Journal of Education, Humanities & Science (JEHS)

Classroom Discourse in Populated Classes in Tanzania: Questions as Pedagogical Lecturing Strategy at the University of Dar es Salaam

2023-04-19T13:46:30+00:00

This paper reports the findings of a study on the utilisation of questions by lecturers in
facilitating teaching and learning during lectures at the University of Dar es Salaam. Three
objectives guided the study: (i) identifying the types of questions that lecturers use to
facilitate teaching and learning; (ii) establishing the pattern of lecturers’ use of questions;
and (iii) determining why lecturers use questions as a discourse strategy to convey
information at a sophisticated level of academic rhetoric to facilitate knowledge delivery.
Data used to demonstrate this linguistic practice were collected from eight (8) recorded
lectures, and interviews with lecturers teaching first-year students in two departments of
the University of Dar es Salaam: Political Science and Public Administration, and Sociology
and Social Anthropology. Using the discourse analysis (DA) approach, the study identified
and analysed the nature of questions as a discourse strategy for lecturers struggling to cope
with rising numbers of undergraduate students, and as part of spoken registers generically
applied in university teaching in Tanzania. The study found that lecturers used four types
of questions: tag, rhetorical, closed-ended and open-ended questions. It further established
that lecturers used the four types of questions as pedagogical strategy to stimulate
students, involve them, and to manage a class. These four types of questions played a
facilitative role in enabling knowledge transfer during lectures with large numbers of
undergraduates being baptised to university teaching methods at the ‘deep-end’. Overall,
this question pedagogical strategy proved to be useful at the University of Dar es Salaam
that continues to witness a steady growth in the numbers of matriculating undergraduate
students. This paper, therefore, broadens the understanding on how university lecturers
utilise various discourse strategies to enhance knowledge delivery and understanding.

Morphosyntactic Analysis of Relative Clause Markers in Chindali

2023-04-19T13:52:57+00:00

This article analyses the basic morphosyntactic features of relative clause markers (RMs)
in Chindali, spoken in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed with a descriptive
research design in the process of generating, analysing data, as well as reporting the
findings. The data for the study were collected through text collection. The researcher
gathered sentences with relative clauses (RCs) from 10 informants by recording them with
their consent, and three (3) written Chindali storybooks. Informants were sampled
through the snowball technique. The study revealed that Chindali RCs are marked by free-
standing relative pronouns that are bound by agreement. These RMs are classified based
on the noun class system of the language. It further revealed that RMs can be formed
morphologically with or without class agreement marker (CAM). Chindali RMs with CAM
have the morphological structure of ‘CAM + stem-o’, whereas RMs without CAM have the
morphological structure ‘stem (C/CC+O)’. RMs without CAM results from deletion
process. RMs are distinguished phonologically by the reduplication of the consonants of
the CAM(s), followed by a clitic ‘o’ which is the root of the marker. It is also distinguished
by the affixation of the glides (G) ‘w’ and ‘y’ in some consonants, as well as the change of
the vowel to clitic ‘o’. CAM has the phonological shape CVC (G) V. The relative clauses are
introduced syntactically by the language’s relative markers placed at the beginning of a
clause linking the RC and a head noun; thus, making the RC an NP syntactic modifier. In
Chindali, relative clauses are externally headed postnominal relatives introduced by RMs
with a NRC pattern expressing class agreement with the head noun. Semantically, relative
markers influence the types of RCs that exist, whether they are restrictive or appositive
relatives; and modify things, persons, animals or ideas. The study suggests further
research into other aspects of Chindali’s relativization

Confusions Between English Nominal and Adjectival Forms Among Students at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education: Are they Predictable?

2023-04-19T14:02:33+00:00

This paper examines confusions between English nominal and adjectival forms among
students at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE). In particular, it
establishes consistencies and inconsistencies in the use of English nominal and adjectival
forms; and informs pedagogical interventions that can be adopted to redress the situation.
Data was collected from a review of selected students’ examination scripts, and then
subjected to error analysis in relation to the identified themes. The findings show that
students vary greatly in the way they use nominal and adjectival forms such that some errors
are consistently predictable, while others are intricately inconsistent and unpredictable. To
address the problem, this paper recommends a case-by-case critical analysis of the problems;
instead of the general conclusions that students experience problems in language use.
Specifically, the paper suggests the need to study the nature, distribution and consistency of
the committed errors and/or mistakes so as to come up with effective interventions.

Judicial Approaches in Plagiarism Litigation: Lessons for Universities in East Africa

2023-04-19T14:07:31+00:00

The escalation of plagiarism in universities and subsequent litigations by postgraduate
students seeking to challenge universities’ decisions through courts of law worldwide are
noticeably increasing. This article reviews trends in plagiarism-related litigations involving
postgraduate students in universities in East Africa. The focus is on select universities in
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The objective is to determine the approaches that courts of
law in the region, and those in other jurisdictions, have adopted in developing legal
principles while determining plagiarism-related litigations. The recommendations
advanced seek to assist courts in the region to determine cases in accordance with
emerging and well-defined legal principles on plagiarism amplified in numerous
precedents. The exposition can also inform university authorities to discharge their
respective roles more effectively and diligently while dealing with plagiarism-related
disciplinary cases. Potential student litigants can also be in a better position to make
logical and informed choices with confidence on decisions arrived at by universities.

Sexism in Tanzanian Secondary School English Language Textbooks: Investigation of Adjective Attributions

2023-04-19T14:12:27+00:00

This research paper investigates sexism in Tanzania’s secondary school English
language textbooks with a focus on the adjectives used to describe women and men in
textbooks published between 2005 and 2014. The paper aims to reveal how women
and men are described, uncover gender ideologies conveyed by adjective descriptions
and characterise the gender ideologies as hegemonic or deviant. Data were collected
through a critical textual review of eight (8) textbooks. This paper is anchored on the
Feminist CDA theory; and Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework was used as the
analytic tool whereby data were described, interpreted and explained. The findings
indicate that women and men are perceived differently in terms of number and types
of adjectives attributed to them despite some similar attributions. In particular, there
are more adjectives describing men than women. It is also found out that women are
described mostly by physical property adjectives than other personalities. The study
also revealed that some ideologies conveyed by adjectives are hegemonic, while others
are deviant. Generally, the adjectives used to represent women and men in Tanzania’s
secondary English language textbooks portray a sexist attitude about women and men
since many adjectives still indicate gender stereotypes despite some positive changes.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on Non-Communicable Diseases among Students and Staff at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education in Tanzania

2023-04-19T14:26:35+00:00

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are among the major public health problems facing
the world today. Despite contributing to over half of all deaths worldwide, and being a
major challenge in low- and middle-income countries, NCDs have received less attention.
In Tanzania, studies focusing on the assessment of comprehensive knowledge of NCDs
are lacking. This study aims to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of the Dar es
Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) community on selected NCDs. A cross-
sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices on selected
NCDs. The study involved both students and staff at the DUCE. A descriptive analysis was
adopted for the quantitative data collected through structured questionnaires. The study
findings show that the general knowledge of the DUCE community about some selected
NCDs was generally high. However, there was a very low level of knowledge about risk
factors, early symptoms and preventive measures. Regarding risk factors, a very small
proportion of students (1.6%) and staff (3.1%) consumed tobacco products. Only 75 (13.1%)
of students and 70 (36.5%) of staff consumed alcohol. The intake of fruits and vegetables
among the community was insufficient. About 493 (86%) of the students and 135 (70.3%)
of the staff added salt or salty sauce to their meals. As for physical activities, 234 (40.8%)
of the students and 99 (51.6%) of the staff reported that they ran or participated in games
and sports for at least one day in a week. The study concludes that while generally there
is a high level of knowledge about NCDs, there is a very low level of knowledge about risk
factors, early symptoms and preventive measures. The study underlines the need to
increase the awareness of the DUCE population on risk factors associated with NCDs, early
signs and preventive measures that people should take to prevent NCDs in the future.