training that move trainees between principles to practice and back again may be more powerful in translating ideas into classroom competencies than lectures which precede practice with no subsequent feedback. However, research suggests that the dynamic linking of college-based learning to its application in the classroom in sub-Saharan Africais the exception rather than therule (Lewin, 2005). PCK needs to be demonstrated as well as discussed. Thus lecturing about the potential of group work or practical work in science, both of which we observed in our visits, and not adopting it as a pedagogy in the training process, will send out ambiguous messages to the students. Such poor pedagogic practice, where large groups of trainees are lectured for much of the time despite relatively low staff-student ratios, suggests thatadvocacy of new pedagogies may sometimes be more in name than in practice.

Our observations and reading of TTC tutor lecture notes suggest that training in the realities of teaching in Tanzanian primary schools is often missing. Rather, we observed that the training content moreoften than not is derived from external sources (method books publishedinternationally, lecture notes from overseas training courses etc), and is not based on grounded classroom-based research from Tanzanian classrooms. This is a partial explanation as to why some key dimensions of PCK (teaching large classes, multi-grade strategies for small schools, language code switching, social constructivist approaches to lesson planning) often seemed absent from the curriculum materials we reviewed.