Effect of teaching and learning resources on the teaching and learning process: a case of primary schools in Moshi municipality in Kilimanjaro

The study explored on the effect of teaching and learning resources on the teaching and learning process, using a case of primary schools in Moshi Municipality in Kilimanjaro. The specific objectives of the study were: (i) to identify the effects of teaching and learning resources on the teaching and learning process. (ii) to find out the extent to which the available teaching and learning resources match with the class size and (iii) to find out the effects of teaching and learning resources on pupils performance. The study was conducted in 5 public primary schools in Moshi Municipality in Kilimanjaro region. The sample comprised 148 respondents from 5 sampled schools, including 100 pupils, 5 academic teachers and 43 subject teachers. The study employed purposive, stratified and simple random sampling procedures. The study used both quantitative and qualitative research approaches and employing a descriptive survey design. Data were collected through questionnaires, observations, checklist, documentary review and interviews. Results from the study revealed that teaching and learning resources such as textbooks and teaching aids were insufficiently available in some of the visited schools. This adversely impacted on the teaching and learning process, making the lessons less interactive. Furthermore, the study revealed that there was a mismatch between class size and teaching and learning resources available, whereas the latter were disproportionately fewer, which negatively affected the teaching and learning processes. It was shown that the effect of teaching and learning resources would apparently be noted in the academic performance, in which schools that were relatively better equipped with teaching and learning resources, would have been performing better. However, that was not entirely the case, for some schools with fewer teaching and learning resources (such as text books) had fairly good performance. The schools deprived of enough teaching and learning resources but with sound academic performance had committed teachers, disciplined and determined pupils and participatory school administration style. Nevertheless, lack of enough teaching and learning resources was a negative factor, for it made teachers resort to application of teacher centered methods, pupils’ inability to follow directives from teachers as they were scrambling for few text books available in class and teachers’ inability to administer classes-which culminated into failure to manage the pupils who were not doing the given classroom assignments. The study concluded that, though availability of teaching and learning resources are central for effective teaching and learning process, pupils academic performance is a combined result of many other factors such as teachers and pupils’ commitment and school administrative style.The study recommended that implementation of Book Pupil Ratio (BPR) policy of 1:1 needs to be enforced through sufficient budget allocation and timely funds distribution.