Exploring Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions on the Use of Inquiry-based Instruction in Teaching and Learning of Kiswahili Literature in Kongwa District Secondary Schools, Tanzania
Hasna A. Mangalo and Opanga David
St John’s University of Tanzania
Email: mangalo79@gmail.com
Abstract: This study explored teachers’ and students’ perceptions regarding the use of Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI) in the teaching and learning of Kiswahili literature (Fasihi) across secondary schools in Kongwa District, Tanzania. Employing a mixed-methods research design, data were gathered from 12 Kiswahili teachers and 125 Form Three students utilizing semi-structured interviews, closed-ended questionnaires, and structured classroom observation protocols. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. The findings reveal a profound pedagogical tension between teachers’ strong conceptual understanding of IBI as student-centered discovery (“Kujifunza kwa kutafuta”) and the operational challenges of severe resource scarcity, oversized classrooms (up to 90 students), and high-stakes examination pressures. Classroom observations indicated that instructional questioning was predominantly skewed toward lower-order recall (70.0%), with inquiry-driven tasks restricted to a developing level due to limited reference books and a heavy reliance on teacher-led delivery. Conversely, student responses demonstrated an overwhelming preference for IBI over traditional lecturing (82.0%), citing its significant impact on enhancing critical thinking, thematic comprehension (maudhui), and long-term content retention. However, students experienced a resource-pedagogy mismatch and a “confidence plateau” that hindered independent information-seeking and open textual interpretation. The study concludes that while IBI acts as a powerful catalyst for higher-order thinking skills in Kiswahili literature, its institutionalization requires targeted school-based professional development for low-resource, crowded-classroom management and alignment of assessment rubrics to reward inquiry processes.
