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The Assessment Literacy for Secondary School Teachers in Tanzania
Full text linkIn this quantitative study, the assessment of literacy for secondary school teachers in Tanzania was examined using the Assessment Literacy Inventory (ALI), originally developed by Mertler and Campbell in 2005. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected secondary school teachers using the modified inventory which matched the local context. The purpose of employing ALI was to evaluate the levels of competence within the seven assessment standards and determine significant differences among the variables. The findings revealed that teachers had different levels of skills across these standards. Higher performance was observed in the area of "Choosing Assessment Methods that are Appropriate for Instructional Decisions," which scored an average of 1.52. In contrast, “Developing assessment methods that are appropriate for instructional decisions" had the lowest average score of 0.98. The Findings also revealed that significant differences were found in the mean competence of teachers with varying professional qualifications (p-value = 0.013). Teachers with master's degree qualifications had a mean score =10.20, which was higher assessment literacy compared to teachers with Diploma qualifications which had the mean score =7.7. However, the amount of time teachers spent in teaching (teaching experiences) had no significant impact on their assessment literacy (p-value = 0.429). Generally, the study revealed a worrying trend and indicated that Tanzania secondary school teachers have limited levels of assessment literacy. To address this, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology should prioritise the enhancement of assessment literacy amongst secondary school teachers through comprehensive professional development programmes in collaboration with educational institutions
The Role of Maasai Culture in Tourism Industry Development in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Full text linkThe tourism industry is the world’s largest industry and is being utilized for economic development and rapid growth in many developing countries. In Tanzania the tourism industry is growing at an annual rate of almost 5% and contributes 17% to GDP. Tanzanian tourism is based on wildlife tourism which requires not only programs for the conservation and protection of flora, fauna and the environment but also for job and wealth creation for the indigenous population who often pay a cost in lost land usage for conservation and tourism. The analysis encompasses a comprehensive examination of the myriad ways in which the vibrant tapestry of Maasai culture is artfully woven into the fabric of tourism activities. From immersive cultural encounters to the vibrant portrayal of traditions, this article scrutinized the techniques through which Maasai culture has become an integral facet of the visitor experience. The manifold benefits that this cultural fusion bestows upon the local community, catalyzing positive economic and social change within the Maasai population. Balancing the imperative of safeguarding Maasai culture's integrity with the necessity of meeting the ever-evolving demands of the tourism market represents an intricate and continuous endeavor in the dynamic landscape of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. 
The Legal Complexities of the Relief in Division of Matrimonial Real Property upon Divorce in Mainland Tanzania: Lessons from Kenya
Full text linkThe Law of Marriage Act, 2019 provides two main reliefs on the division of matrimonial property to spouses during divorce: The division of the property or the sale of property and distribution of proceeds. Division or sale of the property and the distribution of proceeds of the sale affects divorcing and non-divorcing spouses in polygamous marriages. Non-divorcing spouses can prevent the execution of a valid decree since their contribution or interest in the property was not considered during divorce proceedings. Courts are restricted to these reliefs since the Law of Marriage Act lacks other reliefs which take into consideration the convolutions of polygamous marriage and the intricacies of real property in the division. This article examines the legal complexities of reliefs in the division of matrimonial real property in polygamous marriages. The article uses doctrinal and comparative methodologies, exploring Kenya's reliefs during the division of matrimonial property to inform potential reforms in Mainland Tanzania’s legal framework. The article asserts that the reliefs in section 114 of the Law of Marriage Act are insufficient to address the challenges of property division in polygamous divorce. The Article advocates for comprehensive legal reforms on reliefs to address the unique dynamics of polygamous marriages
Second Language Learning for Sustainable Development: Barriers for Learners in Rural Communities
Full text linkLearning of second language for sustainable development is defined as learning language that changes skills, knowledge, values and attitudes to build more sustainable and just societies for all (UN 2015: UNESCO 2017). It would not be preposterous to opine that language and communication play a paramount role in the quest for development, be it human, social, political, technological and any other form of development. Looking in Tanzania as a country, the plurality of ethnic languages through information flows, undoubtedly constitutes a barrier to effective human development processes. It draws on data from students in rural communities in one of the ward secondary schools in Tanzania. The study specifically sought to find out the type of pronunciation errors that students frequently commit and teachers views on how pronunciation errors can be addressed. Transfer of Learning Theory by Thorndike (1923) and Contrastive Analysis Theory by Charles Fries (1945) informed the collection and analysis of the qualitative data. Thus, data were collected through interviews with teachers and students and pronunciation tests administered through a wordlist and analyzed qualitatively. Seven teachers in three ward secondary schools and 35 students were involved. The findings of the study revealed that mispronunciation of English words was due to the difference in sounds between student’s mother tongue and English language. Moreover, the findings revealed that students lacked linguistic exposure as most of them meet English at school and constantly use Kiswahili and mother tongues at home. Therefore, teachers become the chief language input providers. The study recommends that teachers should take note of these differences in sounds and limited exposure to English language when designing and implementing lessons in classrooms since they are the main language input providers
Managing Distance Learning for Secondary School Students in Tanzania during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Challenges and Opportunities Implicating Educational Inequality
Full text linkThis study explored the lived experiences of secondary school students in Moshi Municipality with distance learning amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Tanzania. Specifically, it explored the challenges and opportunities of learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the roles assumed by parents and teachers to support secondary school students’ distance learning. A qualitative approach, framed within the phenomenography research design, guided the present study. Nineteen secondary school students were purposively selected from four secondary schools in Moshi Municipality. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The collected data underwent a systematic inductive content analysis to identify emerging themes from the data. The findings indicate that different approaches or methods were utilised by students for distance learning, including printed materials for self-study, TV and radio programmes, online resources, and online interactive classes. However, challenges such as limited internet access and limited device availability emerged as significant hurdles. Additionally, emotional struggles, including loneliness and motivational issues, were evident, while the absence of peer interaction and concentration difficulties were notable concerns. On the positive side, flexible learning environments allowed for self-paced learning, skill development, and the exploration of personal interests. Students capitalised on the autonomy of distance learning to discover new abilities and passions. The present study recommends that teachers continue to explore innovative teaching methods, like recorded audio lessons and supplementary resources to enhance students' learning experiences. The study suggests provisional of professional development opportunities to equip educators with the necessary skills for effective distance teaching
Managing Research in Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania : A Systematic Review on the best Practices for using Artificial Intelligence
Full text link This paper reports on the findings of a systematic review in relation to the research management practices in Higher Learning Institutions through the use of Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as ChatGPT in Tanzania. AI technologies have gained significant popularity in recent times. However, their integration into academic settings raises concerns, especially in terms of potential ethical considerations. The systematic review at hand used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to retrieve English records in Google Scholar under the phrase "ChatGPT in research¨. Eligibility criteria included the published research papers on ChatGPT and research practices. A total of 28 documents were retrieved. Only 20 documents met the inclusion criteria after full screening. The findings indicate that setting a code of ethics for using AI is paramount. Further research is needed in order to gain detailed insights into this new innovation and technology. It was concluded that ChatGPT in research has to be validated with other methods
A Protocol for Developmental Faculty Coaching at the University Level
Full text linkThis article discusses short-term developmental faculty coaching, which can be categorized as ongoing and personal professional development. This coaching is distinct from faculty evaluation. The developmental faculty coaching protocol discussed here is a novel one developed by the author. It was developed through direct observation of over 400 in-person and online classes of over 100 new and returning adjunct faculty at a small higher education institution in New York State, USA. The protocol was generally used with new faculty, who know an academic area, but they lack training in andragogy and have had no or little experience teaching university students. A pre-observation, during-observation, and post-observation protocol is outlined for the faculty coach and the instructor being coached. It is suggested that developmental faculty coaching be made available to all new higher education instructors and to those more experienced instructors who request it. Recommendations for future study include collecting data on individual instructors or a cohort of new instructors through quantitative and/or qualitative research, which would yield insights into how new instructors grow into excellent classroom teachers at the university level.
 
Interaction Effect Between Loan Officers’ Characteristics and Loan Default Rate on Crowdfunding Approval
Full text linkMicroFinance Institution (MFI) officers screen loans for a prosocial crowdfunding campaign in developing economies. However, loan officers’ screening decision is influenced by loan officers’ default rate, hence the loan officers are likely to focus on the better borrowers. However, crowdfunding emerged to provide finance to entrepreneurs who are less likely to meet the loan screening requirements. Thus, this study examined the interaction effect between loan officers’ characteristics and loan defaults on crowdfunding approval. We usedordered logistic regression to primary data collected from loan officers in microfinance institutions that are registered by the largest prosocial crowdfunding platform Kiva asfield partners. The study found a significant interaction effect of loan officers’ default rate and gender, experience and crowdfunding awareness. Thus, the results implied that, the demographic characteristics of the loan officers are interacted by the loan officers’ default rate when deciding to approve a loan for a crowdfunding campaign. Therefore, the findings recommended imparting loan officers with techniques that will help them keep a low default rate and those loan officers with a low default rate should work on crowdfunding approva
Transparency and Accountability in Tanzanian Petroleum Industry: The Role of Institutions and Challenges Associated
Full text linkThe petroleum industry is among the key sectors currently growing in Tanzania and contributing to the country's economic development. It needs precise regulation and management for sustainable development; in achieving that, it is essential to ensure that the setup of institutions responsible for the sector do facilitate transparency and accountability principles. The article analyses the setup of the said institutions and identify challenges hindering performance of its role in ensuring realization of the principles, in the end it provides a way out in having framework that realize the principles. Laws and scholarly works were reviewed in the analysis, direct information from personnel in the institutions also forms part of the findings, which reveals that a number on institutions are established and tasked with different roles in management of the sector, however, despite the commendable efforts, the institutions fail to facilitate realization of the principles due to several challenges including lacking independence and autonomy, limited access to petroleum information, and no specific roles assigned to some of the institutions in relation to the principles. Hence, to tackle the challenges, the article recommends assurance of autonomy, independency to the institutions and setting clear roles for each of them to perfor
Utilization of Fiscal Resources in Fee-Free Education Policy: The Case of Selected Community Secondary Schools’ Heads in Tarime Urban District
Full text linkThis study investigated the capacity of heads of schools in utilizing the fiscal resources for implementing fee free education policy (FFEP) in community secondary schools. The study employed descriptive research design with a quantitative approach where stratified sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 190 respondents. Questionnaires were used to collect data and SPSS served as an analysis tool in interpreting the collected data. The findings revealed that heads of schools supervise and monitor the expenditure of school funds as per government directives and financial regulations although they do not provide accurate financial information of their schools. On the other hand, the study found that heads of schools do not properly keep records of staff in planning and allocation of fiscal resources related to implementing FFEP. The study concluded that although heads of schools do not delegate the mechanism of financial matters to capable staff, the prioritization of financial allocation according to the needs, helped successful implementation of the FFEP. The study recommends that heads of schools should keep records of staff properly in planning and allocation of fiscal resources for implementing FFEP. This goes together with the heads of schools giving accurate financial information of their schools and involving important stakeholders in decision making and matters concerning school budget