In this study, we explored the implementation of the Fee-Free Education (FFE) policy and its impact on students' learning in secondary education in Tanzania. A qualitative research approach was employed, using an exploratory case study design. The sample comprised 106 participants: 35 classroom teachers, 42 students, 21 parents, seven (7) Heads of Schools (HoSs), and one District Education Officer (DEO). Data were collected through interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and documentary reviews, and were analysed thematically. The findings indicate that the FFE policy has been successfully implemented in secondary schools, as evidenced by increased enrolment and decreased dropout rates in the visited schools. The policy has also enhanced parental involvement in children's education and facilitated greater access to education for girls. It was also found that FFE has reduced the financial burden of schooling for children from poor families. Nevertheless, several challenges were identified, including shortages of teaching and learning materials, classrooms, and teachers, particularly science subject teachers, as well as an increased student-textbook ratio, which negatively affected learning. The findings also revealed that teachers' morale was relatively low due to insufficient and delayed disbursement of financial resources. The key argument of this study is that for the FFE policy to be effectively implemented, the government needs to increase the education budget proportionally, recruit more teachers, and provide adequate textbooks for secondary schools. In addition, constructing more classrooms to reduce congestion and encouraging contributions from parents and community members to school development plans are equally important.
The global education system has evolved in a digital society. This study analyses Tanzania's policy and strategic frameworks for integrating digital technologies into the education system to promote digital education. The study was a narrative qualitative research approach. It involved Tanzania as a case study. The findings indicated that the policy and strategic frameworks promoted the integration of technologies in education. The findings also indicated that nationwide technology initiatives promoted digital education by expanding technology facilities and infrastructure, building teachers' capacity, developing digital pedagogical content, and using emerging technologies. The findings further indicated the presence of strengths that promote digital education and challenges that impede it. The study also revealed that the Tanzanian government has committed to addressing present and future digital education challenges. These strategic commitments form the backbone for a comprehensive and sustainable digital education.
This paper proposes a framework for vertical integration in language education, addressing the discontinuity between secondary foreign language instruction and tertiary professional language development. Drawing on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) theory, the framework conceptualizes the secondary-tertiary transition as progression along a continuum rather than movement between disconnected educational stages. The paper adapts the CLIL 4Cs framework (Content, Communication, Cognition, Culture) for university ESP contexts, demonstrating how integrative principles validated in secondary education can inform tertiary professional language instruction. Central to the framework is a subsystem of exercises organized according to three-stage text engagement (pre-text, text, post-text) and mapped to Bloom’s taxonomy levels, ensuring systematic cognitive progression from lower-order to higher-order thinking skills. Empirical grounding derives from pedagogical research on the integrative elective course “History of Ukraine in English”, which demonstrated significant gains in foreign language competence among secondary students using the proposed methodology. The paper presents design principles for ESP courses that maintain methodological coherence with secondary approaches while addressing the distinct demands of professional language education, discusses implementation considerations including curriculum alignment, instructor preparation, and assessment approaches, and identifies directions for future research. The framework contributes to scholarship on educational transitions by offering specific mechanisms through which vertical integration in language education can be achieved.
The study explored the reading comprehension of primary school pupils in Tanzania. The study used a mixed-methods research approach with a convergent research design. A convergent parallel design was used in the study, and data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, and documentary reviews. The sample involved 262 respondents, 252 being pupils and 10 English subject teachers. Quantitative data was analysed by the use of frequencies, percentages, and tables, while qualitative data was analysed thematically. The results indicate that most pupils struggled with understanding the main ideas, summarising, and reading English books, leading to problems with reading comprehension. The results also suggest that most of the pupils needed more help from teachers or fellow pupils to comprehend English texts and used to read passages repeatedly to understand them. The key argument from this study is that to enhance pupils' reading comprehension, teachers need to use interactive learning strategies such as group reading. For this to take place in reality, teachers' training in the proper interactive strategies and distribution of reading materials remain important.
This study examined self-perceived assessment competencies and practices among university instructors in Tanzania. The study was conducted across three public universities, using ex post facto and transcendental phenomenological designs. Stratified proportional sampling, simple random sampling, and purposive sampling were used to select and collect data from a sample of 205 instructors. Questionnaires, interviews, observations and documentary analysis were used concurrently to gather data. The qualitative data were analysed thematically, whereas the quantitative data were analysed using logistic regression. The analysis revealed significant differences among instructors on indicators for self-perceived assessment practices and demographic parameters. This study, therefore, proposes that universities make deliberate efforts to hold frequent workshops and seminars for instructors to improve their assessment practices.
