PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON LEARNER-CENTRED TEACHING IN TANZANIA: PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF TUTORS [LECTURERS] IN TEACHER EDUCATION COLLEGES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61538/jipe.v8i2.302Abstract
The study explored the perceptions and experience of tutors’ professional development on learner-centred teaching in teacher education colleges. Specifically, it investigated the tutors’ perceptions of learner-centred approaches, experience of tutors on the effective training programme on learner-centred teaching, and the different models, which exposed tutors to the learner-centred approaches in teaching milieu. This is a qualitative case study design that involved documentary reviews, interviews, reflective journals, and focus group discussion to gather information. The study involved 12 participants obtained from three randomly selected teacher education colleges in Tanzania - south highlands zone. Data analysis employed the thematic analysis and computer software including NVivo 10. Results showed that tutors varied in their understanding about LCA depending on the training of the individual tutor attended which influenced their implementation of the new approach in practice. The study revealed that effective training programmes equipped tutors with knowledge and skills on new teaching approaches and transferred them to job practice. Such training programmes were based on individual, departmental, workplace, community, and experiment as well as initial teacher professional training, mostly supported by the government and international agencies. The study recommends the need for the government to ensure that all tutors irrespective of their subject specialisation should be equipped with the required pedagogical competencies through a focused training model on new approaches and transfer the training effectively in practice. Key words: Teacher education, leaner-centred teaching, professional training models, transfer of training, tutors.References
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