An assessment of prevalent competency-based teaching practices for enhancing students’ English communication skills in rural public secondary schools in Mbinga District, Tanzania

Wilgis Ndunguru; Zamzam I. Nyandara; Jesse Lukindo

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.2.74

Autores

Wilgis Ndunguru Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy, Tanzania
Zamzam I. Nyandara Open University of Tanzania https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0960-3514
Jesse Lukindo Open University of Tanzania https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7024-1019

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.2.74

Palavras-chave:

Competency-Based Teaching, English Communication Skills, Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing

Resumo

Competency-Based Teaching (CBT) is a revolutionary teaching method that focuses on the development of students' skills rather than rote learning. The study focused on the major types of CBT which teachers used to improve the English communication skills of students in rural public secondary schools in the Mbinga District in Tanzania. In particular, the study was directed towards the strategies used by teachers in the development of their students' speaking, reading, listening and writing competence. The theory behind this study was competency-based education and constructivist learning theory, which emphasises active learning and demonstration of skills. The study employed the pragmatism philosophy. The study targeted English language teachers and Form Three students of public secondary schools in Mbinga District, Tanzania, which are mainly located in rural areas. The study was conducted in 16 rural public secondary schools, four of which were purposively selected in Form Three with 16 English language teachers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected in a qualitative case study design using classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document reviews. The results showed that teachers used teacher-centred and a combination of both (hybrid) CBT practices, and the most common was the hybrid approach. Ongoing teacher training, supply of teaching materials and structural changes (e.g., smaller classes) are suggested to optimise CBT effectiveness, as recommended by the study.

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