Dissertation (MPA)
This study informs how community participation has improved the learning environment in secondary schools drawing on the data that were collected from Kasulu District Council of Tanzania. Specifically, the study explains the extent of community participation in improving the learning environment in secondary schools, the challenges affecting community participation in improving the learning environment, and offers the possible solutions to address the challenges facing community participation in improving the learning environment in a secondary school in Tanzania. The study adopted quantitative and qualitative approaches in data collection and analysis. The data were generated from a sample of 100 heads of household and 19 key informants who were sampled through random and purposive sampling techniques respectively. The respondents were drawn from four different schools located in four different wards from Kasulu District Council. The primary data were collected through a questionnaire, interviews, and observations while the documentary review was used to collect secondary data. Data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21, and Excel Software while the qualitative information from observations and documentary reviews were subjected to the thematic analysis. The analysis revealed that the community has important contribution such as contribution in labour, materials, land and fund to improving the learning environment in secondary schools in Tanzania albeit some challenges it encounters. Some of the challenges include negligence of some parents, unreliable public gatherings and feedback mechanisms, low public awareness, financial constraints, and low level of education. Some of the notable recommendations to augment community participation include capacity building, the introduction of the Improving Learning Environment Campaign (ILEC), strengthening collaboration with stakeholders. Also, there is a need to improve partnership with effective communication, clear separation between politics and administration, timely allocation of resources, and increase of the public awareness