Effects of teachers’ ageing on their teaching performance in secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality in Tanzania

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of teachers’ ageing on their teaching performance in selected secondary schools in Morogoro municipality. The study specifically focused on examining the role of elderly teachers in teaching, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of teachers’ ageing to their teaching performance and finding out gender differences on elderly teachers’ work performance. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed in this study to collect data from 251 respondents; mainly education officers, secondary schools education inspectors, heads of schools, secondary schools subjects teachers, secondary schools students and retired teachers. Interviews, questionnaires, observations, focus group discussions and documentary reviews were used to gather data. It was found that elderly teachers play significant roles in covering gaps of shortage of teachers and acting as role models for young teachers and students. The weakness of teachers’ ageing on their teaching performance was the inability to afford heavy work load. It was found that Tanzania Ageing Policy contributed to loss of teachers who are still energetic enough to teach. Various teachers’ strengths which were thought to be improving with ageing were mentioned as, honest and discipline. The weakening ones were physical ability and activeness. Determinants of teachers’ retirement were age and individuals’ working ability. There were no significant differences between female and male teachers in teaching. Gender difference in teaching among retired teachers was that only a few retired female teachers applied for extension of teaching time compared to male retired teachers. It was concluded that elderly teachers play a significant role in secondary schools teaching and that some teachers’ qualities strengthen while some others weaken with ageing. It was recommended that retirement age remain sixty years for both male and female teachers and that after retirement any teacher was free to continue teaching or quit the job completely. It was also recommended that a further study be conducted on gender differences amongst retired teachers since there was no retired female teachers in secondary schools as there were male teachers.