| dc.description |
This study examined the state of science teaching in pre-primary schools in Dodoma Municipality, Tanzania. The study employed mainly a qualitative approach, with some quantification of specific phenomena. It utilized a case study design focusing on ten pre-primary schools in Dodoma Municipality and guided by the Context, Input, Processes and Products model. There were 50 informants sampled purposively (school heads =10; teachers=10; parents=10; and pupils=20). Data were collected through observation, interviews and documentary review. All the data collected were subjected to thematic analysis and interpretation techniques. The findings from the study revealed that pre-primary schools suffered from acute shortage of teaching and learning resources such as classrooms, toilets, playgrounds, furniture, science text books and teacher guides. The insufficiency of teaching and learning resources deprived pupils of the opportunity to engage in meaningful hands-on-activities, thereby rendering science teaching and learning less successful. Further, the findings indicated that teacher centred approach was most used instead of the child-centred approach in both public and private pre-primary schools. Based on these findings, it was concluded that teacher qualifications and resource availability for children‟s hands-on-activities were critical in the teaching and learning science in early childhood. To improve science teaching in early childhood,
the study recommends that the early childhood policy needs to be revised with special attention to teacher training and resource availability. |
|