THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND CURRICULUM STUDIES

COURSE NAME: REASEARCH METHODS IN CURRICULUM INNOVATIONS

COURSE CODE: CE 311

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Dr. PROSPER GABRIELI

NATURE OF WORK: INDIVIDUAL MINI STUDY RESEARCH WORK

STUDENT PARTICULARS

S/N NAME PROGRAMME REGISTRATION NO: SIGN

1. MASSOUD AHMED MASSOUD BED SC ICT T21-03-09290

Tittle of the study: Enhancing innovation from the knowledge gained from the Science
education in Tanzania
 i) Social Problem.

Lack of innovation as the product of knowledge gained from the Science education in
Tanzania.

ii) What is Known Around the Problem.

 For effective teaching and learning to take place in the science classroom, the teacher is
expected to communicate effectively and utilize appropriate innovative teaching
strategies like Adjustment of students, Student/Learner Centered Approach, Inductive
Approach, Process Approach, Student Motivation Approach and Socratic Approach.

 Innovative science requires active engagement of the learner like the use of constructivist
strategies like peer tutoring ,simulation, experiential learning, discovery learning etc.

 It requires students to take risk and fail.

 Its more practical based pedagogy approach hence it needs tools and huge investment in
science education

 There should be Innovative Improvisation in Science Education

iii) Background of the Problem.

Tanzania is one of the countries in the Sub-Sahara Africa, which characterized by massive deficit
in science and technology. The main reason behind technology deficit in the country is a limited
innovation capacity. The innovation capacity is low due to a number of factors including
inadequate of innovation drivers such as poor quality and quantity of human capital, inadequate
of R&D institutions and infrastructure and poor political will. Due to the inferiority of the
country’s economy and innovation inputs, there is a limited possibility for Tanzania to advance
in innovative science education and technology in a near future. The first factor is inadequate of
funds required to finance R&D and technology production activities. According to Tanzania
development vision 2025, the country is a lower income country and is expecting to become at
least a middle-income country by 2025, therefore there is limited possibility for Tanzania in the
near future before 2025 to gain adequate financial capability required to boost innovation
activities in the country: Second, is the fact that it takes time to groom the quality and quantity of
human capital particularly to a country like Tanzania where nearly 79% of the country
population holds less than secondary school education qualification. Despite the fact that
innovation capacity is low in Tanzania, the country is rarely applying technology transfer
approach as a strategy to cover the gap of technology deficit in the country.

Tanzania has made substantial investments in improving its science education system
particularly in science. Understanding the practical impact of this education on fostering
innovation is crucial for national development.

iv) What is Not Known About the Problem.

The specific mechanisms through which science education influences innovation among
Tanzanian students remain underexplored. This research seeks to uncover the nuanced factors
and processes that contribute to or hinder the translation of scientific knowledge into innovative
applications.

Assumptions: The study assumes that there is a positive correlation between the quality of
science education and the level of innovation among Tanzanian students. Additionally, it
assumes that identifying and addressing potential barriers can enhance the innovative outcomes
of science education.

v) Purposes/Objectives of the study.

a) This study aims to explore the link between science education in Tanzania and the level of
innovation among students, with a focus on identifying strategies to enhance innovative thinking.

b) Evaluate the effectiveness of current science education in promoting innovative thinking.

c) Identify gaps in the application of scientific knowledge to real-world problem-solving.

d) Propose strategies to enhance the integration of innovation within science education in

Tanzania.
vi) Review of other Literature
According to (Diyamett,et all.,2018) the debate on factors that facilitate innovative activities is
far from being settled. The current major policy focus and academic discourse is therefore
preoccupied with identifying and analyzing factors which spur innovative activities. In the early
days two major models were advanced: ‘Technology Push’ and ‘Demand Pull’. According to the
technology push model, innovations are triggered by basic research in science resulting into a
wide spread marketing of new products and adoption of new processes (Coombs, et al., 1987;
Rosenberg 1982). Hence, the supply of new products and related processes leads demand which
is assumed to be created after a new product has successfully been produced. In this model,
science is positioned as an endless frontier with policy implications prescribing the creation of a
sufficiently large pool of trained and talented scientists with their state-of-the-art labs.

vii)Research Methodology:
a) Conduct surveys and interviews with students and educators to assess perceptions and
experiences regarding the connection between science education and innovation.
b) Analyze the existing science curriculum and teaching methods in Tanzania.
c) Explore case studies of successful innovation emerging from science education, both within
Tanzania and internationally.

d)Encouraging the introduction or development of science clubs in schools and colleges.

viii) Data presentation and Analyzing.

Tanzania ranks 90th among the 132 economies featured in the GII 2021. The Global Innovation
Index (GII) ranks world economies according to their innovation capabilities. Consisting of
roughly 80 indicators, grouped into innovation inputs and outputs, the GII aims to capture the
multi-dimensional facets of innovation. The following table shows the rankings of Tanzania over
the past three years, noting that data availability and changes to the GII model framework
influence year-on-year comparisons of the GII rankings. The statistical confidence interval for
the ranking of Tanzania in the GII 2021 is between ranks 89 and 112

• Tanzania performs better in innovation outputs than innovation inputs in 2021.

• This year Tanzania ranks 120th in innovation inputs(note that this includes science education)
lower than both 2020 and 2019.
• As for innovation outputs, Tanzania ranks 65th. This position is higher than both 2020 and
2019.
EFFECTIVELY TRANSLATING INNOVATION INVESTMENTS INTO INNOVATION
OUTPUTS
The chart below shows the relationship between innovation inputs and innovation outputs.
Economies above the line are effectively translating costly innovation investments into more and
higher-quality outputs. Tanzania produces more innovation outputs relative to its level of
innovation investments.
Innovation input to output performance

As depicted from the graph that the innovation input is low means even the educational system
as an input is low in that trend.
 INNOVATION STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

The table below gives an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of Tanzania in the GII 2021.
Strengths and weaknesses for Tanzania

ix) Conclusion and Recommendation Based on the Findings of the Study:

Innovative practices are tools that empower both students and teachers. By engaging in
innovative practices, the learners’ needs are met because it supports students’ preference for
learning by doing. Innovative practices are promising for instructors because they support
teachers to engage students with hands-on inquiry learning. These innovative practices in science
education are prominent in the areas of the science education curriculum, teaching and learning
of science, and improvisation. Currently, emphasis is being laid on hands-on activities and child
centeredness of teaching and learning. The science teacher should therefore capitalize on this and
make the classroom and the laboratory to be full of activities to enable the students to have first-
hand knowledge of science. The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by
the students should also be encouraged by the teacher as part of the innovative practices. When
teachers and students fully embrace innovative practices in science education, students’
academic achievement will be greatly enhanced. Science education should therefore, inculcate
self-discipline, scientific literacy and commitment in the minds of students. To achieve these,
science teachers have to convert science teaching into sport and learning process that has to
generate interest in the students and motivate them to stay back in the science discipline than to
run away from it. Science education is an engine for the growth and progress of any society. It
not only imparts knowledge, skills and inculcates values, but is also responsible for building
human capital which drives and sets technological innovation and economic growth of any
nation. Only such a change would lead to increase innovation.
 REFERENCES

Diyamett, B. D., Wangwe, S. M., Komba, A., & Mneney, E. (2013). Science, Technology and
Innovation for Poverty Reduction in Tanzania: An Analysis of the Sectoral Systems of
Innovation. A Research Report for Manufacturing and Agriculture–Part II. Dar es
Salaam: Research for Poverty Alleviation (REPOA).

Dutta, S., Lanvin, B., León, L. R., & Wunsch-Vincent, S. (Eds.). (2021). Global innovation
index 2021:United Republic of Tanzania. WIPO.

Mwabukojo, E. (2020). Technology Transfer Strategy: A Neglected Approach in Tanzania.

Udu, D. A. (2018). Innovative practices in science education: a panacea for improving secondary
school students’ academic achievement in science subjects in Nigeria. Global Journal of
Educational Research, 17(1), 23-30.