Prospects and practice of secondary school science: the case of secondary education development programme (SEDP) in community schools in Tanzania

This study investigated on the prospects and practices of science teaching and learning in community secondary schools which were established during the implementation of Secondary Education Development Programme 1 (SEDP I). The study was conducted in Newala and Tandahimba districts located in Mtwara region of Tanzania. The study investigated the policies and objectives of offering science subjects to students in Tanzanian schools; assessed the support structures present for science teaching and learning after the introduction of SEDP; examined the main practices of science teaching after the introduction of SEDP; and finally explored the prospects and challenges of teaching science subjects in secondary schools after the introduction of SEDP. The study was descriptive in nature and employed a qualitative research design. The sample of the study included 340 Form two to Form four students from six secondary schools, six heads of school, nine science teachers, and the National Science and Mathematics Coordinator from Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. The findings from the study showed that science practices were not conducted in the sampled schools, as it was dominated by theory teaching of the science lessons as students were not involved in problem solving activities and community based investigations. It was also noted that schools had inadequate or no important support structures including science laboratories for biology, physics or chemistry in all six surveyed schools. The study further revealed that there was acute shortage of science teachers in all sampled schools. Out of 25 science teachers who were supposed to be teaching science in the six schools only 11 were available, three were part time teachers, three were heads of school who were occupied with administrative work and hence had very little time to teach. The study concluded that science is not practiced adequately and effectively in community schools as planned in the Education and training Policy of 1995, and the new science syllabuses. The prospects of students learning science skills for future use are endangered, as there will not be properly skilled science students in the near future. It was recommended that the government should supply schools with enough teachers, build and adequately equip science laboratories. It was also recommended that science teachers should use interactive teaching methods during the teaching of science lessons.