An Investigation of Teachers’ Perceptions of the Implementation of the Big Results Now Initiative in Tanzanian Education Sector

Abstract

This study was conducted in order to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of
the Big Results Now (BRN) initiative in Tanzanian education sector. The specific objectives of
the study were to examine teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of the BRN initiative in
Tanzanian education sector and recommend ways for improving the implementation of the
initiative. The study involved 120 teachers from six government secondary schools in Njombe
Region, one of the regions of Tanzania. The data were collected using a set of questionnaire
and focus group discussions. The quantitative data were analyzed using computer software,
Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 18, in which frequencies and percentages of
responses on teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of the BRN initiative in Tanzanian
education sector were computed. In addition, the qualitative data were analysed using content
analysis. The findings indicated that there was lack of understanding of the objectives of the
BRN initiative in Tanzanian education sector among the majority of teachers. Moreover, the
teachers were not involved in the plans to implement the BRN initiative and conditions in
schools were not supportive for the successful implementation of the initiative. On the ways to
improve the implementation of the BRN initiative in Tanzanian education sector, teachers
recommended, among others, that they should be educated on the objectives of implementing
the initiative as they are the cornerstone in making the initiative a success.