Morogoro Municipality Research Articles (Page 1)

This study aimed at investigating teachers' feedback impacts on students' interest in mathematics in Morogoro Municipality ward secondary schools, Tanzania, with the principal goal of enhancing teaching practices towards enhancing student motivation and academic performance in mathematics among Tanzanian communities. Grounded in Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT), the study utilized a mixed-methods design within a convergent research design where quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to achieve its objectives. A stratified random sampling with purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 130 participants including 80 students, 40 mathematics teachers, and 10 mathematics department heads from 10 ward secondary schools. Questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussion guides were utilized for data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively with SPSS version 24 in means, percentages, and frequencies, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically in narrative descriptions. The findings' results revealed that effective feedback practices, including interactive, verbal, structured, real-time, and personalized feedback, greatly enhance students' confidence, interest, and motivation for mathematics. The study recommends the implementation of professional development activities to equip teachers with the abilities to give effective feedback and ongoing monitoring by school leaders to make certain the best teaching methods are implemented. The findings assist in improving mathematics education via encouraging feedback methods with the capability to engage students and drive student achievement and could positively impact educational communities in Tanzania and elsewhere.

This study aims to find out measures to resolve barriers to academic accessibility to students that school leaders perceive in selected ward secondary schools within Morogoro Municipality Tanzania. This study makes a significant contribution to the educational research literature by providing empirical evidence on practical measures to enhance academic accessibility in resource-constrained educational settings, specifically within Tanzania's ward secondary schools. The study employs Adam’s Equity Theory which describes how fairness at school increases motivation for student to get education. Mixed method approach where used collect, interprets and analyze data through 30 school leaders in ward secondary schools. The findings shown that students failed to access education due to several barriers like distances, infrastructures and social cultural background while in turn, school leaders’ perceptions on measures to resolve such barriers includes allocation of funds and provision of community education towards significances of education. The study concluded that school leaders’ perception is very vital in overseeing the progress and prosperity of education affairs at some grassroots where curriculum is implemented. Also, this study recommended to the government on even budget allocation in ward secondary schools as well as to policy makers to review modality of content delivery and ability of students to grasp that is related with the curriculum.

ABSTRACT The leather industry primarily relies on hides and skins as essential raw materials. This study investigated the commercial utilization potential of rejected hides and skins through a structured field survey and glue production experiment in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Morogoro abattoir and tannery to quantify rejection rates and identify underlying causes. Glue was traditionally produced by boiling rejected hides and skins to extract collagen. Physical damage was the major cause of poor hide and skin quality. At the Morogoro abattoir, 41% of hides and 38% of skins were classified as rejects from a total annual collection of 43,800 hides and 5,650 skins, respectively. At the Morogoro tannery, 35% of the hides were classified as rejects from an annual collection of 360,000 hides, while 26.5% of the skins were classified as rejects from an annual collection of 204,000. The glue produced demonstrated an adhesive tensile strength of 24.0 ± 0.4 MPa on wood, which falls within the lower range of some commercial synthetic adhesives such as polyvinyl acetate (PVA). These findings show that utilizing rejected hides and skins can reduce waste, enhance value addition, and create income opportunities within the livestock by-product sector.

An effective school-based teacher professional development enhances teachers’ productivity, as it provides them with practical skills for diversifying their pedagogical practices and influencing student achievements. This study explored the role of school-based professional development training known as MEWAKA on teaching productivity and student outcomes in Morogoro Municipality’s public primary schools, guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach was employed to collect data from 30 teachers through questionnaires and three head teachers through in-depth interviews. Findings indicate that teachers perceive school-based training as relevant and effective in enhancing lesson preparation, delivery, classroom management improvement, and sharing experiences, aligning with SCT’s focus. However, classroom management improvements were less pronounced, likely due to large class sizes and resource constraints. Head teachers emphasized supportive environments, teaching materials, and quality assurance as critical for sustaining progress. The study recommends strengthening school-based training with sustained resources, practical alignment, and ongoing mentorship to enhance teaching practices and student outcomes in Tanzania primary schools.

This study investigated the effectiveness of wireless internet in promoting students’ access to learning materials in selected higher learning institutions in Morogoro Municipality. The study examined students’ perceptions of the availability of wireless internet services in Jordan University College. Assessed the impacts of wireless internet services on the learning of students in Jordan University College and explored challenges hindering students’ access to wireless internet at Jordan University College. The study employed mixed-method approach with a sample size of 150 students, 3 ICT staff and 3 Heads of departments. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. Data were analyzed together, where quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study revealed that wireless internet accessibility faces various challenges that affect its effectiveness, such as inconsistent internet connections, low speed internet connections, and the use of the internet for non-academic purposes among students. The study suggested that government and educational stakeholders should participate in ensuring active and effective wireless internet availability in universities. Conclusively, the study recommends further studies on the same problem to bridge the revealed research gaps.

This study aimed to examine the challenges school leaders face in improving educational quality in selected public secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality. This study was guided by Transformational Leadership Theory, which was originally described by James MacGregor Burns in 1978. Utilizing a convergent parallel research design, this study used both the qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The study employed a sample of 90 respondents, comprising 6 school heads, 12 school management board members, and 72 teachers. The sampling techniques employed included simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Reliability of the questionnaire was established at 0.83 Cronbach's Alpha. Descriptive quantitative data were presented and described using frequencies and percentages. Moreover, qualitative data were analyzed thematically and described using narration and quotes. The findings had a range of relevant challenges like inadequate leadership training, financial constraint, and inadequate stakeholder support that directly inhibit effective educational quality improvement. The study concluded that unless these underlying structural issues are rectified, school leaders will continue to fail in their efforts to improve educational results. Targeted development of leadership is proposed to be introduced, along with increased finance, transparent budgeting, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and peer mentoring, to support the school leaders and enable sustainable improvement in education quality.

Postharvest losses of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) in Tanzania have become unacceptably high, exceeding 50% due to the perishable nature of the produce, inadequate preservation practices, and the lack of affordable and effective preservation technologies. This research compares solar tunnel drying with electric drying for fresh tomato processing under critical drying conditions, including temperature, relative humidity (RH), wind speed, as well as solar radiation intensity. The study obtained fresh and defect-free ripe tomatoes directly from Mlali Ward farmers, followed by processing through the use solar drying technology at the Sustainable Green Energy Cooperative (SUGECO) situated in Morogoro Municipal and through the use of an energy-efficient electric dryer at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), School of Engineering and Technology. The electric dryer was operated under controlled conditions, including maintaining temperatures between 50 and 65°C and RH between 20 and 60%, which resulted in moisture reduction from 95% to 10.4%, within 12 hours. The solar tunnel dryer was operated under inconsistent environmental conditions where the temperature ranged between 30 and 50°C, while the Relative Humidity remained at 30 to 65%, attaining moisture content reduction to less than11% within 18 to 20 hours. Despite the environmental variability, solar drying was found to be effective during peak solar hours when solar intensity exceeded 1000 W/m² and wind speed exceeded 2.5 m/s.). The results show that although electric dryers provide quicker and more reliable drying, small-scale farmers cannot afford them due to their high energy requirements. On the other hand, solar tunnel dryers provide rural communities an affordable and environmentally friendly substitute. To decrease postharvest losses, enhance food security, and raise household income in Tanzanian tomato-producing regions, the study suggests improving solar dryer design, encouraging local fabrication, and strengthening farmer training and policy assistance.

This study examines the place of digital libraries in facilitating Geography learning among secondary school students in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. It addresses a gap in comprehension regarding the impact of digital libraries on subject-specific education in developing nations. By focusing on Geography instruction in Tanzanian schools, it provides data on how digital platforms can enhance understanding, engage students, and encourage self-directed learning. Utilizing a convergent mixed-methods design, data were collected from 219 respondents (students and teachers) from three public secondary schools through questionnaires and interviews. Results show that digital libraries enhance students' understanding, engagement, and performance in Geography through provision of accessible, interactive, and curriculum-aligned resources. But their utility is lacking due to issues of poor connectivity, limited digital literacy, and compatibility with the national syllabus. For improved educational worth of digital libraries, the study recommends improvement of infrastructure, capacity development of teachers, and localization of the content.

This study investigated the impact of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technology on improving reading skills among children with multiple disabilities in primary schools within Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. The study was driven by limited access to, and use of, AAC technologies in inclusive learning despite evidence that they enhance literacy and communication outcomes. It was guided by Constructivist Learning Theory and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and employed a mixed-methods design with questionnaires and interviews of general and special education teachers. By its findings, it was established that most of the teachers had a positive attitude towards AAC devices and exhibited moderate use of AAC devices in instructional practices. AAC devices were found to improve reading fluency, comprehension, and reading material interest of the students considerably. Nevertheless, effective usage of the devices was stifled by certain factors like technical issues, lack of training, limited finances, and unsatisfactory systems of support. The study establishes that the devices hold promising support to inclusive education, though it is imperative to overcome contextual and systemic challenges in an attempt to bring out their benefits to the fullest. It recommends increased funding for teacher training, offering the devices, and policy integration to facilitate students with multiple disabilities to achieve literacy skills.

The study examined the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on health information needs and accessibility among secondary school students in Morogoro Municipal Council and Ifakara Town Council. The Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking (CMIS) anchored this research. This study adopted a descriptive and analytical research design. The study involved 271 students from 10 secondary schools selected through systematic sampling and 99 key informants chosen purposefully. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, a key informant interview guide, and a focus group discussion guide. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 26. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, and means, were used, and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted. The results indicated that the most highly needed health information was the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (x̄ = 3.79), teeth management and care (x̄ = 3.40), and puberty and body changes (x̄ = 3.39). Furthermore, the most frequently accessed health information topics were types of food for a balanced diet (x̄ = 3.78) and physical exercises (x̄ = 3.43). In addition, age, class level, and students' place of residence significantly influenced their health information needs, while age and class level also influenced access to health information. The study concludes that students have moderate access to health information. The study findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, such as the establishment of health clubs in schools and the distribution of sufficient printed materials, to bridge information gaps and ultimately improve adolescent health literacy.

This study investigated the influence of school administrators’ digital competence on teachers’ job commitment in public secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. The study adopted a pragmatic and convergent design under a mixed research approach. The sample size was 140 participants, comprising 10 public secondary school administrators and 130 teachers. Whereby purposive samplings were used to get the representatives. Questionnaires and interviews were employed to get the data. Similarly, research experts validated the instruments. The data was analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Before actual data analysis, a pre-test was conducted to establish data reliability. The results showed that the digital competence of school administrators has impacted the job commitment of teachers working in the public secondary schools since it facilitated professional growth, teamwork, and the maintenance of a favorable environment and teacher motivation. The study recommended that MoEST should provide training, policy guidance, and digital resources to ensure that secondary school administrators are digitally competent and able to lead effectively.

These studies assess the level of awareness of students regarding sports employment opportunities in public secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality. The study employed a convergent research design under a mixed approach. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. The sample size involved 100 students obtained using stratified simple random sampling, while 20 sports teachers and 10 head teachers were obtained using purposive sampling. Quantitative data analysis under descriptive statistics using frequency and percentage. The research instrument underwent pre-testing to ensure validity and established reliability of 0.771 by the Cronbach alpha test, deploying multiple sources to enhance the credibility of the findings. Qualitative findings were analyzed thematically, simultaneously organizing, interpreting, and reporting on non-numerical data. The findings of the study revealed that most students lack awareness of the employment opportunities in the sports sector and have a negative perception due to environmental factors that affect students who pursue the sports sector. The study concludes that a supportive environment is needed in helping students make careers related to sports, investing in sports infrastructure, training programs for students that equip young people with skills in sports management and teachers in guiding students in sports activities. The study recommended efforts and interventions to be made in public schools to impart awareness and nurture sports employment opportunities.

This study examined the determinants of the use of accounting software among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. Despite the growing imperative for digital financial management, the use of accounting software remains limited. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and positivism research philosophy, this study assessed the influence of management support, perceived ease of use, and competitive pressure on the use of accounting software among SMEs. A cross-sectional research design was employed, utilizing quantitative techniques. Data for this study were collected through a survey method employing a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 135 SMEs, selected using stratified random sampling to ensure representativeness across key business sectors. The collected data were subsequently analysed through binary logistic regression in Stata/MP version 17.0. The results show that several variables had statistically significant influence on the use of accounting software. Within management support, training provision (p < 0.01), managerial resources allocation (p < 0.01), and active managerial involvement (p < 0.01) significantly influenced the use of accounting software. Under perceived ease of use, significant factors included ease of learning (p < 0.01), interface clarity (p < 0.01), and user-friendliness (p < 0.05). From the domain of competitive pressure, both competitor adoption (p < 0.05) and external demands (p < 0.01) were statistically significant. These findings confirm that the decision to use accounting software is not merely technical but is shaped by managerial behavior, system design, and environmental dynamics. This study concludes that, effective use of accounting software depends on deliberate leadership, system simplicity, and external incentives. It recommends prioritizing managerial training, promoting intuitive software design, and leveraging peer and institutional support to enhance the financial digital transformation of SMEs. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the determinants of the use of accounting software in the context of SMEs in Morogoro Municipality, a setting that has received limited attention in prior research. From a practical perspective, the findings offer actionable insights for SME owners and policymakers to strengthen digital financial management.

BackgroundAdolescents in Tanzania represent a dynamic group that significantly influences public health trends, particularly in sexual and reproductive health. Despite the availability of adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS), their utilization remains low, especially among unmarried adolescents. This potentially exposes them to risky sexual behaviors, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. This paper examines the use of SRHS by unmarried adolescents in Tanzania and the factors associated with it.MethodsA cross-sectional household survey was conducted over eight months among 312 unmarried adolescents (15–19 years) from Morogoro Municipal and Mvomero District, Tanzania. Data collection utilized the World Health Organization (WHO)-approved Cleland questionnaire, and analysis was performed using STATA 18. To identify factors associated with service utilization, bivariate Chi-square tests and multivariable modified Poisson regression analyses were performed, with significance set at p < 0.05.ResultsAmong 312 unmarried adolescents, 18% had ever used SRH services. Use was significantly higher among those who had worked for pay (aRR = 1.98, p = 0.025) and those with sexual relationship experience (aRR = 2.27, p = 0.007).ConclusionThis paper found persistently low uptake of SRHS among unmarried adolescents in Tanzania, despite strong national policy commitments to improve access. This highlights the gap between policy and the everyday realities of adolescents, shaped by work and relationships. Effective solutions require youth-centered interventions grounded in social spaces, peer networks, and digital platforms to improve service utilization.

Community participation in decision-making is among the universal human rights recognised from the global to the local level as stipulated in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) of 1948, Articles 1 and 2; and in the United Republic of Tanzania's constitution of 1977, Article 18. Tanzania has been enhancing community participation in decision-making at the local level through the decentralisation process and local government reforms. The study, therefore, assessed the determinants for community participation in decision-making in LGAs. A sample of 105 participants was used. Data were collected using interviews, observations, focus group discussions and documentary review methods. Data were analysed through descriptive and Binary logistic regression models. The findings from the study found that more than 90% of community members are accessing invitations for decision-making meetings, whereby about 66% of all community members participate in the decision-making process. The variables included in the binary logistic regression model were predictors of participation in decision-making process by 62% in which education level, occupation, access to information on participation in the decision-making meeting, believing that feedback for public inputs is provided by LGAs and a sense of ownership of the plans were statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05). The study recommends that policymakers and lower local government officials should come up with proper approaches to attract more community members in decision-making, especially women and youth. There should also be efforts among LGAs and other development partners in providing civic education for enhancing community understanding of the importance and the process of decision-making at LGAs.

This paper explores the relationship between motorcycle operators/hire drivers (popularized as Bodabodas) and self-employment. Particularly, it emphasizes the youth to change the mind set to abstain from job seeking to job creation and self-employment. It addresses multifaceted entrepreneurial issues in the realm of unemployment challenges and brings on board a discussion on self-employment particularly on youths ironing out the various strategies the Government of Tanzania (GoT) attempted without success in an endeavor to create self-employment to the youths. In the face of the challenges of unemployment, it seems there is no clearcut solution on the Tanzanians employment seeking youths other than to change their mindset that will enable them to refrain from seeking employment to job creation and self-employment.The paper is based on 2017 survey data collected at Msamvu Main Stand in Morogoro Municipality of Morogoro region in Tanzania. Simple random and convenience sampling were used to select a sample of 50 respondents at Msamvu – Morogoro. The findings indicate that Bodaboda business has created self-employment to many youths despite the challenges they face. The challenges include that, the Bodabodas were charged by not abiding to regulations while some were involved in criminals. The paper concludes that despite the challenges, entrepreneurship remains to be a solution to the challenges of unemployment facing the youth in Tanzania. The Bodaboda entrepreneurial venture has accommodated many youths who otherwise could have been left loitering jobless in streets.

This study examined the availability of teaching and learning facilities that support inclusive education in selected public primary schools in Morogoro Municipality. The study assessed whether existing resources adequately encounter the requirements for learners with diverse learning abilities. Study done under a Mixed-Methods Approach, using Questionnaires, Interviews and Focus Group Discussion to gain information’s of a simple size of 30 teachers, 03 headteachers and 50 pupils selected from sampled schools. Data stayed analyzed under descriptively with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20to develop quantitative data, also thematically in developing qualitative data. Study discovered the availability of teaching and learning facilities that support inclusive education in public primary schools. e.g., The findings indicates that while some inclusive facilities such as ramps and special desks are present in a few schools, most lack essential resources including ramps, special desks, assistive devices like teaching aids for learners with disabilities and adequately teachers trained personnel. The study underscores about the accessibility of inclusive teaching and learning resources remains insufficient, thereby hindering the active implementation of inclusive instruction. This study contributes to understanding the requirement for increased investment in inclusive infrastructure, assistive devices like hearing aids, funding, unremitting professional growth for educators to foster genuinely all-encompassing learning environment, and consistent monitoring by education authorities.

This study investigates the perceptions of teachers regarding effective resilience strategies in challenging educational environments within secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. Grounded in Pelidores’ Resilience Theory and Conservation Resource Theory, the research highlights the importance of social interactions and resource management in fostering teacher resilience. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 236 participants, including 234 teachers and 2 key informants, through simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Findings reveal a complex landscape of perceptions, with many teachers expressing skepticism about the effectiveness of various resilience strategies, particularly in creating positive school cultures and fostering supportive relationships. While some strategies, such as positive verbal reinforcement and interactive learning, received favorable evaluations, a majority of respondents rated these approaches as inadequately implemented. This suggests a significant gap between recognizing the value of resilience strategies and their practical applicability. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions, including professional development programs, mentorship networks, and policies that prioritize teacher well-being and resource allocation. By addressing these challenges and fostering a supportive educational environment, the resilience of teachers can be significantly enhanced, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes for students.

This study assessed the contribution of NMB Wakala agency banking to the livelihoods of agents in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. Guided by Social Capital Theory, the research explored the income changes experienced by agents and the skills acquired through their participation. Using a descriptive research design and a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from a sample of 153 agents drawn from a population of 247 registered NMB Wakala agents. The findings indicate that agency banking contributes significantly to agents' income growth, skills acquisition, and social capital formation. Agents reported notable monthly income increases from TZS 315,968.63 before joining the Wakala network to TZS 381,420.53 afterwards, an average gain of 20.7%. In addition to financial improvements, agents reported acquiring critical business skills, particularly in customer service, financial management, and digital transaction handling. The study concludes that agency banking plays a vital role in extending financial services and in advancing livelihood outcomes. It recommends further investment in agent training, digital infrastructure, and incentive schemes to maximise socio-economic impact.

This study examines the impact of teachers’ participation in implementing the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Morogoro Municipality. CBC enhance Student to become a good learner with 21th-century skills and competencies. Using a mixed-methods approach with convergent research design, Data was collected and analyzed descriptively using SPSS version20 and thematically to enrich quantitative and qualitative information. The study's sample size comprised 33 participants, including 30 teachers selected via simple random sampling and 3 purposefully selected school administrators from three secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality. The research involved in-depth interviews with the head of school, classroom observations checklist, and questionnaire with secondary school teachers. The results reveal that teachers play a vital role in the successful implementation of CBC through their active engagement in curriculum delivery and adaptation. The majority of the teachers claimed to have inadequate training, only few percent of them said they are confident in the principles of CBC). The study established strategies to resolve obstacles; including learner-centered approaches by providing project-based learning, group discussion and problem-based learning, to facilitate competence acquisition among students. The study underscores the need for in-service training, adequate resource provision, involving teachers in developing curriculum and supportive leadership to enhance teachers' capacity in implementing CBC effectively, as well as recruiting enough number of teachers that relate with the number of learners. This work can provide information on the implementation of CBC in low-resource settings.