The role of teacher education in developing pedagogical competences among secondary school teachers in Tanzania

Abstract

Teacher education has a long history. Since its inception, the concept of teacher education has been aimed at preparing teachers by imparting them with skills, attitudes, knowledge, and experiences to demonstrate their pedagogical competences in their areas of work. The demand for teachers has raised the necessity for teacher education to train many secondary school teachers by developing their pedagogical competences to teach students in schools based on the education system of a given nation. However, secondary school teacher education and training has been questioned due to the number of graduates in this category who have failed to demonstrate pedagogical competences in their professional duties especially, planning, developing materials, teaching and assessment. This has affected the quality of learners’ performance. Lack of professional skills, teachers’ commitment at work, and poor subject knowledge in teaching are the reasons that account for this scenario. The study was guided by four objectives: to assess the extent to which teacher education develops pedagogical competences to plan for teaching and learning, develop instructional materials, facilitate teaching and learning, and assess learners among secondary school teachers in Ukerewe district. The study employed a phenomenological qualitative study design to examine the role of teacher education in developing professional competences among secondary school teachers in Tanzania. The findings of the study show that to a greater extent, teacher education develops teachers’ pedagogical competences to plan for teaching and learning, develop instructional materials, facilitate teaching and learning, and assess learners among secondary school teachers. Teacher education to a lesser extent, fails to develop skills for interpreting the subject syllabus, teaching and learning methods, digital competences, audio media competences, and motivation of learners’ competences, integrity competence in supervision of exams, the use table of specification in setting exams among secondary school teachers. The study concludes that teacher education greatly develops pedagogical competence among secondary school teachers. However, the study recommends that teacher education should put emphasis on digital competences, audio media competences, and the motivation of learners in training secondary school teachers to cope with the world of digital and technological learning. Key words: Teacher education, Pedagogical competences, Secondary school teachers, planning for teaching, instructional materials, facilitation of teaching and assessment of learners.