The IDRC funded Workshop that commenced on Monday 13th June, 2022 in Busia County came to a successful end on Friday 17th June, 2022. The weeklong exercise which attracted Trainers from Kibabii Diploma College, Lugari Diploma College, Nabongo TTC, Malava TTC, Jerusa TTC, Kibabii “B” and Busia Training College involved a beehive of practicals, and demonstration of models. It was officially closed by Kibabii University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Planning, Partnerships, Research and Innovation Prof. Dr.-Ing. Benedict M. Mutua in the company of Dr. Perpetua J Urio (Dar es Salaam University College of Education) and Dr. Donatian Marusu (HELVETAS, Tanzania).
In his remarks, Prof. Mutua lauded the project team and the participants of the Workshop, observing that the outcomes from the exercise are direly needed within the academic circles as the country transits from regular curriculum to the Competence Based Curriculum. The project team from Kenya comprises of Prof Julius Maiyo, Dr. Munir Muganda, Dr. Manasi Echaune, Dr. Christine Nabwire and Dr. Tecla Kirwa.
From a survey conducted, it was observed that facilitators from secondary schools have been facing difficulties in developing appropriate teaching and learning activities that enable learners to develop intended competences as per expected educational outcomes. Ultimately, this affects performance in developing expected knowledge, attitudes and skills to their learners.
While attributing the poor performance in mathematics to the approaches used as well as the attitude of tutors towards the subject, Prof. Mutua challenged the tutors to cascade the knowledge acquired and apply it in the classrooms. He however indicated that it may not always be the tutors but also other factors including poor infrastructural investment and insufficient human capital in schools that hinder performance.
“If you know mathematics, other subjects become easy. Your approach determines whether your students enjoy the subject or not. I also challenge the policy makers to invest more in modern classrooms for the comfort of teachers and learners as we transition to practical oriented learning,” he said.
In this project, the Team of experts developed a Facilitation Guide as part of the intervention for helping mathematics teachers on updating their teaching content, attitudes and pedagogical skills in order to improve their work to be friendly and lovely to the learners. The Guide contains some identified geometrical topics in mathematics that seem to be challenging for learners.
In her address, Dr. Perpetua Urio highlighted on the importance of the project that has currently been implemented in Zambia and Kenya with the next phase targeted for Tanzania.
“We are happy to note that the idea is being embraced well within the sampled schools and communities. We will continue supporting this with the aim of realizing the objectives of all these projects,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of HELVETAS, Dr. Donatian Marusu assured of their commitment to support the project in the 35 schools who are earmarked for implementation of the project.
“I am impressed with the speed the Kenyan people are understanding this concept. The passion, sociability and grasp of the English language has made it easy for the project team in disseminating the concepts in the Training Guide,” he said.
Helvetas Tanzania is part of a network of independent development organizations with head offices in Switzerland, Germany and the USA. It operates in 29 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, implementing development projects in the areas of water and sanitation, agriculture and nutrition, education, economic development, democracy and peace, and climate and the environment. In Tanzania, Helvetas has been promoting improvement of basic education and skills development, access to quality services and inclusive economic development and good governance to promote local development.
