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Secondary School Library Resource Centres in Tanzania: their status in Resource-Based Learning
Get PDFThe article examines the status of secondary school library resource centres in resource-based learning in eight districts of Njombe and Iringa regions of Tanzania. The study is grounded in the vital role of secondary school resource centres in providing infrastructure, information resources, technology and professional expertise to enable teachers and learners to effectively use the resources and services to foster resource-based learning and consequently improve the quality of education secondary school learners receive. The study used a pragmatic paradigm with a survey design. The results of the study reveal that the status of most secondary school resource centres is on the whole dismal. Very few secondary schools have functional resource centres. In order for School Library Resource Centres to contribute to resource-based learning and quality education, the study recommends that the government must make School Library Resource Centres a priority and provide them with the necessary human, infrastructural and financial support. A mechanism should be in place to reinforce the implementation of the Education and Training Policy of 2014 and the Education (School Library Resource Centres) Regulations of 2002
Oil price shock and agricultural commodity prices in Nigeria: A Non-Linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) Approach
No full textThis study analyzed the impact of oil price shocks on agricultural commodity prices in Nigeria using monthly data on oil prices, maize, wheat and soybean and exchange rate from 1997 to 2016. Data on oil price and exchange rate were obtained from the central bank statistical bulletin while those of agricultural commodities were obtained from Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) website. Dummy variables were used to capture periods of structural breaks in the selected agricultural commodity prices. Linear ARDL and Non-linear ARDL with and without breaks were estimated. Asymmetric test using Wald Statistics revealed evidence of asymmetries in all the cases implying that positive and negative shocks of the same magnitude did not have equal impact on agricultural commodity prices. The study found significant positive oil price changes in all cases with the expected positive sign, implying that increases in oil price lead to increases in agricultural commodities. Similarly, exchange rate (a control variable) showed positive significant relationship with agricultural commodities. It is concluded that oil price has overall positive relationship and significant effect on agricultural commodity prices. The study recommended that since oil price was important in agricultural commodities prices, efforts should be geared towards local development of the oil sector as this will bring about positive spillover effect on the agricultural sector and ensure food availability at affordable prices thereby improving standard of living and welfare
Domestic Resource Mobilization and Long Term Economic Growth in Tanzania
No full textThe objective of this paper is to examine the long term effects of domestic resource mobilization (DRM) on economic growth. This study used macroeconomic data for a period of 20 years spanning 1996 to 2015. By estimating the Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, Error Correction Model (ECM) and Impulse Response Functions (IRF), the study found that DRM has significant positive long term effect on economic growth suggesting that increased DRM enhances government ability to finance its budget for an enhanced growth. Although the short run effect is negative and statistically significant which indicate distortionary effects of taxes in the short run. Distortionary effects are in one way a result of a tax system that targets few easy to tax individuals and corporations due to a large informal sector. This study recommends enhancement of DRM through expansion of the tax base, tapping more non-tax revenue, and effectiveness in public spending
The Impact of Informal Economy on the Interest Rate Pass-through: Evidence from an ARDL model
No full textIn this study, we investigated the impact of the size of the informal economy on the interest rate pass-through. Results from an ARDL model showed that higher levels of the informal sector are associated with higher lending rates. Furthermore, the results indicated that the effect of the informal economy is much stronger in the long-run compared to the short-run. Finally, the results indicated that in both the short run and long run existence of an informal economy dampens the transmission of changes in the policy rate to retail rates as expected from theory and empirical evidence
Terrorism and Poverty: Double Trouble for Macroeconomic Performance in African Countries
No full textThis article investigates poverty and terrorism as allies in hindering economic growth in African countries. This study uses data for 22 African countries from 1970 to 2013 i.e. 44 years. Data for terrorism, poverty and national income is taken from GTD and WDI. Panel cointegration techniques of dynamic fixed effect, mean group and pooled mean group are applied to quantify the long-run impact of terrorism and poverty on macroeconomic performance. Moreover, robustness is checked by using various estimators of slope parameters including POLS, FMOLS and DOLS. Empirical findings reveal that both poverty and terrorism have a long-run negative impact the macroeconomic performance. Recommendations for the double trouble are made at the end
Realized Access to Antenatal Care Utilization in Uganda: Household Welfare and Governance Implications
No full textThis study explores into realized access to antenatal care utilisation in Uganda. This emanates from the fact that access to antenatal care is still a national nemesis, (National Service Delivery Survey Report, 2005). In Uganda, the Ministry of Health (MoH) recommends that a pregnant woman should attend antenatal care at least four times during pregnancy. Also she should attend antenatal care monthly during the first seven months, every two weeks in the eighth month, then weekly until birth. On the whole however, 42 percent of expecting women sought for antenatal care at least four times during pregnancy, 52 percent of them one to three visits which of course is below the MoH recommendation while six percent did not seek care at all, (Uganda Demographic Household Survey, 2000/2001). This clearly indicates the under utilization of antenatal care; with such a state of affairs, no wonder Uganda’s maternal mortality rate of 505 per 100,000 live births is high given the Millennium Development Goals maternal mortality rate target of 131 per 100,000 live births by 2015 (UNDP, 2007). Against that background, this study sought to establish the factors which determine realized access to antenatal care. More importantly the paper unearths the interaction between realised access to antenatal care, governance and household welfare. The study unearthed that both governance and household welfare to a great extent explain antenatal care utilisation
Microcredit in Uganda: Fundamental Reform or Just another Neoliberal Policy?
No full textWidespread global initiatives aimed at improving conditions for the world’s poor have frequently begun with the vision of just a few people. Examples are numerous but in this paper we focus on micro-enterprise credit (microcredit). In the case of microcredit, a widespread movement has placed projects in many countries throughout the developing world. Microcredit is typically made available to women who would otherwise not have access to loans on reasonable terms. While some view microcredit as a revolutionary means of improving both the lives of women and the poor more generally, others argue it is a band aid approach to development, rooted in a neoliberal logic that does very little in terms of enacting real, long-term change. These arguments, however, are often based on evidence from Asian or other non-African countries and so don’t account for different models of microcredit or cultural context in shaping outcomes for women and their families. We address these issues through a qualitative study of three microcredit groups in the east African country of Uganda. Based on qualitative interviews, we argue that microcredit holds a number of possibilities for women and their communities including healthier families and educated children as well as more intangible benefits such as feelings of solidarity and self-confidence. While our interviews suggest a number of benefits of micro-enterprise credit, we recognize that such programs are not the single solution to poverty. Ultimately, though, we argue that the negatives do not dispel the benefits that can result for many women
Organizational Support for Workers’ Recuperation in Nigerian Banks.
No full textThis paper investigates organizational support for workers’ recuperation in Nigerian Banks. The study was conducted in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State, Nigeria. Eight commercial banks namely, United Bank for Africa, First Bank of Nigeria, Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, Wema Bank, First City Monument Bank and Union Bank were included in the study out of the seventeen commercial banks located in the city. Information was gathered through questionnaire administration that consisted of 128 respondents. The Chi square statistical tool was employed to test relationship between variables. Results showed that Nigerian Banks support their staff in recuperating during illness and help to maintain their as test of relationships were statistically significant. The P value of the hypotheses tested in the study are as follows; on the basis of medical facilities provided= 0.001; on adequacy of medical facilities =0.017 and other programmes provided = 0.002. The study suggested that government should enact a law that protects bank workers by ensuring that workers are excused from work as long as their illness lasted having been certified ill by recommended medical doctor
The Impact of Social Capital on Family Business Sustainability in Tanzania
No full textThe main objective of this study was to analyze social capital networking in Tanzanian context. The study dwelt on analysing the association between key elements of social networks and the family business sustainability. This was a quantitative study which employed descriptive and inferential statistics. The study population was 320 small or family businesses operated for more than four years. A correlation analysis was used to find out the factors of social capital that have a positive correlation with family business sustainability. The study revealed that relations and connections are the social capital factors that emerged as significant factors with positive impact on family business sustainability. The study finding indicates a positive relationship between networks and business sustainability. The study recommends that there should be a culture of nurturing the youth to take over the role of managing the business. This should be in line with family members to establish short and long-term plans for the future of the business. Moreover, the study recommends that in order to build the family members’ confidence and loyalty to the family businesses, there should be a system of compensation in which those who devote much be remunerated proportionally.  Â
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON LEARNER-CENTRED TEACHING IN TANZANIA: PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF TUTORS [LECTURERS] IN TEACHER EDUCATION COLLEGES
No full textThe study explored the perceptions and experience of tutors’ professional development on learner-centred teaching in teacher education colleges. Specifically, it investigated the tutors’ perceptions of learner-centred approaches, experience of tutors on the effective training programme on learner-centred teaching, and the different models, which exposed tutors to the learner-centred approaches in teaching milieu. This is a qualitative case study design that involved documentary reviews, interviews, reflective journals, and focus group discussion to gather information. The study involved 12 participants obtained from three randomly selected teacher education colleges in Tanzania - south highlands zone. Data analysis employed the thematic analysis and computer software including NVivo 10. Results showed that tutors varied in their understanding about LCA depending on the training of the individual tutor attended which influenced their implementation of the new approach in practice. The study revealed that effective training programmes equipped tutors with knowledge and skills on new teaching approaches and transferred them to job practice. Such training programmes were based on individual, departmental, workplace, community, and experiment as well as initial teacher professional training, mostly supported by the government and international agencies. The study recommends the need for the government to ensure that all tutors irrespective of their subject specialisation should be equipped with the required pedagogical competencies through a focused training model on new approaches and transfer the training effectively in practice. Key words: Teacher education, leaner-centred teaching, professional training models, transfer of training, tutors