Browsing by Author "Beichumila, Flavia"

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    Teachers’ professional development and its contribution in science and mathematics teaching in selected secondary schools in Dodoma municipality
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2013) Beichumila, Flavia
    This study examined teachers’ professional development and its contribution in science and mathematics teaching in secondary schools in Tanzania. The study firstly identified the programs for professional development to science and mathematics teachers in secondary schools. Secondly, the study examined accessibility to professional development programs; strategies to improve professional development opportunities and lastly the contribution of professional development programs to teachers and students performance in secondary schools. The study employed the qualitative research approach using descriptive case study design and employing mainly interview and documentary review data collection methods. The sample for the study involved 42 informants. These included eight heads of schools aged between 39 and 70 years (M = 50.75, SD = 9.54), 32 teachers aged between 28 and 60 years (M = 36.84, SD =7.33), one DEO and one REO. The study was conducted in Dodoma municipality. The findings revealed that teachers had low accessibility to the professional development programs. Furthermore, the present findings revealed that professional development programs have contribution on teachers in terms of improvement in confidence in teaching science and mathematics subjects, lesson preparation, teaching styles, laboratory, assessment and improvisation skills, knowledge of the subject matter and increased interest in teaching. Likewise, the findings indicated that professional development programs had contribution on students’ performance. In schools whose majority of teachers had participated in professional development programs, students scored better in science and mathematics subjects than students from schools whose teachers had never participated in professional development programs. The study concluded that professional development programs for science and mathematics teachers are essential in improving their knowledge and skills on the content subject matter and pedagogy which in turn influence students’ performance. The study recommended that as the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training is contemplating on how to improve students’ performance, professional development for teachers be one of such strategies to improve students’ performance.