Empowering Classrooms: Exploring Teachers’ Strategies for Promoting Relational Pedagogy in Ubungo Municipality, Tanzania
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59645/abr.v18i1.766Keywords:
Relational Pedagogy, Teacher-Student Relationships, Classroom Strategies, Student Engagement, Secondary EducationAbstract
Although relational pedagogy is increasingly recognised as a critical determinant of student engagement, motivation, and academic success, yet its practical implementation in Tanzania’s secondary schools remains underexplored. This study investigated the strategies teachers employ to promote relational pedagogy in classrooms and school settings within Ubungo Municipality in Tanzania. A qualitative multiple-case study design was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations across three secondary schools. A total of 60 participants, including teachers, school leaders, and students, were purposively and randomly selected, with stratification by school. The findings indicate that teachers employ a range of relational strategies, including active listening, mentorship, individualised support, positive reinforcement, participatory teaching methods, and extracurricular engagement to strengthen teacher-student relationships. These practices were found to enhance student participation, confidence, and classroom discipline. However, their effectiveness is constrained by structural and institutional challenges, particularly large class sizes, rigid disciplinary policies, and limited access to professional development. The study contributes to the limited empirical literature on relational pedagogy in Tanzania by providing context-specific evidence on how relational practices are operationalized in secondary school settings. It underscores the need for systemic support through teacher training, policy reforms, and strengthened school–community partnerships to embed relational pedagogy in teaching practice. Strengthening these dimensions is essential for improving student engagement and overall learning outcomes in resource-constrained educational contexts.
Downloads
References
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2002). Research methods in education. routledge.
Creswell, J. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Sage Publications.
Todd, G., Msuya, I., Levira, F., & Moshi, I. (2019). City profile: Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Environment and Urbanization ASIA, 10(2), 193-215.
Katabwa, J. N. (2025). The influence of socio-economic status on mathematics performance in secondary schools: The case of Ubungo and Temeke, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. African Quarterly Social Science Review, 2(4), 617–628.
Wehrs, D. R., & Wentworth, I. (2024). The productivity of negative emotions in postcolonial literature.
Fraser, D., Price, G., Aitken, V., Gilbert, G., Klemick, A., Rose, L., & Tyson, S. (2007). Relational pedagogy and the Arts. Set: Research information for Teachers, 1, 42-47.
Komba, A. A. (2017). Educational accountability relationships and students’ learning outcomes in Tanzania’s public schools. Sage Open, 7(3), 2158244017725795.
Mwaniki, G. S., Ngunjiri, M., & Kanjogu, J. (2016). Influence of teacher-student relationship on students’ indiscipline in public secondary schools in Naivasha Sub County, Kenya. IORS Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 21(9), 30-37.
Noddings, N. (2015). The challenge to care in schools. Teachers College Press.
Noddings, N. (2007). Caring as a relation and a virtue in teaching. Working virtue: Virtue ethics and contemporary moral problems, 41-60.
Omodan, B. I., & Tsotetsi, C. T. (2018). Student-teacher relationship as a panacea for students’ academic performance in Nigerian secondary schools: An attachment perspective. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 9(4), 82–101.
Osterman, K. F. (2000). Students' need for belonging in the school community. Review of educational research, 70(3), 323–367.
Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for information, 22(2), 63–75.
Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22(2), 63–75.
Amani, J. (2021). Access to and participation in basic education in Tanzania: a decade of key achievements and challenges. SN Social Sciences, 1(9), 239.
Kalolo, J. F. (2025). The implications of Tanzania Education and Training Policy 2014 (2023 edition) on higher education: a systematic review. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 1-25.
Kavenuke, P. S., Kayombo, J. J., & Kinyota, M. (2026). The Massification of Compulsory Basic Education in Tanzania: Balancing Access and Quality. In Education Policies and Practices in the Global South, Volume One: Basic Education (pp. 23–44). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
