Abstract
Investment in science education is crucial for the economic development of any country. This systematic review examines science education initiatives in Tanzania by focusing on the key areas of the interventions, challenges and strategies for improvement. A critical question is: What are the short, medium, and long-term strategies Tanzania could rethink for science education to foster the growth of a skilled and capable STEM workforce? The review incorporates projects’ documents and reports encompasses the period from the 1960s to 2020s. The Education for Self-Reliance, School Science Project, Tanzania UNICEF-UNESCO Educational Reform Project, Secondary Education Development Programme, and Language Supportive Pedagogy are among the initiatives reviewed. Findings indicate the enhancement of the teaching resources, development and the implementation of curriculum, improvement of assessment systems, and infrastructure development as the key focus of the initiatives. The review highlights the persistent inadequate teacher qualifications, tensions between quantity and quality of education, a mismatch between education and job market needs, a shift from inquiry-based learning towards a more lecture-based instruction as the major obstacles in science education development in Tanzania. The review suggests improving teacher education, striking a balance between quantity and quality, bridging the gap between education and job market demands, and promoting inquiry-based learning. Despite the limitations of relying on existing literature and secondary data, the review provides insights into the current state of science education initiatives in Tanzania. It highlights the importance of continued investment in comprehensive interventions and sustainable initiatives to improve science education for the country's economic development.
Author Information
Francis Kyambo William, The University of Dodoma, Tanzania
Prosper Gabrieli, The University of Dodoma, Tanzania
Paper Information
Conference: KCE2024
Stream: Primary & Secondary Education
This paper is part of the KCE2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
Full Paper
View / Download the full paper in a new tab/window
To cite this article:
William F., & Gabrieli P. (2025) Science Education Initiatives in Tanzania: Review of the National Interventions From 1960’s to 2020’s ISSN: 2759-7563 – The Korean Conference on Education 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 207-222) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-7563.2024.16
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-7563.2024.16
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress