University Of Dar Es Salaam Research Articles

The Influence of Plagiarism Policy Implementation on the Quality of Academic Writing Among Postgraduate Students at the University of Dar es Salaam

Plagiarism policies have become an important feature of quality assurance practices in higher education institutions around the world, with a focus on improving the quality of academic writing and other research products. The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) purchased Turnitin software in 2015 to detect plagiarism in academic writing, including postgraduate theses, dissertations, term papers and assignments. This article examines the implementation of the university’s plagiarism policy using the case of postgraduate students’ theses and dissertations in selected academic unit (SAU). A sample of 556 postgraduate theses and dissertations submitted to SAU for plagiarism testing between January 2016 and December 2021 was collected, tested using Turnitin, and analysed to establish the trend and extent of plagiarism following policy adoption. Moreover, the study aimed to identify the limitations of using Turnitin to detect academic cheating among postgraduate students. The findings indicated that although the adoption of Turnitin software has reduced the trend in plagiarism in theses and dissertation writing, its effectiveness is limited because it fails to detect plagiarism levels within individual chapters of theses or dissertations. It is recommended that the plagiarism policy be reviewed to take into account new strategies that focus on individual chapters as well as the tolerance level of 30%, which seems high. Policies that address plagiarism content in postgraduate curricula should also be considered.

From “Dar-es-Salaam” to “Brill”: Beyond the North-South Polarity in Publishing Scientific Journals

Abstract The African Review (TARE) was founded in March 1971 by the Department of Political Science of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), focusing primarily on decolonising the interpretation of significant events in African politics, monopolised by foreign experts. After the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the journal slightly shifted to publish contemporary issues of globalisation, development, and African affairs aiming at addressing the North-South knowledge divide. As a journal in the South, it has for many years suffered from the challenges of ineffective systems of management, processing, production and distribution. Attempting to address these challenges, in June 2019, the UDSM signed an agreement with Brill to publish TARE. In the agreement, Brill provides the journal with infrastructural systems and undertakes the final production and distribution of the journal. The UDSM, on the other hand, retains ownership of the journal copyright and performs all the editorial activities. This agreement has significantly institutionalised and improved the journal’s quality, management, processing, production, distribution and international visibility. This paper holds that the future of journals from the Global South hinges on collaboration with established publishers. The experience of TARE indicates that when a journal retains ownership and decision-making powers in a collaboration, it exhibits high potential for success.

Social Justice and the City: some observations from ‘the periphery’

ABSTRACT This commentary seeks to explain the indifferent reaction to Social Justice and The City (SJTC) among the radical/Marxist denizens of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) campus in the mid-1970s. It explores what was considered useful about the book, but also why, in part because of its European and North American focus and emphasis upon the revolutionary potential of the city rather than the countryside, it arguably did not resonate as much as it might have done. When later rethinking the contribution made by SJTC, Harvey himself offers important reformulations reflecting something of the kinds of radical/Marxist ideas already present in earlier years on the UDSM campus.

Generation of Electricity by Using Microbial Fuel Cell Prototype Fed by Sewage: Case Study at the University of Dar es Salaam

The access to electricity is still not reliable in Tanzania. Whilst, there are several locations within the country that have wastewater cites that are not economically used to produce electricity. At the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), there are main grid power, and few scattered solar panels. This study was intended to bridge the divide between the current increasing power demands of the UDSM by exploiting not so much used sources, such as electric energy from wastewater. This study was undertaken to develop a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) prototype fed by sewage in Dar es Salaam, for electricity generation using cost effective materials for the cathode compartment. The collection of samples took place using sewage substrates from the UDSM oxidation ponds. The untreated sewage was collected from oxidation ponds. Preliminary experiments were carried out to identify the cathode and substrate that produced better results in terms of volts and current output. Aluminium produced the most desirable results compared to copper, stainless steel and mild steel in all the substrates. On the other hand, untreated sewage with aluminium/carbon electrodes produced higher voltage and current compared to treated sewage with the same electrodes. Thereafter, a prototype of the MFC was developed by connecting three single chambered cells in series of 628 cm3 volume of untreated sewage with aluminium and carbon electrodes. The prototype generated a stable voltage of 1.73 V and a current of 0.07 mA recorded for a period of one hour. The power generated was enough to light a 6.25 mW LED bulb of 25 mA across a 100 Ω resister. Therefore, untreated sewage produced more power in MFCs with aluminium/carbon electrodes compared to the other tested materials.
 Keywords: Aluminium electrodes, charcoal electrode, alternative energy source, wastewater

Usage of Reference Management Software by Postgraduate Students at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This paper presents the of a study conducted at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania on the usage of Reference Management Software (RMS) by postgraduate students and guided by TAM and DIT theories. The study employed a descriptive research design and both. One hundred and four (The study Findings further revealed that most respondents have a favourable attitude toward RMS and perceive RMS as useful and easy to use, even though few actually use RMS mainly totechnical services support, lack of internet connectivity and unreliable power supply. The study concluded that the usage of RMS by postgraduate students at UDSM is low.

Students’ Classroom Use of Information and Communication Technologies: Implication on their Digital Literacy Skills in Tanzanian Universities

The current literature does not adequately account for the best ICT use practices and graduates’ digital literacy skills the Tanzania’s school system embrace. This paper provides some evidence about the academic use of ICT for learning and its implication on the level of digital literacy skills among students at University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Tanzania. The paper is a product of a typical qualitative study carried out to assess University’s ICT environment for students’ learning. The study used a multistage sampling approach to select a total of 654 students from undergraduate programmes in the selected Universities. Data was collected by using Questionnaires, Documentary review and Focus Group Discussions and analysed by using descriptive, thematic and contents analyses. The findings indicated that, students struggle to use ICTs for learning and their work outputs manifest some weaknesses which suggest a low level of digital literacy skills for learning. The highlights that, unless universities amplify their support for digital literacy skills among students and instructors, the use of ICTs for learning will be a cause of students’ disengagement in learning.

The Lived Experiences of Women Leaders at the University of Dar es Salaam and the State University of Zanzibar

This paper explores the lived leadership experiences of women leaders at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA). The study employed the phenomenology research design, and involved a total of 31 participants. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and documentary review. The study findings revealed that, to become a leader, there are obstacles such as loopholes in university policies, guidelines and leadership, university charters, as well as stated leadership attributes. It was also revealed that leadership capacity-building, self-efficacy and self-esteem and accountability were the strategies used by women to remain in university leadership positions. This paper concludes that women leaders pass through a labyrinth to become and remain leaders. The study recommends that university managements should facilitate the provision of leadership capacity-building, supported by favourable policy environments to enhance the nurturing of women leaders.

Management of Personal Information among Library Staff at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Effective management of personal information is pivotal for its sustainable use. This article presents a study that has assessed the personal information anagement (PIM) practices of library staff at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). The study used a descriptive research design deploying both qualitative and quantitative approaches under which questionnaire and focus group discussion guide were used to collect data. While qualitative data were subjected to content analysis, statistical analysis was used to generate descriptive and inferential statistics from quantitative data using IBM SPSS version 23. The findings have revealed that librarians at are generally aware of various PIM practices and use them to manage their personal information. The librarians use both physical and electronic tools to manage their personal information. These tools include physical folders, files, and boxes, which are used to manage physical information, and Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud which are used to manage electronic information. Several factors influence the effectiveness of librarians’ PIM practices. These include librarians’ demographic characteristics (age and levels of education), knowledge of the information cycle, information management skills, and available information systems. Factors such as inadequate information management skills and shortage of time have been found to undermine the effectiveness of the studied population’s PIM practices. The study concludes that understanding factors that influence and undermine effective PIM practices is essential in setting a foundation for improving personal information management.

Academic Staff Awareness of Institutional Repositories (IRs) in Tanzania Universities

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the awareness of Institutional Repositories (IRs) among academic staff in Tanzania’s universities. The study employed descriptive research design and mixed methods approaches. The study was conducted in four institutions: The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences(MUHAS), Sokoine University of Agriculture(SUA) and Saint Augustine University of Tanzania(SAUT). It employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques to collect, process and analyse data. The study found that most of respondents were not conversant with strategies used to collect scholarly works for their universities IRs. Besides, they were not aware of self-archiving practices of their scholarly works in their respective university IRs. The findings further indicate that, institutional websites and academic colleagues are the main sources of information on IRs. The study recommends implementation of diverse marketing strategies and conducting regular training, workshops and seminars to improve awareness, skills and knowledge about IRs among academic staff.

Neo-liberalism and the Declining Reading Culture at African Universities: Reflections on Social Responsibility of Intellectuals

In the 1960s and 1970s there were lively and fervent intellectual debates and discussions at the University of Dares-Salaam, Tanzania. The debate revolved around how Africa could extricate itself from the barbaric capitalist socioeconomic system. It was pioneered by the radical wing of the University students who, partly, sought to transform the erstwhile colonial education system whose purpose was mental enslavement into the socialist education for liberation of mankind. Today, not only that such a debate has fizzled out, but more importantly, the paucity of the culture of reading has characterised the entire educational system inTanzania. The purpose of this article is to highlight the social factors responsible for this state of affairs. It is claimed thatthe onslaught of the neoliberal policies pursued by monopoly capital through its financial institutions, namely the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and in collaboration with the compradorial ruling classes in African countries, have been the principal forces responsible for the process of undermining the education system in Africa in general, and Tanzania and Nigeria in particular. In Tanzania today, for example, in contrast to the aims and ethos of the Arusha Declaration and the policy of Education for Selfreliance, the education system is for preparing candidates for the labour market, and hence, for subordination, exploitation, and the generation of mental confusion. The paper ends up by one, calling upon the left intellectuals in Africa to do a“rethinking” of the said issue, and two, by suggesting a tentative programme for reviving the culture of reading in Africa.

English

Climate change education continues to gain popularity among educationalists especially at university level. The Paris Agreement on climate change 2015 advocated for support towards this approach especially for universities in the developing nations. This paper aims to present a model linking university education to climate change interventions in the African context. This model has been developed based on findings from a larger study on opportunities and challenges for climate change education in the African context conducted in Uganda and Tanzania. The study adopted a multiple case study design with Makerere University in Uganda and University of Dar es-Salaam in Tanzania, collecting data from 58 participants. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and document review. Thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke (2006) was used to analyze and interpret the data. Based on study findings, the model was developed by the research team. The model identifies the key roles (functions) of a typical African university and the potential climate change education interventions it can initiate. It also explains the various contextual factors dubbed key drivers for climate change education within the African context. Based on this model, it is expected that universities in similar contexts, that have not started climate change education programmes, could learn a big deal on potential interventions to implement and explore the key drivers for their own benefit. Those universities that are already implementing climate change education interventions could also find the model useful in helping them exploit the opportunities and key drivers to enhance their existing interventions.   Key words: Climate change education, African context, university education, key drivers.

My face is more than me. A Nordic researcher in the South: An autoethnographic retrospective perspective

A white person from the Global North, referred to in Kiswahili as a mzungu, can hardly conduct research anonymously, observe unnoticed or merge with staff and students in the context of African university classrooms. This article builds on the author’s six years of research at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Tanzania, examining staff and students’ everyday practices in terms of how they are characterised by linguistic constraints. Using an autoethnographic, self-reflective and retrospective approach, the author discloses some of her experience during fieldwork as a researcher on the university campus. Through this form of qualitative research, she connects her personal experience to the discourse on the language of instruction policy and practices in higher education in Tanzania. The aim of her self-reflection is to understand the wider meanings of how cultural, political and social language practices unfold in staff and students’ daily lives. Using the concepts of insider and outsider, preconception, and theory-ladenness of observation, the author aims to depict the challenges and limits of being a researcher in a totally unfamiliar context. During her fieldwork, using a mixed-methods approach of questionnaires, interviews and participating observation, the author also kept a notebook with her. She made field notes of self-observation, reflecting on her reactions to what she encountered in the research process. While making these notes was not deliberately a part of the data collection, it was an important way of talking to herself. In retrospect, a few years after submitting her doctoral thesis, these notes have become more important to her. The purpose of this article is twofold: on the one hand, the author reveals some of her own experience as a researcher in unaccustomed surroundings, on the other hand, she uses her personal experience to describe, question and shed light on the discrepancies caused by language practices in Tanzanian higher education.

ENHANCING INTERACTIVE LEARNING THROUGH E-LEARNING IN TANZANIAN HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS (HLIs)

Enhanced interactive learning through e-learning has been found to be an effective way to augment quality teaching and learning, however, there is still need to examine how students and academic staff perceive enhancement of interactive learning through e-learning in the presence of the challenges brought about by a growing number of students which exceed existing facilities and with an average of a lecturer student ratio of 1:20 compared to recommended ratio of 1:10 for natural sciences and 1:15 for social sciences. The purpose of this study was to investigate students and their teachers’ perceptions of the use of e-learning for enhancing interactive learning and how such perceptions relate to the strategies employed to enhance interactive learning through e-learning in four selected higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania. The paper provides an account of efforts employed to enhance interactive learning at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT). the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and Mzumbe University (MU). This was achieved through descriptions of achievements realized challenges encountered and recommendations provided for practical steps to the interactive learning enhancement targets in selected HLIs. The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods to generate rich, contextual data from the four HLIs. Data were collected through semi structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, documentary analysis, observations and content analysis administered to 256 students, 24 student, 12 instructors and four ICT administrators from the institutions. Data were analyzed using descriptive narratives percentages and charts. The study revealed that HLIs do not effectively employ strategies that would lead to enhanced interactive learning through e-learning. mainly due to the existence of differing perceptions by stakeholders regarding employing e-learning, which influence efforts to develop and employ appropriate strategies and efforts for students to engage in interactive learning. The varied perception further impacts policy design and implementation. This paper assists in informing HLIs intending to use e-leaning for purposes of enhancing interactive learning which is considered by the researchers as one of the most effective processes for enhancing interactive learning. Â

Incorporating the Tuning Approach in Higher Education curricular reforms and course design in Tanzania for enhancing graduates’ competencies: stakeholders’ views

Available documentary and researchevidencesreveal that the majority of Tanzania universities’ graduates (public and private universities) lack competencies or technical skills (employability skills) required for the job market and by potential employers, despite massive curricular reforms implemented in the public higher education sector since the early 1990s. Lack of employability skills which consequently leads to graduate unemployment or un-employability is attributable to the fact that curricular reforms and design in Tanzania public universities undertaken by lecturers and professors do not incorporate basic Tuning principles of competence-based teaching and learning which puts emphasis on competencies and skills by identifying generic and specific competencies during course design or curriculum reform. This study using the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM)’s School of Education sought to: (1) explore faculty and students’ views on the application of the Tuning approach in curricular reforms and degree/course design as a mitigation of university graduates’ unemployment and un-employability, (2) solicit stakeholders’(academic staff and students) perceptions of Tuning approach and its relevance in higher education curriculum reforms and design to make higher education more competence-based, and (3) find out students perceived causes of graduate unemployment and un-employability and whether the application of Tuning approach in curriculum reforms and design in universities can be a solution to graduate unemployment. Findings from the study reveal that both faculty and students concur that application of Tuning approach in higher education reforms and curricular design could enhance graduates competences and skills and reduce graduate unemployment.Published online: 30 November 2017

English

A scientometric analysis was conducted to map the research growth and citation impact of Tanzania scholars over a period of 24 years starting from 1991 to 2015. We analyzed data for research publications of all Tanzania scholars obtained from the SCOPUS database. The study analyzed the year-wise distribution of publications, subject-wise distribution of publications, the authorship pattern, degree of collaboration, and the citation impact. A total of 12,379 articles were published from 34 academic and research institutions. The top three universities with high cumulative number of publications were Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Dar es salaam and Sokoine University of Agriculture. The top subject was medicine. The maximum number of citations received in a single publication was 1914. Publications metrics scores varied a lot based on indices chosen to rank the Tanzanian scholars. The study findings call for a need for scholars to collaborate with external partners within and outside the country, and publish in journals with a higher impact. Key words: Scientometrics, research growth, research performance, research publications, citation impact, Tanzania.

Strengthening Higher Education Space in Africa through North-South Partnerships and Links: Myths and Realities from Tanzania Public Universities

Governments' cuts in research and development funding for public universities in Tanzania has compelled these institutions to establish and develop extensive partnerships and links with universities, and research centers in the North. The establishment of the North-South partnerships has also coincided with the dominance of external and heavy dependence on external donors for funding of research and development activities in the majority of Tanzania public universities. This article, using the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), public university, seeks to shed light on whether or not partnerships make any significant contribution to the institution’s capacity building. The thesis of this paper is that although N-S partnerships are instrumental in institutional capacity building; they have not significantly contributed to the strengthening of higher education space at UDSM and apparently at other public universities in Tanzania because of inherent structural imbalances and inequalities embedded in the partnerships. .

Prevalence of Life Style Drugs Usage and Perceived Effects among University Students in Dar es Salaam

This was a cross-sectional study involving randomly selected university students from University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). Each respondent filled in a consent form prior to an interview. Awareness and prevalence of LSD usage, perceived effects and personal opinions on LSD usefulness were investigated. A total of 310 students (222 males and 88 females) aged between 21 and 35 years were interviewed. About 56.5% (n=175) were non-medical students from UDSM while 135 (43.5%) were medical students from MUHAS. Majority (92%) of the students was aware of LSDs, though only 29.3% of them had used one of 10 tracer LSDs, while 18 (5.8 %) students were uncertain whether they had ever used LSDs or not. Over 81% of LSD users had used alcohols and 43% of those admitted to have been propelled by peer pressure. Euphoria and “good sleep” were the mentioned by 27% of LSDs users as motive for consuming them, while 32.5% said LSDs usage added an extra-financial burden. This is the first study on the prevalence of LDS usage in universities.

Participation in the ICT era: Implementation without humiliation, misconception and false consciousness

The national language of Tanzania is Kiswahili. However, Tanzania has two official languages: English, introduced in colonial times, and Kiswahili, the actual lingua franca spoken by 99 per cent of the population. Kiswahili websites and internet content are gradually increasing, and equipment is becoming more affordable. The research reported on here shows that especially academic staff with good knowledge in information and communication technology (ICT) are using Kiswahili more than others. This gives hope for the future. The language of instruction in Tanzania’s higher education is however English only, resulting in students having to attend lectures and produce their coursework in a language they are not proficient in. Investigating whether University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) staff and students regard themselves as participants and contributors in a knowledge society, the author’s findings suggest two simultaneous processes: (1) There are still remnants from the colonial system in terms of education and language; (2) At the same time ICT-competent staff and students already do participate in the ICT era in Kiswahili and tend to use Kiswahili in their work and studies. A high number of respondents say they use Kiswahili in most of their ICT communication. There is reason to ask: is the notion of English being the only ICT language possibly decreasing? This article builds on fieldwork conducted at UDSM in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2011, in connection with the research project “ICT and Language in Tanzanian Higher Education”.

Developing Pre-service Teachers’ Technology Integration Competencies in Science and Mathematics Teaching: Experiences from Tanzania and Uganda

This study investigated the ICT integration practices in pre-service teacher education in the School of Education at Makerere University (College of Education and External Studies) in Uganda and Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE), a constituent college of the University of Dar es salaam in Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at establishing ways in which ICTs were being deployed in pre-service teacher training in the two colleges. It also investigated the factors constraining integration of ICTs in pre-service teacher education as perceived by the pre-service teachers and lecturers at the colleges. Using questionnaires and interview, data were collected from both the lecturers and final year pre-service teachers during the academic year (2009/2010). The findings revealed that, limited access to ICTs, limited lecturers’ knowledge of ICTs and limited use of the available ICTs affected usage of the technologies. Thus, it emerged that there is a need to explore models situated in a more encompassing theoretical framework like Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) so as to realise sustainable pedagogical practices in classrooms proliferated with technology.Keywords: TPACK; Professional development; Science education

Diversity of macrofungi at the University of Dar es Salaam Mlimani main campus in Tanzania

Macrofungi play important roles in nutrient cycling, forestry, pharmacology industry, production of cultivated fungi in the food industry, as well as their vital role in biodegradation and biodeterioration. Information about the diversity, community organization, and variations in time and space of macrofungi community belonging to the Basidiomycota and Ascomycota at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Mlimani main campus in Tanzania is totally non-existent. This study was conducted on three major habitats based on types of land use namely: natural trees, planted trees and the gardens which included cleared grounds at the UDSM. The method based on fruit body recording and analysis to provide a set of biodiversity quality indices which included fungi taxonomic field work and inventory of collections made to document the macrofungi species present. It also included quantitatively comparisons in terms of species diversity and richness across the three major habitats studied using diversity species indices. Results showed that there were 18 families, 29 genera and more than 61 species out of more than 676 fruit bodies collected. The Agaricaceae family in the Agaric morpho group were the best represented taxa (71%) with the least represented (2%) belonging to Hydnaceae of the ‘tooth fungi’ morpho-group. Shannon Wiener diversity species indices showed that the species composition varied among habitats with the natural tree leading (3.8882) followed by planted trees (3.1358) and the gardens recorded the least (2.8647). On the other hand, the Reyni diversity of species ordering showed a tremendous decrease of species diversity in the disturbed habitat. These results show that there is high species diversity and abundance in the ‘natural trees’ which are relatively protected compared to ‘planted trees’ and ‘gardens’ as well as a tremendous decrease of species diversity in the disturbed habitats. These findings suggest that disturbances and soil compaction affects the macro fungi distribution. The results thus recall for the need for conservation and further research in this area, particularly at the community and species level which is essential to monitor the effectiveness of, or the need for conservation, and also to follow the effects of natural or artificial disturbance. Key words: Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, communities, macrofungi, morpho-group.