Stakeholders' views towards one-month teacher training program for form six leavers in Tanzania

This study explored educational stakeholders' views towards effectiveness of one-month teacher training program for form six leavers with particular focus on three regions (Morogoro, Iringa and Mbeya) in Mainland Tanzania. The main aim was to see effectiveness of the program to the expense of quality education. The study design used both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The study had a sample of 98 respondents. The respondents were 9 tutors, 2 zonal school inspectors, 6 secondary schools heads, 11 licensed teachers and 70 students. The study employed questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, documentary review and observations to elicit information from the sampled population. Data analysis involved cross-tabulation, frequencies and percentages. Findings indicated that initiatives towards implementing the program were not shown, because most licensed teachers had minimum acquisition of teaching skills. Such teachers encountered difficulties in preparing lesson plans, schemes of works and in handling students' discipline matters due to the limited time for the program. It was concluded that implementation of the Secondary Education Development Plan (SEDP) for secondary schools was unsatisfactory. Unless, the current curriculum be revised in terms of content, prolonging the program to three months and extend the program on the job-training, the Plan would be successful.