Challenges of Implementing PBL in Higher Learning Institutions in Developing Countries: A Case of SUA, Tanzania Sangeda A., Ndossi D. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

Presentation outline Introduction Methodology Key findings and discussion Conclusion and recommendations

Methodology Study area Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2 campuses (7228) 2 schools, 4 faculties, 2 institutes 30 bachelor degree programmes (5475 students) 45 postgraduate programmes (1553 students) Sampling procedure, data collection and analysis Focus group discussions with 26 students who attended PBL classes – 3 groups; students’ perception on PBL Interview with 23 randomly selected instructors (6 females and 17 males) SUA teachers were used to validate SWOT analysis with regards to PBL at SUA.

Results and Discussion

Strengths  A total of 66 SUA teachers from different departments have been trained on PBL  Collaboration with Denmark and USA through institutional capacity building programmes (BSU and iAGRI).  Flexibility of the curriculum to be taught using various instructional methods  Agricultural applied science courses offered at SUA provide room to PBL as they are practical oriented

Opportunities  Increasing demand for practical oriented graduates in the broad field of agriculture  Chance of being connected to the National fibre optic backbone (internet)  Curriculum review by Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU)

Weaknesses  Lack of regular staff development policy  Limited class rooms with limited facilities  Poor internet connection  Large class sizes  Shortage of rooms for tutorial groups  Mindset of both students and instructors vs. traditional teaching

Threats  Over-dependence on donor support to implement PBL  Problem of English language among students  Poor adoption by students and teachers.  Current curriculum not supporting PBL

PBL Challenges facing SUA Tradition and culture – used to lecture Students confused about the role of the instructor and thought the instructors using PBL model were “lazy” Few teachers (some seasoned professors) reluctant to adopting PBL especially to lower classes i.e. year 1 “students need to be lectured intensively to grasp the key and basic concepts before proceeding to clinical years where PBL is more applicable”

Curriculum design The proposed curriculum (not yet in use) is more student-centered although it does not mention PBL as a model of teaching/learning. Majority of the students enrolled in the universities are not prepared for a PBL curriculum

Massive enrollment in University Students population has increased dramatically in the last eight years from 2,094 in 2007 to 7228 in 2015 Degree programmes have increased from 3 in 1984 to 30 in 2015

Poor classroom infrastructure: Majority of the classrooms and lecture halls have fixed chairs and tables A challenge for students to work in groups Difficulty to effectively facilitate the groups which is vital in the initial stages during PBL classes.

Conclusion and Recommendations For PBL to be an effective approach to learning, group management is a crucial part of the tutor’s job. PBL requires good tutoring and group management skills - often acquired with experience. Tutoring methods will need to be relooked since staff capacity is still low Classroom infrastructure will need to be improved to allow group discussions SUA as well as other universities in Tanzania who will use the TCU aligned curriculum need a common understanding (students and teachers) before its implementation.

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