Teacher qualities as critical cause for the difference in mathematics performance between public and private secondary schools in Tanzania

The purpose of this study was to assess whether or not there is a statistically significant relationship between factors of teacher professional qualification, teaching experience, opportunities for professional development programmes attendance and commitment (teachers’ classroom attendance) with the mathematics achievement of their students that might predict the causes for the difference in mathematics performance between public and private school students. Thirty mathematics teachers and one hundred students from ten schools in Monduli district I public and 5 private secondary schools participated in this causal comparative study. Questionnaires and documentary review have been employed as research instruments. The questionnaire results were later matched with student scores from 2011 form three mathematics mock examination results. The responses from teacher and students’ questionnaires were analyzed quantitatively by using SPSS version 16.0 specifically using t-test, chi-square and Microsoft excel statistical tests. Findings from this study revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between teacher professional qualification and teacher classroom attendance and student mathematics performance but no significant relationship between teacher professional development and teaching experience and student performance in mathematics. Holding other factors constant, teachers’ professional qualifications and teachers’ classroom attendance are highly assumed to be the major factors for the differences in mathematics performance between public and private secondary schools in form four national examinations and continuous assessments. From the findings it was concluded that: the difference in mathematics performance between public and private secondary schools exists and teachers’ professional qualifications and classroom attendance can be among the factors for the difference in performance. In this light, it was recommended that the government should act upon these causes of the differences in performance and improve the situation