Assessing the effectiveness of demonstration primary schools in achieving the mission of colleges of teacher education in Tanzania

The study assessed the effectiveness of demonstration primary schools in achieving the mission of colleges of teacher education in Tanzania. Three research objectives guided the study: (i) to identify the objectives of establishing demonstration primary schools in Tanzania; (ii) to assess whether or not demonstration primary schools are effective in the realization of the mission of colleges of teacher education; (iii) to find out the challenges demonstration primary schools face that hampered the attainment of stipulated objectives and measures to mitigate the identified challenges. Mixed approaches informed the study. The study drew on the multiple case study design. A total of 121 participants took part in the study. Data were collected through interviews, Focus Group discussions, questionnaires and document analysis. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis and interpretation of the results whereas quantitative data were analysed manually to get percentages. The findings established that demonstration primary schools were established purposefully alongside Teacher Colleges to provide student teachers with opportunities to practice what they learnt from college. The participants disclosed that demonstration primary schools facilitated teaching practicum, imparting of educational leadership skills, promoting and developing professional learning and maintaining social relationship as originally intended. However, it found that demonstration primary schools currently faced a problem of challenged with poor teacher motivation, poor infrastructure, professional incompetence, inadequate teaching and learning and financial constraints. On the basis of these findings, the study concludes that demonstration primary schools helped to achieve the primary objectives of preparing student teachers’ to undertake teaching profession roles and responsibilities effectively. However, they need to be further developed and improved by government to enhance quality teacher professional development consistence with the demands of the twenty-first century.