Main Article Content

Abstract

Tanzania government has implemented many initiatives to promote pupils’ academic performance in primary schools for more than a decade. However, many school pupils in public primary schools still achieve low academic performance. The specific objective of this study was to examine the linkage between teacher autonomy and pupils’ academic performance. A survey was conducted in four Local Government Authorities (LGAs) which included Ngara, Kibondo, Tanga City and Mafinga Town.  Sample size of the study was 354 teachers selected from ninety-five (95) public primary schools.  Multi-stage with stratified simple random sampling was used to select the sample size while purposive sampling procedure was used to select 16 key informants including eight (8) head teachers and eight (8) standard seven pupils. Methods of data collection consisted of questionnaires, interviews and documentary review. Quantitative data were analysed using binary logistic regression while qualitative data were analysed thematically.   Major findings showed that teacher autonomy model explained the variance on pupils’ academic performance by (0.09) which was too small while leaving 91% of variance to other factors outside teacher autonomy model.  Furthermore, teacher autonomy had small odd ratio = (.51) and was significant (p < .001); which indicated that the odds of high teacher autonomy were (0.5) times more likely to achieve pupils’ academic performance compared to low teacher autonomy. Further findings also showed that teacher autonomy marginal effects were negative implying that one-unit change in teacher autonomy reduced the probability on pupils’ academic performance by (9%) and was significant (p < .001). Based on key informants, high autonomy made teachers to behave in a manner that affected the outcome variable. Thus, it was concluded that teacher autonomy affected pupils’ academic performance. The study recommended that educational stakeholders needed to implement teacher autonomy at minimum level.

Keywords

academic performance autonomy pupils teacher

Article Details

Author Biographies

Stephen James Kamugisha, Institute of Rural Development Planning, Dodoma

Department of Development Finance and Management Studies

Orest Masue, Mzumbe University, Morogoro

Senior Lecturer, School of Public Administration and Management

Henry Mollel, Mzumbe University - Mbeya Campus

Professor, School of Public Administration and Management, Mzumbe University

How to Cite
Kamugisha, S. . J., Masue, O., & Mollel, H. (2024). Linkage between Teacher Autonomy and Public Primary School Pupils’ Academic Performance in Tanzania Local Government Authorities. Interdisciplinary Journal of Education, 7(1), 71–83. https://doi.org/10.53449/ije.v7i1.331

References

  1. Casey, R., Hilton, R., & Schmidt, T. (2021). A study of motivation using the Job Characteristics Model with comparisons to U. S. and Non-U.S. vompanies. Journal of Business, 12(1),104.
  2. Day, C. (2020). How teachers’ individual autonomy may hinder students’ academic progress and attainment: Professionalism in practice. University of Nottingham,1
  3. Derakhshan, A., Coombe, C., Arabmofrad, A., & Taghizadeh, Mo. (2020). Investigating the effects of English language teachers’ professional identity and autonomy in their success. Issues in Language and Teaching. 9(1), 1-28
  4. Ertürk, R. (2023). The effect of teacher autonomy on teachers’ professional dedication. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 10(2), 494–507.
  5. Findik, Y., Bayakgaze, H., Rezen, S. D., Azarslan, H., & Rbega, Y. T. (2023). The relationship between teacher autonomy and student achievement. Journal of Educational Sciences Research, 4(1), 208-218.
  6. Guise, M. T. (1988). Test of Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristics model in a post-secondary educational setting. Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education, Brock University.16
  7. HakiElimu. (2019). Exploration of factors that hinder and facilitate best performance in Primary School Leaving Examinations in Tanzania: Lessons from poor and best performing regions. UNESCO.
  8. Huddar, M., (2023). Logistic Regression application advantages: Linear Vs Logistic Regression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?=mh6
  9. Jerrim, J., Morgan, A., & Sims, S. (2023). Teacher autonomy: Good for pupils? Good for teachers? British Educational Research Journal, 49(6), 1187–1209.
  10. Kahangwa, G., & Kafanabo, E. (2023). School-based factors explaining poor academic performance of primary school pupils in Lushoto District, Tanzania. Papers in Education and Development, 41(1), 1.
  11. Kamani, T. (2020). Analysis of the Job Characteristics Model. https://papers.ssrn.com, 1-7.
  12. Kassim, A., Godson, S., Mwakalinga, S. (2024). Analysing mathematics performance in Tanzania primary schools through the lens of candidate items response analysis Reports. Journal of Education and Practice. 15(5), 14-22.
  13. Koçak, A. (2018). The effects of teacher autonomy perceptions of English as a Foreign Language teachers on their burnout levels: Van Case. Master Thesis, Necmettin Erbakan University Graduate School of Educational Sciences Department of Foreign Languages.
  14. Lyle, A. M., & Peurach, D. J. (2024). Changing notions of teacher autonomy: The intersection of teacher autonomy and instructional improvement in the US. Research in Education, 118(1), 3-25.
  15. NECTA. (2022). Necta yatangaza matokeo ya darasa la saba 2022, ufaulu ukishuka kidogo [Necta announces Standard Seven National Examination Results for 2022]. https://nukta.co.tz/read/
  16. Sahilu, S., Engdasew, Z., Basha, G., & Dinsa, F. (2021). Relationship between school autonomy and students’ academic achievement in government secondary schools in East Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Creative Education, 12(10), Article 10.
  17. Shafique, A., Munawar, U., & Munir, H. (2024). Relationship between teacher autonomy and student’s performance at higher education. International Journal of Contemporary Issues in Social Sciences. 3(1), 2959-2461.
  18. Shahjahan, M., Ahmed, K. R., Al Hadrami, A., Islam, Md. R., Hossain, S., & Khan, Md. S. (2021). Factors influencing poor academic performance among urban university students in Bangladesh. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 10(4), 1140-1148.
  19. TAMISEMI. (2024). Kingereza kufundishwa kuanzia darasa la kwanza [English Language to be taught beginning from Standard One of Primary Education]. Blogger. Friday, May, 10th, 2024
  20. TAMISEMI. (2022). Consolidated primary enrolment by Grade PTR 2022 PSLE2021.xlsx. Ministry of Education Science and Technology.
  21. UNICEF. (2024). Unpacking factors influencing school performance in Mainland Tanzania. UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight. 1-55.
  22. URT. (2018). Education Sector Performance 2017/ 2018. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. 47-48.
  23. World Bank Group. (2014). Tanzania Big results now in education: Technical assessment for program for results financing.

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.