Browsing by Author "Uiso, Aisa"

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    Teacher self-assessment: a strategy for professional growth
    (Unversity of Dar es Salaam, 2007) Uiso, Aisa
    Teacher Self-Assessment is an essential, though neglected part of teacher's daily performance. This study is concerned with teacher self-assessment and its relevance in promoting professional growth. The purpose of the Study was to find out whether self-assessment is practiced and to what extent it is practiced by science teachers in Tanzanian schools. The Objectives of the study were:- Firstly, to find out the extent to which teacher self-ass essment is practiced by science teachers in Tanzania, secondly, to determine the extent to which self-assessment is encouraged and practiced to improve teacher efficacy, and thirdly, to nnd out whether teacher elfficacy influences science teacher'k perfoman ce. There fore study was guided by four research questions namely:- Isteacher self-assessment practiced by science teachers in Tanzanian secondary schools? -How is teacher self-assessment encouraged and practiced in secondary schools? -Does self-assessment contribute to Teacher Efficacy? -Does Teacher Efficacy influence teacher performance? The study was carried out in four schools flom Moshi Rural and Urban Districts. A total of 28 Certificate of Secondary Education, Science and Mathematics teachers participated in the study. Data was collected using: Questionnaires, Self-Assessment Tools and Interviews personally administered by the researcher to the respondents. It was found from the study that teachers have a theoretical understanding of what self- assessment is. The majority of teachers, in resplonse to questionnaire questions, indicated that self-assessment is practiced in their schools. However, during the interviews the teachers revealed that self-assessment is not e#ectively practiced and many considered self-assessment a new thing. With respect to how self-assessment is practiced, it was discovered that teachers mostly use student's tests and examination results as an indicator for assessing their own perfomiance. This however is done so naturally that most teachers do not consider it as self-assessment. It was found out that teacher self-assessment contributes to teacher efficacy by giving the teachers confidence in handling difficult topics and difHcult students and this contributes to teacher's perfiomtance by influencing teachers to work harder to achieve goals and hence making them more competent. It was ncommended that teacher self-assessment be taught in teacher training programs as a separate topic, so that teachers may develop the skills ofassessing themselves'8om early on. Furthemiore, the reseucher recommended that an in-depth study should be carried out over a longer period oftime using a few teachers so as to observe changes in teacher's performance as they apply self-assessment instruments in their daily practice.