TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION AS A DRIVER OF TEACHERS' PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS: EVIDENCE FROM KIGOMA DISTRICT, TANZANIA

Author

Nehemia Japhet, Egidio Chaula, Herbert Wanga


Abstract

 This study assessed the influence of teamwork and collaboration on teachers' professional development in public secondary schools in Kigoma District, Tanzania. Guided by Distributed Leadership Theory and Transformational Leadership Theory, the study employed a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey design. A sample of 187 usable responses was obtained from 201 distributed questionnaires, representing a response rate of 93%, drawn from teachers, heads of schools, and academic masters or mistresses through simple random and purposive sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and multiple regression with SPSS version 25. Findings revealed that teamwork and collaboration recorded the highest overall mean (3.81) among the three collaborative leadership dimensions examined in the broader study. Specifically, 81.8% of respondents agreed that teamwork improves teaching methods, 80.7% agreed it contributes to professional development, and 78.6% agreed that collaboration improves professional skills. Pearson correlation showed the strongest relationship among all predictors (r = 0.674, p < 0.001), and simple regression confirmed that teamwork explained 45.4% of variance in professional development (R² = 0.454, B = 0.668, p < 0.001). In the combined model, teamwork retained the highest standardized Beta (β = 0.402), confirming it as the strongest independent predictor of professional development. However, resource sharing (63.6%) and peer learning practice (64.2%) were comparatively weak, indicating gaps between collaborative values and structured collaborative practice. The study concludes that teamwork is the most powerful collaborative leadership mechanism for professional development in Kigoma District, but its potential remains partially unrealized due to inadequate institutionalization. It recommends formal scheduling of collaborative activities, leadership investment in peer learning structures, and resource provision as preconditions for sustained collaborative professional growth.



Keywords

Teamwork, collaboration, teachers' professional development, Distributed Leadership Theory, public secondary schools, Kigoma District.



Full Text:

Download Paper PDF


References


  • Adu, E. O., & Osei, A. (2021). Leadership practices and teacher professional development in Ghanaian secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(4), 789–802.
  • Ahtiainen, R., Sahlberg, P., & Niemi, H. (2022). Collaborative professional learning in Finnish schools. Helsinki, Finland: Finnish National Agency for Education.
  • Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York, USA: Free Press.
  • Bush, T. (2021). Educational leadership and management: Theory, policy and practice(5th ed.). London, UK: SAGE Publications.
  • Christensen, T., & Jerrim, J. (2024). Inclusive leadership structures and teacher professional learning. Educational Administration Quarterly, 60(1), 45–68.
  • Creswell, J. W. (2021). Educational research: Planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research(6th ed.). London, UK: Pearson Education.
  • Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M., & Gardner, M. (2020). Effective teacher professional development. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.
  • Fullan, M. (2021). Leading in a culture of change(2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Harris, A. (2020). Collaborative leadership and school improvement. School Leadership and Management, 40(4), 291–298.
  • Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2020). COVID-19 school leadership and the future of collaboration. School Leadership and Management, 40(4), 243–249.
  • Hord, S. M. (1997). Professional learning communities: Communities of continuous inquiry and improvement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
  • Komba, W. L., & Mwakabenga, R. J. (2023). Leadership practices and teacher professional development in Tanzanian secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Development in Africa, 8(1), 55–68.
  • Komba, W. L., & Nkumbi, E. (2022). Teacher professional development in Tanzania. Journal of International Cooperation in Education, 8(2), 41–52.
  • Kothari, C. R. (2020). Research methodology: Methods and techniques(3rd ed.). New Delhi, India: New Age International Publishers.
  • Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2020). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited. School Leadership and Management, 40(1), 5–22.
  • Li, L., & Liu, H. (2022). Collaborative leadership and teacher development in Chinese secondary schools. Asia Pacific Education Review, 23(2), 243–255.
  • Mestry, R. (2021). Participative leadership and teacher development in South African schools. South African Journal of Education, 41(1), 1–10.
  • Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST). (2021). Education sector performance report 2020/2021. Dodoma, Tanzania: Government of Tanzania.
  • Mosha, H. J. (2022). School leadership and teacher professional development in Tanzania. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: University of Dar es Salaam Press.
  • Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2023). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches(3rd ed.). Nairobi, Kenya: Acts Press.
  • Mugo, J., Kimani, E., & Wachira, M. (2023). Collaborative learning and teacher professional competence in Kenyan secondary schools. East African Journal of Education Studies, 6(1), 78–94.
  • Mukama, E. (2022). Leadership practices and teacher professional learning in Rwandan secondary schools. African Journal of Educational Leadership, 10(1), 45–57.
  • Mulkeen, A. (2019). Teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policies for effective deployment, management and support. Washington, DC, USA: World Bank Publications.
  • Nguyen, T. T. (2025). Participatory leadership and teacher engagement in professional development. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 53(1), 112–130.
  • Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory(3rd ed.). New York, USA: McGraw-Hill.
  • (2021). Teachers and school leaders as lifelong learners. Paris, France: OECD Publishing.
  • Opfer, V. D., & Pedder, D. (2019). Conceptualizing teacher professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 81(3), 376–407.
  • Sahlberg, P. (2021). Finnish lessons 3.0: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland?New York, USA: Teachers College Press.
  • Sanga, K. (2024). Leadership practices and teacher professional development in western Tanzania secondary schools. Dodoma, Tanzania: University of Dodoma Press.
  • Spillane, J. P. (2021). Distributed leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Ssekamwa, J. C., & Bakkabulindi, F. E. K. (2021). School leadership and staff development in Ugandan secondary schools. Makerere Journal of Education, 14(1), 33–48.
  • Tan, C., & Dimmock, C. (2021). Leadership and teacher professional learning in Singapore. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 49(3), 442–458.
  • United Republic of Tanzania (URT). (2022). Education sector development plan 2021/22–2025/26. Dodoma, Tanzania: Government Printer.
  • Vangrieken, K., Meredith, C., Packer, T., & Kyndt, E. (2022). Teacher communities as a context for professional development: A systematic review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 61, 47–59.
  • Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis(2nd ed.). New York, USA: Harper and Row.

 

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons