Evaluation of Professional Development Initiatives for Science Tutors in Diploma Teacher Colleges in Tanzania

Master's Thesis from the year 2013 in the subject Pedagogy - The Teacher, Educational Leadership, grade: A, , course: MASTER OF SCIENCE (SCIENCE EDUCATION), language: English, abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate professional development initiatives for science tutors in diploma teacher colleges in Tanzania. Three objectives guided the study. The first objective was to examine the resources available and used in the implementation of professional development initiatives, the second was to explore the appropriateness of approaches used in professional development to science tutors and the third one was to determine the way science tutors are able to apply knowledge gained during professional development in their real working situation. The study largely employed qualitative approach as well as some elements of quantitative research approach. The study employed embedded mixed method design whereby 52 science tutors were selected through simple random technique and 15 former science student-teachers and four teacher colleges were selected through purposive sampling procedures. The sample had 67 participants.

Data gathered in this study were analyzed quantitatively using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. Descriptive statistics was used in data analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that science tutors claimed that seminars and workshops were the main approaches that were used during professional development activities .The result also raveled that institutions(teacher colleges) did not ensure the availability of facilities and materials for effective professional development.It was reveled that science tutors were not able to explore well their local environment in science teaching and there was a positive relationship between student performance and professional development to science tutors. From the findings it was concluded that: PDIs appear to have effects on different aspects in science teaching although the effect on subject content is relatively low due to shortage of science teaching and learning facilities.

The study recommends among other things that; there should be a follow-up mechanism by both the ministry of education and vocational training and teacher colleges in particular for all in-service trainings offered to science tutors so as to track on the success and difficulties encountered in the course of PD trainings implementation.Further ,it is recommended that the ministry of education and vocational training should make sure that science tutors professional development must be thought of as a long term process.