Browsing by Author "Mwakapina, Job W"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Efficacy of communication skills teaching methods and learning strategies: enhancing tertiary students’ communicative competence in Tanzania
(Journal of Linguistics and language in Education, 2020) Mwakapina, Job W
This study evaluates the efficacy of the methods and strategies used in Communication Skills (CS) course teaching and learning in Tanzania. Specifically, it identifies the methods and strategies used, and examines the appropriateness of the same in upgrading students’ CS. The study involved 596 respondents, and data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and group discussions. It is indicated that instructors use varied methods, but questions and answers, web browsing, and library research are perceived the most appropriate. Besides, students also use multiple strategies but group discussions, web browsing, and listening to English conversations are considered the most appropriate. Therefore, instructors are urged to spend some time during students’ entry to university to study the incoming students, particularly on how they learn / behave during the learning process, to accommodate the students’ learning differences, difficulties, and preferences when selecting teaching methods. Also, establishing a strict filtering mechanism as an option to improve students’ CS, proposed by Rugemalira (2017), is a good proposal. However, currently, it can result in filtering all applicants because many have low language proficiency. Instead, what we need to do meanwhile, is stressing on formalising the use of modern mobile technologies in teaching since have been revealed to be appropriate.
Upgrading Students communication competence:Refrections from Universities in Tanzania
(SUA, 2022) Mwakapina, Job W
In many countries, including Tanzania, Communication Skills (CSs) courses have been taught for many years to help students improve their ability to communicate in English while doing academic activities at college/university. However, in such countries, there are complaints that the courses do not bear the expected results because many students still manifest deficiencies in communication even after having undergone the training. Based on this, this chapter assesses the contribution of a CSs course in upgrading tertiary students’ communicative competence by reflecting on universities in Tanzania. The chapter in the discussion of the contribution adopts Daniel Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) evaluation model. The chapter indicates that the CSs course taught in the selected universities is effective, but not very effective because of negative factors, which prevail during the conduct of the course. These negative factors are such as large-class size, instructors’ heavy teaching load, low students’ autonomous learning, low motivation, students’ failure to transfer the skills, lack of enough practices, learning English in the Kiswahili context, low English Language Proficiency (ELP), and minimal use of English language in the university business or environment, to mention a few. The chapter concludes that the course is not very effective in producing desired results in upgrading students’ CSs mainly because of the negative factors. Therefore, addressing these negative factors will make the course accentuate more positive results in enhancing or upgrading students’ communicative competence.
Whatsapp platform a remedy for covid-19 classroom learning restrictions: Students’, teachers’, and parents’ perspectives in Tanzania
(G-Card, 2023) Nyinondi, Onesmo S; Mwakapina, Job W
This paper investigates the use of WhatsApp as an alternative platform for classroom learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in Tanzania. In particular, it examines the effectiveness of using WhatsApp as a platform for classroom learning and surveys parents’, students’, and teachers’ perceptions of its use. The paper is based on a survey of 125 volunteered parents, students, and teachers from four schools in Tanzania. Data were collected through telephone interviews, online group discussions, and an online questionnaire. The results revealed that most participants found WhatsApp an effective platform for classroom learning. However, there were some concerns about the security of the platform and potential distractions for students. Also, the majority of participants felt that the use of WhatsApp enabled them to stay connected to their school community during the pandemic, although there were some concerns about privacy and data-sharing. Generally, the study found that the Covid- 19-adopted remedy was effective in several ways, including increasing parents’ participation in students’ learning, improving students’ inquiry and searching skills, and mastering the subject matter. The study concludes that WhatsApp effectively creates a collaborative community learning environment as an alternative platform. Thus, WhatsApp is recommended first to be mainstreamed through the curriculum as an online mobile learning tool and, second, to be combined with other digital platforms during teaching and learning to ensure a comprehensive learning experience as a way to student-directed learning in schools.