Perception of secondary school teachers towards teaching profession and their effects on teaching practices in Mbeya city council

The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of secondary school teachers towards teaching profession and their effects on teaching practices in Mbeya city. The study intended to accomplish three objectives namely exploring the perceptions of secondary school teachers towards teaching profession, identifying the factors leading to teachers’ perceptions and, lastly, finding out the effects of teachers perceptions on their teaching practices. The study consisted of 80 respondents composed of City secondary education officer, chief city school inspector, heads of schools and secondary school teachers. The study employed qualitative research approach and case study design whereby the data required were collected through interview, focus group discussion and observation methods. Data were subjected to content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that teachers held different perceptions whereby others perceived teaching profession as service, mother of other professions, security job, disregarded profession, profession of low income, bridging step to other professions and profession like any other professions. Inadequate salaries and low income for teachers, poor working environment, poor preparation of teachers at college level, poor leadership were attributed to those perceptions. Teachers’ perceptions have effects on their teaching practices whereby teachers who perceive teaching profession in positive way perform teaching practices well while those perceive teaching in negative way perform teaching practices poorly. The study recommends that, teachers should be involved in decision making concerning education matters, government through the ministry of education should train only people with high qualification in order to correct the notion that teaching is for poor performers in schools and higher education students loan board should provide loans fairly to all courses by doing so only willing students will join teaching and it will help to retain teachers.