Science & Technical Education

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A Note on Fractional-Order Model for Cholera Disease Transmission with Control Strategies
(Mbeya University of Science and Technology, 2021-12-29) Helikumi,Mlyashimbi; Lolika,Paride O.
In this paper, we formulated and analyzed a fractional-order model for cholera disease transmission that consists of human population and surrounding environment. Three control strategies namely: health education campaigns, hygiene practices, and treatment of infected individuals are investigated. We divided the human pop- ulation into three sub-classes namely: Susceptible, infected and recovered classes. The main assumptions on the disease transmission were that susceptible humans acquire the disease through contact with either infected humans or directly from environment. Mathematical analysis of the model was carried out and the threshold quantity R0 which determine the existence of the disease in the population was determined. The model analysis showed that the disease exist in the population whenever R0 > 1 and dies wherever R0 ≤ 1. It was also noted that both the disease-free and endemic equilibria are globally stable. Further more, we performed the numerical simulations of the model and the results showed that the order of derivatives have the influence on spread of cholera disease in the population. It was also noted that both the aforementioned control strategies have the potential to minimize the spread of cholera in the community.
Advanced Level Student Competences In Doing Biology Practical: The Case Of Dissection Of Frog In Kinondoni And Bagamoyo Districts, Tanzania
(IJRISS, 2021) Kibani, Leoncia H.
This study examined students’ learning competences of biology practical skills during dissection of animal specimen Frog/Toad in A’level secondary schools in Kinondoni and Bagamoyo district. Mixed method approach and case study design were employed. Biology practical sessions were examined in 10 secondary schools, five from each district. Participants involved 10 form six biology students and 2 teachers from each school. Data were collected through interview with teachers, focus group discussion with students and participatory observation. Sampling was purposively to teachers and randomly to students. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed thematically and descriptively respectively. Findings includes: A’level students were not competent in dissecting frog. Students lack practical technical skills in dissection, lack clear knowledge on the internal features of frog, lack knowledge on the ethics of dissection processes, lack familiarity of some dissecting materials and skills in using dissecting tools. There was limited practical guides and facilities needed for dissection. The study concludes that teachers need to be trained on how to teach practical lessons. The study recommend the government to supply guides and dissecting kits to all schools and make a follow on what and how students are learning practical lessons
Analysis of Kick Detection Methods in the Light of Actual Blowout Disasters.
(Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2017) Lindi, Oltingey
Kicks or formation fluid influxes pose persistent challenges and operational costs during drilling, workover, completion and sometimes after temporary abandonment operations. Despite of presence of variety of kick detection methods, oil and gas wells still experience undetected kicks and detected kicks which sometimes becomes uncontrolled and results into blowout. Kicks that evolved into blowout stage cost billions of dollars, human lives and damage to the environment. For instance Macondo well incident that occurred in 2010 cost about $40 billion and 11 fatalities, Piper alpha in north sea that occurred in 1988 cost about $3.4 billion and 167 fatalities, and Petrobras 36, Brazil, that occurred in 2001 cost about $350 million and 11 fatalities (Tabibzadeh & Meshkati, 2014a). So it’s better to incur cost to detect and control kicks rather than healing its consequences. The available methods for kick detection has its strength and weaknesses. These weaknesses give a loop for kicks to flow to surface undetected and hence it might bring about blowout disasters. Therefore the main goal of this thesis will be to analyse kick detection methods to recognise the loop holes for the occurrence of blowout disasters and suggest the means of improvement. The critical evaluation will be based on blowout cases selected which occurred due to late or failed kick detection. Therefore earlier kick identification and controlling is crucial for the development of petroleum industry in general but in particular avoidance of blowouts. The mains causes of blowouts has been categorized into human errors, technological deficiencies, cost cutting and kick detection techniques problems Conclusion from this thesis suggests the extension of kick detection method beyond drilling operations to the completion, workover or completion operations and establishment of advisory program that could automatically be advising the crew working in the rig is paramount. This will enable quick decision making. Also advisory program will reduce the probability of human errors occurrence that leads to blowout. Apart from advisory program also change in mud returning volume method could be developed into sensors that can be used beyond drilling operations
Beyond Food Preparation: Potential of the Field of Food Science and Technology in Tanzania and Beyond
(East African Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2023-09) A., Ahmed; H., Zaharan
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase "food science and technology" (FST)? One of the authors asked some students who were visiting the Mbeya University of Science and Technology during the Annual Agricultural Exhibition, Nanenane, in August 2022. Their responses were unsurprising because they were very similar to how many people perceive the FST field. Most people mistakenly associate FST with other programmes like Hotel Management and Food and Beverage Production and believe it is all about cooking. Of course, someone with experience in food and beverage production is highly likely to pursue further education in the field of food science and technology. The FST is an interdisciplinary field as opposed to a specific discipline. This review aimed to raise awareness of the FST field among the general public. As a result, we have discussed in great detail in this paper how the field of FST relates to other branches of science, technology, economics, and social sciences. A thorough understanding of the FST field is anticipated to raise awareness of how FST knowledge and abilities can be crucial for leveraging the national economy at both the micro and macro levels through food processing, preservation, quality assurance and safety, and business. To support the nation's vision and Sustainable Development Goals, policy amendments are also advised to integrate the FST into various frameworks.P
Career Aspiration in Relation to Academic Achievement among Undergraduate Students of Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Tanzania.
(MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends & Practices, 2024-11) Mhule, Daliko; Babu M Daliko; Ngonyani,Mussa; Sumbiz, Enerico
Academic achievement and career aspirations are pivotal in preparing youth for socio economic participation. This study investigated the relationship between the career aspirations and academic achievement of 217 randomly selected undergraduate students, utilizing a cross-sectional survey design and the career aspirations scale (Gregor & Brien, 2016). Results showed that students had moderate career aspirations (Median=3.29) and academic performance (Median=3). Statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated no significant gender differences in career aspirations (U=5895, z=.117, p=.91) but a significant difference in academic achievement (U=4775.50, z=-2.57, p=0.01), suggesting that career aspirations predict academic success. The findings highlight the need for academic support services to enhance student performance and career goals, emphasizing career aspirations (U=5895, z=.117, p=.91) but a significant difference in academic achievement (U=4775.50, z=-2.57, p=0.01), suggesting that career aspirations predict academic success. The findings highlight the need for academic support services to enhance student performance and career goals, emphasizing career aspirations as critical for academic success and a central concern for educational policy.
Common Beans Imagery Dataset for Early Detection of Bean Rust and Bean Anthracnose Diseases
(Elsevier, 2024) Laizer, Hudson; Mduma, Neema; Machuve, Dina; Maganga, Reinfrid
Common bean plays a crucial role in the agricultural sector in Tanzania. To most smallholder farmers, the crop serves as a principal source of protein and an essential source of in come. Despite its significance, common bean production is often affected by diseases, particularly bean rust and bean anthracnose, resulting in low yields and diminished eco nomic returns. To address this challenge, a comprehensive dataset of common bean leaf images has been collected by using smartphone cameras to capture the visual character istics of healthy and diseased leaves. The dataset contains more than 59,072 labeled images, offering a valuable re source for developing machine learning models and user friendly tools capable of early detection and diagnosis of bean rust and bean anthracnose diseases. The aim of gen erating this dataset is to facilitate the development of ma chine learning tools that will empower agricultural extension officers, smallholder farmers, and other stakeholders in agri culture to promptly identify and diagnose affected crops, en abling timely and effective interventions before causing sig nificant economic loss. By equipping farmers with the knowledge and tools to combat these diseases, we can safeguard bean production, enhance food security, and strengthen the economic well-being of smallholder farmers in Tanzania and other parts of Africa.
Community Structure, Conservation Status, and Functional Groups of Bird Species in Mbeya Range Forests, Tanzania
(Science Education Technology, 2022-03-07) Ojija, Fredrick; Manyanza, Ndaki M.
The Mbeya range forest reserves (MRFRs) of the southern highland of Tanzania are an important hotspot for biodiversity conservation. However, its avian biodiversity has hardly ever been studied. Thus, for the first time, this study presents the inventory of bird species from MRFRs, demonstrating community structure, functional group, and conservation status. The study was carried out in four forest areas (i.e., Idugumbi, Kawetire, Mount Loleza, and Muvwa) within the MRFRs. The bird survey was carried out monthly between March 2018 and June 2018. Standardised line and point counts, as well as mist netting, were used to collect data. A total of 1052 individual birds, representing 41 species and 22 families, were recorded. Relative abundance, Shannon and Simpson species diversity, and species richness were high in Idugumbi forest and lowest in Kawetire forest. Species diversity differed significantly between the four forest areas. Moreover, Idugumbi and Muvwa had relatively low species composition dissimilarity compared to other forest areas. Different bird functional groups, i.e., insectivores, granivores, nectarivores, carnivores, frugivores, or combinations of these, were recorded in MRFRs. The insectivores were twice as abundant as granivores and nectarivores. The multi–layered vegetation structure of native plants in the Idugumbi forest appears to benefit and contribute to bird communities. The study reveals that MRFRs are an important hotspot for bird species that require ecological monitoring and protection. As a result, appropriate land–use practices near MRFRs should be followed to ensure long–term avian conservation
Comparative Study of Bachelor of Civil Engineering Curricula in Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania: A Systematic Review
(IISTE, 2021) Mhando, Yusuph B.; Kifanyi, Gislar E.
This paper compares the curricula of Bachelor degree in the field of civil engineering. This helps improving the quality of curriculum that generates demand driven engineering graduates with an equal competency in the context of labour market. Descriptive survey was adopted, and a checklist of courses from purposively selected higher learning institutions was used. Constant comparative analysis to categorize types of information investigated was adopted. Findings indicate that Bachelor degree programme in civil engineering at Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) and St. Joseph College of Engineering and Technology (SJCET) has duration of 3 or 4 years depending on the entry qualification of the student, whereas at Arusha Technical College (ATC) it takes 3 years to complete the programme. On the other hand, inconsistency on the number of courses and academic loads offered in these institutions was revealed. The study suggests a joint development of curricula for training programmes. This could help trainers, researchers, curricula developers and policy makers to harmonize and minimize discrepancies of the curricula contents of the same programme offered in different institutions.
Current Trend on Plant Species Diversity and Productivity Potential among Community Conserved Ngitili Subjected to Grazing Pressure in Kishapu District, Tanzania
(IJSRED, 2020-04) Malunguja Gisandu K.; Devi Ashalata
Ngitili is the common practice among the Sukuma ethnic community in Tanzania, which involves retaining an area of standing vegetation during the rainy season and opening it up for grazing at the peak of the dry season. Exposure of Ngitili into extensive grazing has been associated with species alteration in terms of diversity and productivity. We conducted a field study to assess the trend of Ngitili, in Kishapu district of Tanzania. A phytosociological survey was carried to recognize vegetation composition using a point sampling technique. Regeneration potential was determined based on the population size of seedlings, saplings and adults. Herbaceous and tree species productivity potential was computed based on established allometric models. We recorded a total of 66 plant species, of which 20 were grasses, 18 were forbs, and 28 were trees. The dominant grass species were, Aristida spp. (28.9%) while Monechma debile (4.6%) was the dominant forb species. Importance Value Index recorded, Acacia drepanolobium (45.4) and Balanite aegyptica (42.9) as dominant trees species. The majority of the tree (51.8%) exhibiting a “Not regenerating” condition. A diversity of 1.8 to 2.4, with a stocking potential of 1.23±0.05 tDM ha-1 , 512.07±193.86 stems/ha, and 5.66±0.21 tCha-1, for herbaceous and tree species was recorded, respectively. Therefore, the sustainability of Ngitili in Kishapu are highly threatened by ongoing grazing pressure.
Diversity and Abundance of Arthropods at Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Tanzania.
(INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, 2016-09-06) Ojija, Fredrick
Despite the high abundance of arthropods in many terrestrial environments, our understanding of their ecological diversity and abundance remain unknown in some habitats. The aim of this study is to assess the abundance, diversity and species richness of some arthropods found in grassland and woodland habitats at Mbeya University of Science and Technology in Tanzania. A total of 1719 arthropods belonging to 63 species under 12 orders and 46 families were collected. Parameters such as Shannon index, Simpson index, Margalef index, Evenness index and Sorenson similarity index were used to analyse the diversity of arthropods. Result showed that, Hymenoptera (33.101%), Coleoptera (28.098%) and Orthoptera (17.510%) were the most dominant orders, whereas the least abundant order were Diptera (0.814%) and Scolopendromorpha (0.291%). The grassland showed high species richness, Margalef index (D = 6.930), abundance (n = 1177), Evenness (E = 0.854) and Shannon diversity (H = 3.339) of arthropods. The abundance of arthropod groups between grassland and woodland differed significantly(p<0.05). Sorensen similarity index in both habitats showed 53.5% similarity. Therefore, result indicates that the grassland habitat has the potential to support arthropod diversity and act as effective refugia for some arthropods from woodland.
Effect of Fruit Acidulants and Storage Conditions on the Physicochemical, Microbiological and Sensory Characteristics of Paneer
(East African Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2023-09) A, Ahmed; P, Aggarwal; U, Bajwa
Paneer is an unripened soft cheese mainly used by Indians and Pakistans, and it does not require the rennet enzyme. It is prepared by coagulating heated milk with acid. However, fresh paneer has a short shelf life of up to 2 days at ambient temperature. In this study, paneer was prepared from lemon and amla fruit acidulants and stored at room and refrigeration temperatures. Then, the paneer samples were analysed for their physicochemical properties, texture profile, microbiological counts and sensory attributes during storage at room and refrigeration temperatures. The type of acidulant, storage temperature and time significantly affected the paneer's physicochemical properties (p<0.05). . However, the changes were rapid in samples stored at room temperature. Moreover, paneer coagulated using fruit acidulants had a higher shelf life and retention of functional properties. Furthermore, the paneer from fruit acidulants had high acceptability, comparable to the control, usually made from citric acid. Therefore, preparing paneer from fruit acidulants with improved functionality, shelf life, and acceptability is possible. Thus, adapting the technology of making paneer with acidulant fruits would reduce milk and fruit postharvest loss, promote a sustainable diet and create market potential for the novel milk product in India and the world at large
Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Sources, Effects on Biodiversity and Humans, Remediation, and Conservation Implications
(Sage, 2024) Ojija, Fredrick
Ecosystems, biodiversity, and the human population all depend on a quality or uncontaminated envir onment. Quality environment provides people and wildlife access to nutrition, medications, dietary sup plements, and other ecosystem services. The conservation of biodiversity—that is, species richness, abundance, heredities, and diversity—as well as the control of climate change are facilitated by such an uncontaminated environment. However, these advantages are jeopardized by newly emerging envir onmental chemical contaminants (EECCs) brought on by increased industrialization and urbanization. In developing countries, inadequate or poor environmental policies, infrastructure, and national standards concerning the usage, recycling, remediation, control, and management of EECCs hasten their effects. EECCs in these countries negatively affect biodiversity, ecological services and functions, and human health. This review reveals that the most deprived or vulnerable local communities in developing coun tries are those residing near mining or industrial areas and cultivating their crops and vegetables on contaminated soils, as is wildlife that forages or drinks in EECC-contaminated water bodies. Yet, people in these countries have limited knowledge about EECCs, their threats to human well-being, ecosystem safety, and the environment, as well as remediation technologies. Besides, efforts to efficiently control, combat, regulate, and monitor EECCs are limited. Thus, the review aims to increase public knowledge concerning EECCs in developing countries and present a comprehensive overview of the current status of EECCs. It also explores the sources and advancements in remediation techniques and the threats of EECCs to humans, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
Energy Resources: Their Causal Relationship with Ecology and Environments.
(Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd., 2025-03-19) Lyanda, Romanus Peter; Ojija, Fredrick
Energy resources are critical drivers of economic development and societal progress, but their extraction, conversion, and use have profoundly impacted ecological systems and the environment. Therefore, it is essential to explore the relationships between energy resources and the environment throughout history. This paper examines the causal relationships between energy resource utilization and environmental changes, addressing both renewable and non-renewable energy sources. We analyze the environmental consequences of energy extraction and consumption, including pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change, and evaluate sustainable approaches to mitigate these effects. Fossil fuels have been the primary source of energy and are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and habitat destruction, all of which exacerbate global climate change. On the other hand, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power are considered more sustainable. However, they also have environmental impacts, such as habitat disruption and high resource consumption. Researchers argue that trade-offs must be managed between increasing energy use, facilitated by technological advancements, and achieving sustainability. Energy generation and ecological goals should not be viewed as opposing or irreconcilable. With the implementation of appropriate policies, measures, and guidelines, energy production can be aligned with efforts to mitigate climate change and promote sustainability.
Enhanced Aquaculture Wastewater Treatment Using Water Spinach (Ipomoea Aquatica Forsskal) and Exogenous Compound Bacteria
(Elsevier, 2024) Xu, Jiaojiao; Nicholaus, Regan; Wang, Yangcai; Yang, Wen; Zhu, Jinyong; Zheng, Zhongming
Bioremediation technology has been widely recognized as a sustainable treatment method for purifying aqua culture wastewater. We established two types of ecological floating beds, one with water spinach (WS) only and another with water spinach combined with exogenous compound bacteria (WS-ECB) for the treatment of the Pacific white shrimp aquaculture wastewater of low-salinity. The exogenous compound bacteria used in this study was composed of Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Bacillus subtilis in a certain proportion. Microbial com munity dynamics were analyzed by using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and water quality was determined. Both two treatments were effective in the remediation of aquaculture wastewater. The removal efficiencies of CODMn, TN and TP in the WS group were 34.33 %, 66.54 % and 73.01 %, respectively, and the removal efficiency of NH4 + in the WS-ECB group was 93.79 %. Furthermore, the addition of water spinach and exogenous compound bacteria increased the abundance of some bacteria that are involved in regulating water quality and altered the succession of microbial communities. The microbial communities were shaped by both stochastic processes (including limited dispersal) and deterministic processes (including environmental condi tions and biotic interactions). Importantly, stochastic processes dominated the assembly of both water and rhizosphere microbial communities in different treatments, while deterministic processes contributed more to the rhizosphere microbial community in the WS-ECB than in the WS. Overall, our study emphasizes that plant and microbial remediation was a potential and effective approach to remove the nutrients of water, and clarifies the bacterial community dynamics and assembly mechanisms during aquaculture wastewater treatment processes.
Exogenous Compound Bacteria Enhance the Nutrient Removal Efficiency of Integrated Bioremediation Systems: Functional Genes and Microorganisms Play Key Roles
(ELSEVIER, 2024) Wei, Yingzhen; Zhu, Jinyong; Shen , Ding; Yang, Wen; Nichola, Regan; Wang , Yangcai; Zheng, Zhongming; Lukwambe, Betina
With the continuous development of intensive mariculture, the application of the integrated bioremediation system of aquaculture wastewater (IBSAW) is increasingly promoted. However, the process and nutrients removal performance of the IBSAW need to be further optimized due to its immature technologies. In this study, exogenous compound bacteria (ECB) were added to IBSAW to investigate its pollutants removal efficiency and the relevant mechanisms. High-throughput sequencing and Geochip gene array were used to analyze the cor relation between nutrients and bacteria, and the abundance of N and P cycling genes were quantified. Multi variable statistics, dimensionality reduction analysis, and network analysis were applied to explore the mechanisms of IBSAW operation. The results showed that the nutrients decreased significantly after adding ECB, with the brush treatment group significantly outperforming the ceramsite in removing NO 3 has an advantage in removing NO 2 and PO 4 3 . Ceramsite -N. The addition of ECB and different substrates significantly affected the composition of bacterial communities. The contents of nosZ and nirKS related to denitrification in the treatment groups were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the contents in the brush treatment group were significantly higher than that of ceramsite. The biomarkers Psychroserpens and Ruegeria on the biofilm of the brush treatment group were positively correlated with nirKS, while Mycobacterium, Erythrobacter and Paracoccus, Pseudohaliea in the ceramsite group were positively correlated with nirS and nirK, respectively. Therefore, it is speculated that the ECB significantly promoted the increase of denitrification bacteria by affecting the compo sition of bacterial communities, and the ECB combined with functional genera improved the efficiency of nu trients removal in the system. This study provided a reference for understanding the process and mechanism of nutrients removal, optimizing the wastewater purification technology of the IBSAW and improving the perfor mance of the system.
Finite Difference and Shooting Methods for Two-Point Boundary Value Problems: A Comparative Analysis
(MUST Journal of Research and Development (MJRD), 2020-05-03) Masenge, Ralph Peter and Malak, Sospeter Shikulu
Finite difference and shooting methods are popular with numerical practitioners in solving two-point boundary value problems governed by ordinary differential equations. However, the available literature is silent on which method is the most suitable with respect to accuracy, efficiency, stability, and convergence. In this article, finite difference and shooting methods are applied to solve numerically three types of two-point boundary value problems. One problem is governed by a linear non-stiff differential equation, a second problem is governed by a linear stiff differential equation, and a third problem is governed by a non-linear differential equation. The analytical solution of each problem is given. These solutions are used in assessing the accuracy attained by each of the numerical methods. It is known a prior that finite difference schemes based on central difference quotients in approximating derivative terms are numerically stable. Numerical experiments carried out on the three problems lead to the conclusion that, for linear non- stiff equations, linear shooting gives significantly more accurate results compared to finite difference methods. However, in the case of linear stiff equations, the finite difference method gives very accurate results while the shooting method fails totally, displaying serious instability. As for problems governed by nonlinear equations, although both finite difference and shooting methods converge, the shooting method converges significantly faster than its counterpart. With respect to the attribute of efficiency, finite difference methods are more efficient than shooting methods due to the ease with which the Runge - Kutta initial value problem solver can be applied.
Fixed point theorems for extended interpolative Kanann- iri¢-Reich-Rus non-self type mapping in hyperbolic complex-valued metric space
(Euro-Tbilisi Mathematical Journal, 2023) Wangwe, Lucas; Rathour, Laxmi; Mishra, Lakshmi N.; Mishra, Vishnu N.
This paper aims to demonstrate the xed point theorem for extended interpolative non-self type contraction mapping in hyperbolic complex-valued metric spaces. We provide an example for veri cation of the results. Further, as an application, we prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions for a class of Hadamard partial fractional integral equations by applying some fixed point theorems.
Global Dynamics of Fractional-order Model for Malaria Disease Transmission
(Asian Research Journal of Mathematics, 2022) Helikumi, Mlyashimbi; Lolika, Paride O.
In this study, we formulated and analyzed a fractional-order model for malaria disease transmission using Atangana-Beleanu-Caputo in sense to study the effects of heterogeneity vector biting exposure on the human population. To capture effects the heterogeneity vector biting exposure, we sub-divided the human population into two sub-groups namely; the population in high and low risk areas. In the model analysis, we computed the basic reproduction number R0 and qualitatively used to assess the existence and extinction of disease in the population. Additionally, we used the fixed point theorem to prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions. Numerical schemes for both Euler and Adam-Bathforth-Moulton are present in details and used in model simulations. Furthermore, we performed the numerical simulation to support the analytical results in this study. From numerical simulations, we estimated the values of model parameters using least square fitting method for the real data of malaria reported in Zimbabwe. The sensitivity analysis of the model parameters was done to determine the correlation between model parameters and R0. Finally, we used the Euler and Adam-Bashforth-Moulton scheme to simulate the model system using estimated parameters. Overall, we noted that fractional-order derivatives have more influence on the dynamics of malaria disease in the population.
Implementation of Learner-Centered Approach Among Teachers in Ordinary Level Secondary Schools in Tanzania a Case of Mbinga District Council
(Mbeya University of Science and Technology, 2018) Daliko Cosmas Mhule
This study aimed to explore the implementation of Learner-Centred Approach (LCA) among teachers in ordinary level secondary schools in Tanzania. The specific objectives were: to find out the teachers’ understanding on LCA, to explore how teachers practice LCA, to determine facilities for the implementation of LCA and to assess the administrative support for effective implementation of LCA. Constructivism theory and holistic case study design were employed in the study where qualitative approach was largely used but supplemented by quantitative approach through which qualitative and quantitative data were gathered. The 80 respondents for the study were purposeful and voluntarily sampled from four ordinary level secondary schools in Mbinga District Council comprising 4 school heads, 20 teachers and 56 students. Data collection instruments used include questionnaires, semi-structured interview, observation and documentary review from which qualitative data were analysed through content analysis by the aid of ATLAS Ti 7 while quantitative data were analysed by SPSS version 20. Findings were presented in tables, charts and statements. The study found that LCA is partially implemented in schools due to some constraints including shortage of teachers, inadequacy teaching and learning resources and infrastructures, large number of students in classes, lack of training among teachers on curricula change, language barrier and lack of awareness on education among students. Regarding the findings, the study recommends to the central government and various stakeholders to emphasize, monitor and evaluate the implementation of LCA, increase of resources in schools, involve teachers in curricula development and changes, and foster health community-school linkage for the success of LCA in schools
Improving Mathematics Education Through Teacher Professional Development: A Tanzanian Perspective
(MUST Journal of Research and Development, 2024-09-30) Sarungi ,Veronica P; Mutenzi ,Fredrick
This study aimed to explore mathematics teachers’ perceptions of professional development. The study involved two public secondary schools in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam. This was a qualitative study based on case study design. The study involved fourteen (14) participants that were selected purposefully. Two (2) heads of the schools, two (2) Academic Teachers, two (2) heads of mathematics departments, and eight (8) mathematics teachers were equally involved from both schools. Interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, and document analysis methods were used in data collection. Both interviews and focus group discussion were audio-recorded by using a protected smartphone with password to ensure data security. The documents reviewed includes; school policies, school calendars, and mathematics departmental meetings’ minutes. The data collected were analysed thematically to identify and interpret key themes. The data analysis was based on the following steps: transcription, data reduction, presentation, and discussion of findings. Fictitious names were used for names of people and schools to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. The study revealed that teachers perceived professional development as formal programs to improve teachers’ quality that were time-consuming and costly, while informal professional development programs were overlooked by teachers and other educational stakeholders. The study recommends that, in order to improve teachers’ quality as intended in professional development, there is a need to raise awareness for both formal and informal professional development programs among teachers and a learning community as a whole.

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