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Reflections on Technology, Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development: Findings from a teacher survey in Tanzania
Resource type
Journal Article
Authors/contributors
- Koomar, Saalim (Author)
- Hennessy, Sara (Author)
- Zubairi, Asma (Author)
- Kindoli, Robert (Author)
- Kreimeia, Adam (Author)
Title
Reflections on Technology, Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development: Findings from a teacher survey in Tanzania
Abstract
This paper presents findings from a survey of 774 government school teachers across Tanzania over the period 2020–2021. The aims were to capture teachers’ recent experiences concerning (1) access and use of technology; (2) any student learning losses observed, and teachers’ recommendations to address these; and (3) experiences and needs concerning teacher professional development (TPD). Key findings in the survey’s focus areas included:
Forty per cent of teachers reported that their school lacked access to any form of technological device, with almost half stating they never used digital technologies.
Almost half of the teachers perceived that girls suffered more learning losses than boys and more than 60% believed learners from the financially poorest households suffered the greatest learning losses.
Teachers in Tanzania engaged in very little TPD and wanted increased support.
The key differences across teacher groups were further examined by demographic factors, with notable differences apparent between urban and rural teachers, teachers with differing levels of experience and differing qualification levels. Recommendations are presented for stakeholders across the education ecosystem, including policymakers, school leaders, TPD designers, teachers and researchers. The findings inform a national technology-mediated TPD programme.
Keywords: educational technology; learning outcomes; technology access; teacher needs; teacher professional development; teacher voice
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Publication
African Educational Research Journal
Volume
10
Issue
4
Pages
342-368
Date
2022-03-17
Journal Abbr
AERJ
Language
en
Call Number
0097
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Citation
Koomar, S., Hennessy, S., Zubairi, A., Kindoli, R., & Kreimeia, A. (2022). Reflections on Technology, Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development: Findings from a teacher survey in Tanzania. African Educational Research Journal, 10(4), 342–368. https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.104.22.048
Learners
Educators
Education systems
Educational level
Language of publication
Publisher and type
Research method
Topic Area
Focus Countries
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