Assessment Practices and Challenges in Achieving Competency-Based Education in Tanzania
Keywords:
Competence-based education, Assessment practices, Teacher competence, Learning environment, Classroom assessmentAbstract
The study aimed to analyze assessment practices employed by teachers in primary and secondary schools in Tanzania, examine the alignment of these practices with competence-based education and explore the contextual and structural factors influencing their implementation. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on 24 empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025, with 10 addressing primary education and 14 addressing secondary education. The review excluded policy documents, concentrating solely on peer-reviewed journal articles to capture classroom-level practices and evidence-based insights. The findings revealed that teachers employed a variety of assessment strategies, including classroom exercises, written tests, projects, and observation-based tasks, but the extent of their application varied and traditional tests were predominant. Partial alignment with competence-based education was observed, with many assessments not fully measuring competencies such as problem-solving and critical thinking, reflecting differences in teacher competence and familiarity with the curriculum. Contextual and structural factors, including limited teaching materials, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate laboratory facilities, further constrained the implementation of competence-based assessment. Based on these findings, the study recommends targeted professional development to enhance teachers’ skills in interactive and performance-based assessments, provision of adequate learning resources and improvements in the learning environment to support consistent application of varied assessment methods and promote students’ mastery of key competencies.
References
Ali, H. D., & Mjenda, M. (2024). Teachers’ understanding of classroom assessment: Insights from English language teachers in Dodoma municipality, Tanzania. Cogent Education, 11(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2380627
Badi, L., & Maliganya, W. (2024). An analysis of competence-based assessment in Tanzanian primary and secondary schools: Current situation, challenges, and future directions. Open University of Tanzania Repository. http://41.59.91.195:9090/handle/123456789/229
Chacha, J., Onyango, D., & Augustine, S. (2022). Challenges faced by teachers in implement-ing competence-based chemistry curriculum in public secondary schools in Nyama-gana District, Mwanza, Tanzania. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 6(1), 346-358.
Chasubuta, A., & Ndibalema, P. (2024). Barriers hindering Effective Engagement in Online Assessment for Teacher Education in Tanzania: Perspectives from two Teachers’ Col-leges. Journal of Issues and Practice in Education, 16(Special), 48. https://doi.org/10.61538/jipe.v16i.1422
Dismas, S., Nzima, I., & Kimaro, A. (2023). Competence-Based Curriculum in Tanzania: Dis-trict School Quality Assurance Officers’ Understanding and Practices. International Journal of Educational Reform, 10567879231217458.
Haj, O. N., Gaite, S. S., & Asiimwe, S. (2024). The relationship between formative assess-ment ability on uses of the flipped classroom model in teaching lower Secondary Schools in Northern Region Zanzibar Tanzania. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 22(3), 1407–1414. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.22.3.1830
Ismail, M., Shavega, T. J., & Kigobe, J. (2024). Competence-Based Assessment in Pre-primary School Classrooms: The Case of Pre-primary Schools in Dar es Salaam Re-gion, Tanzania. International Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities (IJRSS) ISSN: 2582-6220, DOI: 10.47505/IJRSS, 5(6), 115-123.
Issa, Z., Mwakapina, J., & Nyinondi, O. (2024). Competence based curriculum in practice: English curriculum implementation prospects and challenges in Mtama District sec-ondary schools in Tanzania. International Journal of Research, 13(5), 29-39.
Juma, H., & Patel, G. S. (2024). Competence-based assessment in Tanzanian teacher educa-tion in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: A comprehensive analysis. Journal of Issues and Practice in Education, 16(1), 200-224.
Kigwilu, P. C., & Mokoro, D. K. (2022). Teachers’ Assessment Practices in Implementing Competence Based Curriculum in Secondary Schools in Arumeru District of Tanza-nia. East African Journal of Education Studies, 5(2), 324-333.
Kimario, T. T., & Otieno, K. O. (2022). Effects of Competency-Based Curriculum on Stu-dents’ Education Achievement: A Study of Secondary Schools in Arusha City Coun-cil. Tanzania. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 6(1), 201-210.
Kimaro, A.R and Kapinga, B.B. (2020) An Assessment of Instructors’ Classroom Assessment Practice in Selected Higher Learning Institutions, Tanzania. Tengeru Community De-velopment Journal. 7(1) 54 – 66.
Mathias, L., Mwamakula, F., & Mhagama, M. (2023). Challenges facing Public Secondary School Teachers on Implementing Competence-Based Curriculum in Magu District, Mwanza-Tanzania. development, 18, 13.
Mkimbili, S., & Kitta, S. (2020). The Rationale of Continuous Assessment for Development of Competencies in Tanzania Secondary Schools. Advanced Journal of Social Science, 6(1), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.21467/ajss.6.1.64-70
Mlemba, A. (2020). Investigating the effect of assessment feedback on student’s learning and performance in mathematics: A case of two community secondary schools in Moshi Municipality, Tanzania [Master Thesis, Aga Khan University]. https://ecommons.aku.edu/theses_dissertations/1510
Mlemba, Alex. (2020). Investigating the effect of assessment feedback on student's learning and performance in mathematics: a case of two community secondary schools in Moshi Municipality, Tanzania (Unpublished Masters Thesis). Dar es salaam: Aga Khan University.
Mpate, H. (2025). Biology teachers’ implementation of the competence based curriculum in Tanzania: challenges and opportunities. Journal of Biological Education, 59(1), 16-36.
Mushi, C. C., Makwinya, N. M., & Kalungwizi, V. (2025). Secondary school teachers’ con-cern regarding the adoption of competence-based assessment. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 11(2), 358–374. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.1299
Ndimbo, W. H. (2023). Implementation of Competence-Based Curriculum for Tanzania Pri-mary School Pupils’ Learning in Mpwapwa District Council (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania).
Ndomondo, E. (2024). Promoting history subject skills through competency-based assessment in Tanzania rural secondary schools: Teachers’ understanding and practices. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100876.
Nyinge, B. (2022). Uses of Authentic Assessment Tools: Implications towards Competence Acquisition among Undergraduate Prospective Science Teachers in Tanzania. East Af-rican Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 3(4), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.4314/eajess.v3i4.200
Rubeba, A., & Kitula, P. R. (2024). The Assessment Literacy for Secondary School Teachers in Tanzania. JOURNAL OF ISSUES AND PRACTICE IN EDUCATION, 16(Special), 256–275. https://doi.org/10.61538/jipe.v16i.1440
Senjiro, U., & Lupeja, T. (2023). The influence of formative assessment practices in promot-ing 21st Century skills development among secondary school students in Tanzania The influence of formative assessment practices in promoting 21st Century skills develop-ment among secondary school students in Tanzania. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, Volume 12(6), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2023.29
Shiboko, M. J., & Mrema, K. J. (2024). Challenges Facing the Implementation of Primary Secondary School Competence-Based Curriculum in Same District, Tanzania. East Af-rican Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 5(5), 20-29.
