Teaching large pre-primary classes in Temeke municipality, Tanzania: teachers’ perceptions and practices

This study examined teachers’ perceptions and practices towards teaching large pre-primary classes in Temeke municipality. The study sought to achieve three objectives including to; Examine perceptions of pre-primary teachers towards teaching and learning in large pre-primary classes, determine the challenges affecting the teaching and learning process in large pre-primary classes and to explain the strategies teachers use to cope with the challenges affecting the teaching and learning process in large pre-primary classes. The study employed qualitative research approach and a phenomenological research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 12 public pre-primary schools and 29 participants were involved in the study. The data collected through interview, observation and documentary review methods was subjected to thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that teachers had different perceptions towards teaching large pre-primary classes. Some perceived teaching such classes as an opportunity towards achieving education goals of providing education to all children while others perceived teaching large pre-primary classes as stressful and major obstacle towards achieving teaching and learning goals. Moreover, the findings revealed challenges affecting teaching practices in large pre-primary classes to include increased teachers workload, limited resources and limited use of participatory teaching method. Furthermore, other findings revealed several coping strategies employed by teachers teaching large pre-primary classes as to providing ample works to children, use of songs and storytelling teaching methods, hiring assistant teacher and use of harsh disciplinary approach. Conclusively, facilitating children’s learning in large pre-primary classes can be achieved after understanding teachers’ perceptions and practices so as to inform the policy and practice on effective dealing with large class challenges as well as adopting relevant coping strategies employed by teachers in large classes. This study recommends the ministry of education and vocational training to introduce In-service Teachers Training and seminars on teaching large pre-primary classes, also to adopt and strengthen some of the coping strategies used by teachers in large pre-primary classes for effective children learning. Furthermore, the study recommends that educational policy makers to re-think and develop the education policy that would match with the existing education practices particularly in a pre-primary class level.