Browsing by Author "Kira, E. S."
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Item Analysis of geospatial data of Morogoro Urban: lessons for educationists and researchers(ResearchGate, 2019-05) Kira, E. S.; Sumari, N. S.There has been a growing need of scientists to utilize geospatial data in a variety of fields of study due to the advancement of ICT as a tool for both gathering and analyzing geospatial data. As Geographic Information System (GIS) gains momentum, the use of geospatial data becomes prominent in education especially in subjects that deal with place and space processes such as geography. Unfortunately in developing countries propagation of GIS in education is of low pace partly because of less utilization of ICT and ICT based technologies in teaching and learning. In order to address the problem of underutilization of geospatial data in education teachers‘ knowledge, skills and motivation for using GIS data needs to be reinforced. This paper shows why the use of geospatial data in geography is necessary. It shows how teachers and students in schools can be both supported and motivated to use geospatial data with reference to analysis of information based on satellite images of Morogoro urban district. The paper shows the way these geospatial data can be used to address various questions raised for each topic in geography at advanced level secondary school. The discussion part shades light on the path that needs to be followed by policy makers to mobilize efforts of educationists and other experts in geography, mathematics, statistics and ICT based disciplines. The efforts should focus on gathering and analyzing more of GIS data and also simplify their accessibility by classroom teachers so that they can improve their classroom practice and outdoor learning avenues. The foreseen challenges and the role of individual stakeholders to advance the uses of GIS data in education are also highlighted.Item Awareness and practice of gender responsive pedagogy in higher learning institutions: the case of Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania(Journal of Education, Humanities and Sciences, 2017) Kahamba, J. S.; Massawe, F. A.; Kira, E. S.Tanzania is among Sub-Saharan African countries where teachers are conditioned by male-dominated values in their communities. This has been one of the factors perpetuating gender inequality in various levels of education. With the understanding that gender sensitive teaching aims at equally supporting the learning of male and female students, this disparity calls for the promotion and adoption of gender responsiveness teaching practices in higher learning institutions (HLIs) to correct gender bias in the learning process. The argument here is that the teaching and learning environment in higher learning institutions is not only gender-imbalanced but also it is not well known on whether instructors are aware of gender sensitive teaching techniques, and to what extent do they mainstream gender sensitive teaching practices in their daily teaching practises. Thus, this study had two objectives: (a) to assess the level of awareness in gender responsive pedagogy among university instructors; and (b) to determine the extent to which instructors practice gender responsive pedagogy methods in teaching. The study adopted a cross-section survey research design where the data were collected using a questionnaire from a random sample of 83 academic staff. The study adopted descriptive analysis using SPSS Computer Software to analyse the collected data. The findings show that members of academic staff have a partial awareness of gender sensitive teaching practices. Overall, the findings revealed the degree of gender sensitive pedagogical teaching practices to be very low. The paper recommends that universities should continue with awareness campaign and training workshops to academic staff through gender policy implementation committeesItem Comparison between the understanding levels of boys and girls on the concepts of environmental degradation, meteorology and climate change in Tanzanian secondary schools(2015) Kira, E. S.; Komba, S. C.The study aimed to determine whether there was any significant difference in understanding levels between secondary school boys and girls on the concepts of environmental degradation, meteorology and climate change. Both structured survey and focus group discussions were used to collect information from 480 students, sampled randomly from 12 secondary schools in Morogoro region. The findings indicated that boys were significantly more knowledgeable than girls on the specified environmental concepts. This implies that girls lagged behind their counterparts in understanding important environmental concepts as specified in the school curriculum. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that girls should be inspired and encouraged to develop interest in natural science subjects which would enable them to broaden their understanding about environmental issues.Item Comparison between university undergraduates and school teachers’ perceptions on the role of information technology in teaching and learning in Morogoro municipality(2016-10-01) Kira, E. S.This study determined the perceptions of undergraduates (University teacher trainees) and school teachers on the use of information technology in Teaching and learning in Morogoro municipal. Questionnaire was used to collect data from 216 undergraduates who were pursuing Bachelor of Science with Education courses at Sokoine University of Agriculture and 160 school teachers. Data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) whereby chi-square test statistic was applied. It was observed that there is greater number of undergraduates than school teachers who responded that, using IT in teaching raises enjoyment, save time, motivates learners and that text book is easily used than using IT. However, the percentage of teachers who thought that IT improves the school administration was higher than that of undergraduates. Also, both male and female teachers and undergraduates have nearly similar perceptions on the role of IT in simplifying teachers’ role in the classroom.Item Industrializing secondary schools in Tanzania through scientific innovations(2017) Kira, E. S.There has been a gap between the role played by universities and industries in improving the quality of science education in Tanzania as there is no established link between the three parties. The objective of this paper is to analyze the possible opportunities for industrializing secondary schools by up scaling scientific innovations using secondary schools, possible challenges and the way forward. The study has surveyed undergraduate students and instructors teaching and learning experiences at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and found out that very few industrial or outdoor practices are integrated with teaching. Also, University students’ expectations are basically unrealistic as they are less informed about the way they will apply theoretical perspectives in the field of work. These observed experiences are rooted in schools where university instructors and students emanate. Through review of various innovations developed by universities including SUA, it was established that there are several innovations in different fields especially in crop cultivation, animal husbandry and natural resource management that can be introduced and then amplified in secondary schools as there are unutilized opportunities in such schools. It means, schools can be turned into industrial centers that can directly and indirectly benefit the community, production industries and more importantly improve the quality of science education at all levels as an engine for advancing development of science and technology. Though there are foreseen challenges in industrializing the schools, collective efforts of various stakeholders backed with political will can break through the challenges successfully.Item Integrating moral and ethical values in the general studies syllabus at advanced level secondary school in Tanzania: challenges and opportunities(2015) Kira, E. S.; Komba, S. C.This study sought to achieve two specific objectives: First, to examine the challenges of teaching and learning moral and ethical values at advanced level secondary school in Tanzania and, secondly, to recommend ways of improving moral and ethical values among the youth. The study involved 80 students and 12 teachers, randomly selected from 4 secondary schools found in Morogoro Municipality. The data were collected using interviews, focus group discussions and review of curriculum materials. The findings were as follows: First, it was revealed that the teaching of moral and ethical values in schools faced a number of challenges, including lack of role models, inadequate human and material resources, and weaknesses of the content of the syllabus in use. Secondly, the respondents recommended that for the teaching of moral and ethical values to be effective, a tripartite of stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and the general public should work collaboratively. In light of these findings, it is recommended that the entire society and parents in particular, should serve as role models to ensure that children are both morally and ethically upright as they are brought up.Item Relationship between school enrollment patterns and academic achievement in Tanzania(2015-07-07) Kira, E. S.; Komba, S. C.This study sought to determine if there was any difference in academic achievement between two categories of students enrolled at different times in Tanzania by employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative analysis indicated that the second category performed significantly lower in their examinations than the first category; That is, -18.8>-1.96 for a two tailed Z-test. The same category of students performed lower than the first one when the examination results were segregated according to the year of study or subject-wise. Qualitative data indicated that deviant behaviors undesirable for students learning were associated with greater number of students from the second category than the first one. Thus, the researchers highlighted that enrolling all students at once should be viewed as one of the important strategies for improving the performance of the secondary school students.Item The Status of geography textbooks for teaching and learning of the concepts of meteorology and environmental education in Tanzanian secondary schools(2015-09) Kira, E. S.; Komba, S. C.The study was on determining the availability, utility and relevancy of the certificate of secondary education textual materials from randomly selected 12 secondary schools in Morogoro region. It was observed that the most utilized textual materials were those which could often be sited by examiners. Approved textbooks were outdated hence they were least utilized compared to the reference books which were more current according to the syllabus in use. Though the most utilized textbooks covered most of the concepts as specified in the syllabus, they were some unclear concepts regarding the issues of environmental degradation, weather and climate, power use and climate change. Rural students are more likely to be affected by the observed weaknesses in the schools textual materials than urban ones because of the restricted opportunities for information sources in rural areas. Key words: Geography