Quality Assurance Strategies in Enhancing Learning Achievement among Public Primary Schools in Arusha Region, Tanzania

Abstract

This study investigated the School Quality Assurance (SQA) strategies in enhancing learning achievement among Public Primary Schools (PPSs) in Arusha Region, Tanzania, using a cross-section descriptive design. Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from 226 participants. Qualitative data was analyzed using a thematic approach and quantitative data through descriptive statistics, ordinal regression and Spearman’s rho correlation. The study revealed that visiting schools regularly, follow-up visits, releasing SQA feedback on time, friendly language, supporting professional development, visiting schools without prior information and involving teachers in SQA practices enhanced learning achievement. Poor transport facilities, shortages of SQAOs and inadequate SQA facilities limited the implementation. While insufficient fund caused SQAOs failure to visit every school in a year, delayed written reports made schools fail to implement SQA recommendations on time. The study recommended that the government of Tanzania should allocate required resources such as employing more qualified officers, adequate provision of funds and transport facilities to facilitate SQA practices. Furthermore, the government needs to support SQAD by continuously conducting short courses on lesson preparation and classroom management in order to support teachers in improving teaching skills. SQAOs need to handle teachers in a friendly manner that promotes trust, thus enhancing quality of their exercise.

The Assessment on the Process of Carrying out Quality Assurance of Educational Materials in Tanzania

“…The role of SQA is to achieve the accreditation and quality assurance of schools/colleges and to ensure the availability of the necessary resources for implementing the schools/colleges curriculum and their proper and appropriate use and maintenance [11]. SQA employs standard quality assurance tools to evaluate the qualifications, skills, and values of school/college administrators and teachers, as well as their attendance and classroom performance [18,19]. It offers professional support to teachers and school/college leaders to enhance teaching methods and effectively implement the curriculum.…”

“…The framework provides the functions and guidelines for the quality assurance organs to implement. The framework assessment shows that Tanzania's quality assurance program evaluates student achievement, instruction, learning, assessment, curriculum, leadership, management, and resources and facilities to ensure adequate school management and resources [14,16,18]. The face look of the framework statements indicates that the quality should look at the curriculum and resources that might be interpreted as the evaluation of the educational materials.…”

“…Researchers did not give much attention to the study of curriculum materials and the selection process until recently, for example, among the few studies investigating educational materials [5,9]. The majority of work, however, was focused on the study of teachers, including their training, personal traits, interactions with students in the classroom, and instructional strategies [2,10,[17][18].…”

“…In-service supplements the capacity development process from what is already known. On the other hand, the study of the enrichment of school quality assurance (SQA) practices in public primary schools (PPSs) in the Arusha region, Tanzania, found that in-service capacity development faces many implementation challenges [18]. One of the challenges mentioned is the insufficient funds for professional development facilitation.…”

Internal Quality Assurance System Based on Pesantren Values: Towards The Excellence of Schools in Indonesia

“…Qualified education is contains the process of maturation of the quality of students who are trying to be developed by changing students from those who do not know to know, who are unable to become capable, to be efficient, to be honest, to be accurate, and have reason and faith. In other words, Makiya et al (2022) stated that education quality is an absolute requirement to birth a superior and competitive school in today's global era.…”