Teacher Professional Code of Conduct: its effect on Teaching and Learning Process in Public Secondary Schools in Busega District, Simiyu, Tanzania

Abstract

A shared set of ideals that teachers base their professional work on are outlined in the Teachers’ Professional Code of conduct. The Code is designed to give teachers the principles and guidelines they need to handle professional work. The main purpose for this study was to examine the effects of teacher professional code of conduct on teaching and learning process in public secondary schools in Busega District. Specifically the study aimed to explore forms of teachers misconduct that affect teaching and learning process. The 1986 Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory provided the theoretical foundation for the study. The study used mixed research methods approaches and designs. The data was collected from a total targeted population of 457 from which a sample size of 82 respondents was obtained through probability and non-probability sampling techniques. Data were collected from respondents using questionnaire and interviews. A pilot study conducted employed split half technique and the result was 0.7 correlation coefficient hence the researcher used the instruments to collect data. Quantitative data collected were analysed through descriptive statistics with the help of SPSS version 20 while qualitative data were thematically analysed and presented in narrative form. The study found that various forms of misconduct such as teachers absenteeism, unethical dressing, the use of abusive language, drunkenness, lateness and others, highly and negatively affect the teaching and learning process. Therefore the study concluded that teacher professional code of conduct is essential for successful teaching and learning process besides effective achievement of educational goals. The study recommended that the government should improve teachers’ living and teaching conditions, use various discipline methods effectively to reduce indiscipline actions of teachers in school setting, service training and induction programmes concerning the teacher code of conduct for the newly appointed teachers, and cooperation between teachers and head teachers and also among teachers themselves for mutual relationship.