Investment in science education is crucial for the economic development of any country. This systematic review examines science education initiatives in Tanzania, focusing on key interventions, challenges, and strategies for improvement. A critical question is: What are the short, medium, and long-term strategies Tanzania could rethink for science education to foster the growth of a skilled and capable STEM workforce? The review encompasses the period from the 1960s to 2020, incorporating sources such as literature and reports. It identifies key initiatives, including the Nuffield Science Teaching Project, School Science Project, Tanzania UNICEF-UNESCO Educational Reform Project, Education for Self-Reliance, Secondary Education Development Programme, and various teacher training projects. These initiatives aimed to enhance teaching resources, curriculum, examination systems, and infrastructure, while emphasizing inquiry-based learning, practical skills development, and teacher training. The review highlights persistent challenges, including inadequate teacher qualifications, tensions between quantity and quality of education, a mismatch between education and job market needs, a shift away from inquiry-based learning towards lecture-based instruction, and the need for comprehensive teacher training. To address these challenges, the review suggests improving teacher qualifications, striking a balance between quantity and quality, bridging the gap between education and job market demands, promoting inquiry-based learning, and providing comprehensive teacher training. While acknowledging the limitations of relying on existing literature and secondary data, the review provides insights into the current state of science education initiatives in Tanzania. It highlights the importance of continued investment, comprehensive interventions, and sustainable programmes to improve science education for the country's economic development.

Authors:
Francis William, The University of Dodoma, Tanzania

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Francis William is with the University of Dodoma, at the College of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Curriculum Studies. The current project is Language Supportive Pedagogy in science

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