Challenges faced by government secondary school teachers in Kahama municipality, Tanzania
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Date
2014
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This study explored the challenges facing government secondary school teachers using Kahama Municipality as a case study. Specifically, the study explored the causes of the challenges facing teachers in their profession; investigated how lack of motivation negatively affects the teaching profession; and investigated reasons for declining status of teachers and the teaching profession in addition to suggesting what ought to be done to overcome the challenges encountered in the teaching profession. The study drew conceptual framework from Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and David Mc Clelland’s Achievement Theory. A case study design, mainly the qualitative approach was deployed to obtain the required data. The samples were purposively selected to get a typical representative sample for the entire study population. The questionnaire, interviews, focus group discussion, documentary review and observation were used to collect data. The instruments were used conveniently with the respect of the place and time available for the respondent. Data was analysed through content analysis. The findings indicate that the majority of teachers face the common challenges such as low salaries, poor promotion procedures, lack of opportunity for professional development, poor working and living conditions, overcrowded classes, higher workload, poor school leadership, HIV/AIDS scourge, transport problems, lack of professional board and irregular curriculum changes. These challenges demoralised the teachers so much that some left the profession for other fields whereas others remained in the field but without the necessary dedication. Moreover, the study established that there was drastic decline of teachers’ status and teaching profession attendant upon entry into the teaching profession, low payment, lack of professional board, engagement in loans, teachers’ misbehaviour such as drunkardness and several misconducts like lack of commitments and trust. Apart from teachers being demorolised, study concludes that, level of performance in public secondary schools has declined due to lack of motivation which also led to steadily declining teachers’ status and the teaching profession. On the basis of these findings, the study recommends a need to review salaries and teachers’ compensation, improvement of accommodation for teachers, establishment of an open system for professional development and promotion, improvement of working environment, the establishment of transport and house rent loans schemes. To deal with indiscipline of some teachers, a professional code of conduct and teaching of ethics should be instituted as a course in teacher training colleges in addition to introducing a professional regulatory board.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Chagula Library, Class mark Dr. Wilbert (THS EAF LB1737.T34O42)
Keywords
High school teachers, Social conditions, Kahama Municipality, Tanzania
Citation
Andrew, W. (2014) Challenges faced by government secondary school teachers in Kahama municipality, Tanzania, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam