PhD Viva Voce

Qualifications Attained:

Ms. Rose Mgaya is a PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Foundations, Management and Lifelong Learning at the University of Dar es Salaam. She holds a Master of Arts in Education degree, Bachelor of Arts in Education degree of the University of Dar es Salaam and a Diploma in Education from Morogoro Teacher’s College. She is a professional teacher who accumulated teaching experience as a secondary school teacher in Moshi Municipality (Kilimanjaro region). Currently, Ms. Mgaya is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Educational Foundations, Management and Lifelong Learning of Dar es Salaam University College of Education. She teaches education foundation courses with special interest in philosophy of education, teacher professionalism and ethics in education.

Abstract:

This study sought to investigate the manner in which the teaching profession and teacher professionalisation were handled and managed in Tanzania in relation to standards and practice developed globally and maintained in the globally acknowledged ‘high-performing education systems (HPES)’ in a sample of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) group of countries. More specifically, the study sought to identify the characteristics of the teaching profession in these countries and the extent to which research findings on the policy and practice in Tanzania diverged from the standards or fell short of expectations towards best practices. The research was informed by the structural-functionalist theory and, within this, by Lieberman’s teaching-service perspective. The study adopted a qualitative research approach by using mixed-methods of data collection, involving intensive literature review and document analysis in connection with the OECD countries on the one hand and, on the other, participant observations, questionnaire surveys and interviews that were conducted accordingly in respect of a total of 258 participants in Tanzanian schools, teacher training colleges, government ministerial departments and agents. From the analysis of findings, there was (and is) a high variation in the range of practice in teacher professionalisation and professionalism between Tanzania on the one hand and the OECD countries in terms of search, selection and recruitment of teacher candidates for the vocation just as seems to be variation in the programmes and mode of preparation, induction, working environment and status conferred upon the teachers and the teaching profession. Among other things, Tanzania seemed to indicate a distinctively low level of performance and achievement, relative to indicators for OECD country educational systems—particularly in the essential policy and practice areas of specification for recruitment of candidates for teacher training; duration, content and methods of programme of the initial teacher training; and professional in-service development—with all these bearing potentially vicious impacts on classroom teaching-learning environments, teacher-pupil relationships and results. In the light of these reported findings and implications, the study recommends for the teacher education system in Tanzania adoption of an approach, methods and techniques of teacher attraction and training as practised generally in the OECD group of countries. Details of the characteristics of high-performing education system (HPES) attributes recommended include (i) an elongated period of pre-service teacher education of not less than four years to ensure a potentially well-trained and well-groomed academic-cum-professionally competent teaching force; (ii) a broad range of professional power and autonomy for teachers; (iii) documentation and availability to teachers of a transparent code of professional conduct and ethics; (iv) in-service training opportunities for continuous professional development for teachers on-post; as well as (v) enactment and empowerment of an independent self-governing regulatory body as an instrument for teachers to handle many of the diverse issues of interest.