Teacher–Student Ratio: The Status Quo in Public Secondary Schools in Ubungo Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

The effectiveness of the teaching and learning process is typically judged by how well students perform. It has mainly been centred on the competence of teachers and their methods of instruction. However, there are exogenous factors, such as the number of students per teacher that affect effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. This study investigated the status of teacher-student ratio in secondary schools, in Ubungo Municipality. It was guided by two objectives; to assess the student-teacher ratio, and to identify the strategies that teachers use to manage large classrooms. The study employed a descriptive survey method with a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches in collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from the data. The data collection instruments used were questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and observation guide. The sample consisted of 170 respondents including ward education officers, heads of schools, academic teachers, teachers and students. The study revealed that public secondary schools in Ubungo Municipality are overcrowded because of the high teacher-student ratio. High student-teacher ratio leads to compromised teaching and learning process; it negatively affects classroom management practices, and makes it impossible for teachers to implement competence-based curriculum. Therefore, the study recommends that educational stockholders should improvise means of constructing more classrooms and/or establish new secondary schools, and employ adequate teachers to cater for an ever increasing number of students. An immediate solution would be for teachers to employ technical skills for the adaptation of large class sizes.