The importance of quality physical education for a developing country : case study of physical education teacher training in Tanzania

The impact of quality physical education over the individuals and the society has been researched, but more focus should be given on the possible influences in developing countries. This case study gives an insight into the quality of physical education in Tanzania. It enlightens the current situation and the areas calling for improvement in the degree program of Bachelor of Education in Physical Education and Sport Sciences, in the University of Dar es Salaam, Unit of Physical Education and Sports Sciences (UDSM-PESS). The aim of the study is to find out how bachelor’s degree program in UDSM-PESS prepares students for teaching in teacher colleges, after the graduation. This study supports a sport development cooperation project Strengthening the Physical Education Bachelor’s degree program in the UDSM-PESS which aims to increase the quality of teaching physical education (PE) in all levels in Tanzania. The project partners are the UDSM-PESS in Tanzania, the University of Jyväskylä, Department of Sport Sciences in Finland, and the Finnish non-governmental organization LiiKe – Sport & Development. The data was collected with twelve semi-structured interviews with currently enrolled students and recent graduates. The model Process of Curriculum Development and Evaluation by Millar, Tiberghien and Le Marechal (1998) was used as a framework for the interviews and content analysis was used as an analyzation method. The research findings showed that there are certain areas in UDSM-PESS that need to be improved to better prepare students for teaching in teachers-colleges. Those areas were related to the facilities and materials, the structure and the timing, as well as the content of the program. Other broader areas were the quality of the knowledge from previous educational levels, the concern of the small amount of graduated PE and Sport professionals, and the limited attention to the people with disabilities. The results are significant for the development project in UDSM-PESS and for the future of developing the physical education curriculum in Tanzania, and thus for the development of national health and educational level in the state of Tanzania.