Who benefits from illiteracy? Literacy and empowerment

Formerly Associate Professor of Adult Education at the University of Dar es Salaam (1970–79) and Director of the Institute of Adult Education, United Republic of tanzania (1979–81). His fields of competence include literacy, adult education and participatory research. Author ofThe Adult Education Revolution in Tanzania and co-editor ofParticipatory Research: An Emerging Alternative Methodology in Social Science Research.     

Development and validation of a questionnaire for teacher effective communication in Qur’an learning

ABSTRACT

A student’s perception of teacher effective communication influences the learning atmosphere. The measurement of perception indicates how students view the quality of learning. As few studies have explored the development of an appropriate measurement tool of students’ perception of learning to read the Qur’an, this study aims to develop such a tool. Conceptual analysis and a survey using open-ended questions resulted in dimensions and items. Six experts and three instructors evaluated the content validity. The questionnaire was then administered to 421 participants – 201 for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and 220 for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The results successfully identified four dimensions that explained 64.6% of the variation. The instrument consisted of 13 items with satisfactory reliability and validity. The dimension with the highest coefficient path was ‘understanding and friendliness’ (UF), while the dimension of ‘learning media’ (LM) was the lowest. There was a significant influence of gender on the dimension of UF, as well as verbal (V) and non-verbal (NV) communication, while there were no differences in the dimension of LM. The questionnaire can be effectively used as a measurement device of dimensions related to students’ perception of teacher effective communication in Qur’an learning.     

Formal,nonformal and informal modes of learning: A glimpse of the Tanzanian experience

Conclusion This short report has reflected upon and illustrated the different ways and means by which formal, nonformal and informal modes of learning have been made to interact with each other in Tanzania. Integration to such an extent has been made possible both through structural changes in the educational system as well as through the operation of some specific learning programmes. The rationale for using such an integrative approach has also been outlined.The interaction between formal, nonformal and informal structures and modes of learning is certainly not comprehensive nor completely integrated, as is evident from the report. Rather, a rational start has been made in that direction within the overall framework of Tanzania's development goals and aspirations.     

The governance of the South African higher education system: balancing state control and state supervision in co-operative governance?

The publication of the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) in 1996 was hailed as the first systematic attempt to map out a policy terrain for higher education in South Africa since the elections of April 1994. Its recommendations, particularly on the governance of higher education, elicited much discussion and debate. The debate continued (and continues) with the publication of the Green and White Papers, the Bill on Higher Education, and the Higher Education Act (HEA) in late 1997.This paper explores and seeks to clarify the emerging model of educational governance that has been accepted by the Ministry of Education in South Africa as the basis for managing and transforming the inherited system of higher education. Specifically, the paper considers the philosophy of “co-operative governance” and the governance recommendations of the NCHE Report and the HEA. These documents are examined in relation to state control and state supervision models of higher education governance. The paper concludes by considering the politics of policy development in the transformation of the South African higher education governance system.     

Supporting teacher professional development through online video case study discussions: An assemblage of preservice and inservice teachers and the case teacher

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential value of online video case discussions among preservice and inservice teachers, and the video case teacher as a tool for the professional development of teachers. Participants included a total of 26 preservice and inservice mathematics teachers and a veteran teacher who appeared on the video case. Using content analysis techniques, we provided a thematic analysis of the teacher discourse and demonstrated the exchanges between the participating teachers and video case teacher. We also assessed the overall effectiveness of our online forum set up for the professional development of teachers. Results indicated that participant teachers were able to make theory–practice connections by articulating specific frameworks that guided our study. The inclusion of the video case teacher was beneficial for the other teachers in several ways. We contend that online forum discussions of video cases in which collective engagement of preservice and inservice teachers, and the case teacher have a great potential to support teacher professional development.     

ICT enabled Almajiri education in Nigeria: Challenges and prospects

Education and Information Technologies - The Almajiri children in Nigeria are deserving of special interventions to reduce the life-long divide in educational achievement, social status, and...