1. Challenges and Opportunities of
Integrating ICT in Education in
Tanzania
Presented at the workshop on teachers’ TPACK for
Science, Mathematics and English in Dar es salaam-
December 2011.
Ayoub Kafyulilo
DUCE

2. The Development of ICT in Education in
Tanzania
• The process to introduce ICT in schools started in
1997, when the first official syllabus for school
computer studies was introduced
• Since 1997, several programmes (example “e-school
programme”) were developed to enhance ICT in
education in Tanzania
• Despite these initiatives a study by Vesisenaho in
2007, shows that majority of schools are not
integrating ICT.

3. The development of ICT in education in
Tanzania
• According to Hare (2007) mostly private schools in
the urban centers, are the one which are using ICTs
• Ottevanger et al (2007) found that, even in private
schools, ICTs are mostly used for administration
purposes.
• In most of the schools and education programmes
teachers are not yet using ICT as a tool for enhancing
teaching and learning in their subjects.

4. The Development of ICT in Education in
Tanzania
• Efforts to develop ICT in teacher training colleges started in
2002 through the ICT-connect-TED programme.
• In 2004, the project managed to provide 44 teachers training
colleges with computers and networking infrastructures.
• Although teacher training colleges had the necessary ICT
facilities since 2004, teachers graduating from these colleges
are not able to embrace ICT use in teaching (Kafyulilo, 2010)
• Its not yet established from research why these teachers can not
use technology despite the training they attended

5. The development of ICT in education in
Tanzania
 Some studies report that, the delay in ICT
development in education in Tanzania is caused by
the apparent lack of commitment by the
government, schools and teachers.
 However, Kafyulilo (2010, 2011) reports that the
challenges that have been hindering technology
integration in science and mathematics in Tanzania
secondary schools are such as:

6. Inadequate resources from the
government for ICT
 Most of the schools, particularly government schools
in Tanzania, experience a shortage of technological
tools
 Some schools have computers which are not
working, while other schools have computers only
for administrative purposes
 There are also schools which do not have even a
single computer or a radio or a TV for teaching and
learning process

7. Limited teachers’ technological
knowledge
• Majority of teachers acquired their diploma and degrees
at the time when computers were not used in education
• The idea of ICT integration in education did not take
into account the teachers’ knowledge (ICT push).
• Schools have computers but teachers don’t know how to
use those computers to support teaching and learning
• Majority of teachers can use computers for
administrative purposes: writing tests (MS word),
preparation of school database (Excel) and
communication (Internet)

8. Limited teachers knowledge of
integrating technology in teaching
 Although some of the teachers have the basic
computer operation skills, majority of them do not
know how a computer or other technological tool
can be used in teaching and learning.
 To majority of teachers, it is difficult for them to
establish the relationship between technology,
pedagogy and content

9. The curriculum
 Some teachers tend to rely on the syllabus in the
preparation of their lessons.
 Unfortunately our syllabi are still old and do not
address the issue of technology as one of the teaching
resources
 Some teachers complain that students who are
oriented to learn with computers might not be able
to answer the question more appropriately in the
exams

10. Teachers attitudes
 Some teachers have negative attitudes towards ICT
in education
 Majority of teachers claim that students who are
used to work on ICT, can not produce a good
output without an ICT tool
 Some teachers believe that with the use of ICT
students can engage in some unethical acts, thus,
teachers ban mobile phones and internet use among
students.

11. Absences of Electricity in some schools
 It is estimated that only 13% of the Tanzania population is
connected to electricity.
 This is as well true for the percentage of students and
schools that enjoy electricity in their context
 Even the few schools to mention, have electricity only in the
administrative blocks and not in classrooms.
 Since most of ICT tools requires electricity for their
operation, it becomes difficult to implement them in such
schools.

12. Power rationing problem
 Some schools are connected to electricity, but being
connected to electricity is no longer a big deal in
Tanzania.
 Teachers are discouraged from using ICT due to
untimely and uninformed electricity cut down
 To avoid inconveniences that are caused by the sudden
electricity cut down teachers avoid to prepare lessons
that requires the use of ICT

13. Lack of internet connection in schools
 Teachers always find it very easy to use internet
based animations for science lessons, than making
their own animations.

14. Opportunities
 Despite the above mentioned challenges, there
are still a lot of opportunities that the
government, schools and teachers can use to
enhance their technology integration
 Such opportunities includes:

15. Presence of ICT in education policy
 In the previous ICT integration in education was
being done without a policy framework to guide
the implementation.
 Since 2007, Tanzania has the ICT policy for basic
education which provide the framework for ICT
integration in education.

16. Presence of highly motivated teachers
 For any education policy or innovations, to be
successfully implemented it needs to be accepted
by teachers
 In Tanzania, teachers agree that ICT is a useful
tool for transforming classroom practices.
 This can be a good instrument towards a
successful development of ICT in education in
Tanzania

17. The development of TPACK
 As said earlier, majority of teachers do not know
how a computer can be integrated in the teaching
and learning process.
 The development of technological pedagogical
content knowledge (TPACK) framework which
guide the integration of technology, can help
teachers to understand how ICT is used in education
 Learning of TPACK can have a far reaching impact in
the development of technology integration
competencies among teachers

18. The growing concept of teachers
collaboration
 Teachers have for a long time worked in
isolations, whenever they face any difficult as
they work with technology they use to give up.
 The idea of teachers collaboration in design team
is a useful opportunity for teachers to share their
knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences as
they design their technology integrated lessons
(Nihuka, 2011).

19. The increasing accessibility to Mobile
phones
 The increasing access to mobile phones among people of
all levels brings up new hopes of having technological
tools available in schools.
 A mobile phones can play a role of a radio, a TV, a
computer, a digital camera, ipod or mp3 (Kafyulilo,
2011).
 Newly emerging mobile phones supports programs such
as Ms words, Excel, PPT, etc.
 Most important, Most of the modern mobile phones
have internet.

20. The increasing accessibility to internet
 All mobile phone companies now days are
offering an internet service through the modem
which are sold at the cost of approximately
30000 Tsh.
 Through this modems, the problem of internet in
schools can be solved
 If more teachers will have access to internet
through their mobile phones and laptops, more
internet use in teaching can be expected.

21. Conclusion
 If we look on the challenges and opportunities, we
realize that most of the challenges related to materials
can be easily worked out through the available
opportunities.
 However, our current opportunities do not address the
problem of teachers’ technological knowledge and
technology integration competencies
 Thus, more effort should be put on this aspect.
 We are glad that the Ministry of Education in
collaboration with other organizations such as GESCI are
investing on this attribute

22. Thank you for your attention