Pre-service Science Teacher Education in Africa: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

Since the independence era in the 1950s and 1960s, many African countries have recognised the important role that science plays in the socio-economic development of any country. As a result, various African governments have enacted policies and allocated a large proportion of their gross national product to the science and science education sector of the economy. For instance, many African countries introduced universal primary education and to cater for the bulging student population increased the number of their secondary schools considerably. However, the rapid expansion of educational facilities has to some degree compromised the quality of the science teaching in many African schools. Among the various problems facing science education in Africa since the independence era, however, the most frequently mentioned has been the shortage of qualified science teachers. Science teachers play a critical role in laying the foundation of scientific literacy of a country. Indeed, no education system can outperform the quality of its teachers.

The Role Played by Contextual Challenges in Practising Inquiry-based Science Teaching in Tanzania Secondary Schools

“…Teachers with knowledge of the nature of scientific knowledge can create a classroom setting that is conducive for students' creativity and engagements in critical thinking skills. No education system can achieve beyond the quality of its teachers (Ogunniyi & Rollnick, 2015). To facilitate appropriate learner-centred teaching in Tanzanian contexts, strengthening teacher training on the nature of scientific knowledge and inquiry is required.…”

“…observed that, in Tanzanian contexts, inquirybased science teaching is not well-emphasised in some teachers' colleges. Despite the emphasis on learner-centred teaching and on developing inquiring minds in students, as advocated in the curriculum(MoEVT, 2005), teacher education and preparation do not emphasise inquiry-based science teaching Ogunniyi and Rollnick (2015). noted that most African science curriculums have put emphasis on interactive ways of learning but, there is no sufficient emphasis for preparing teachers who can implement inquiry-based teaching.…”

Toward a Sustainable Future: The Practice of Science Teacher Education for Sustainability

“…Even in Australia many school principals (73 %) expressed diffi culty in fi nding good science teachers, particularly in physics and chemistry, with the shortage of experienced science teachers being more acute in remote, low socioeconomic status areas (Treagust, Won, Petersen, & Wynne, 2015 ). And of course there are parts of the world, such as Africa, in which it is diffi cult to produce or retain qualifi ed science teachers in suffi cient numbers due to poor resources for science teaching, an inadequate number of higher teacher education institutions to prepare teachers, and the relatively low status of the teaching profession that is coupled with a growing population (Ogunniyi & Rollnick, 2015 ).…”

The Rationale of Continuous Assessment for Development of Competencies in Tanzania Secondary Schools

“…Leaners that are educated based on this constructivist approach can apply the acquired knowledge in science for solving various problem in the society and are able to participate in various decision on controversial issues (Crawford, 2014). Learner centred approach to teaching is adapted in most African countries (Ogunniyi & Rollnick, 2015) including Tanzania (Mkimbili, 2018). In Tanzania, the ministry responsible for education, that is, the then Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) and through, Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), reviewed school curricula at all levels of education.…”