Teachers’ Perceptions regarding School-Based Professional Development for Supporting Learners with Autism in Kongwa District, Tanzania

Sibonike IBO Mwasongwe and Opanga David
St John’s University of Tanzania
Email: sibonikemwasongwe@gmail.com

Abstract: School-based professional development (SB-PD) is designed to align teacher learning with classroom realities, yet its effectiveness for inclusive education depends on curriculum relevance and delivery models. This study investigated the content, delivery methods, administrative support systems, and student experiences associated with SB-PD initiatives implemented in primary schools across Kongwa District, Tanzania, focusing specifically on their capacity to support teachers working with autistic learners. Adopting a qualitative approach from administrative interviews with Heads of Schools and a review of professional development records. Findings reveal a critical leadership-execution gap exists: school administrators rely on informal verbal encouragement and subjective general observations rather than structural support or autism-specific competency metrics. Student perspectives reveal a significant help gap driven by overcrowded classrooms (80+ students), heavy chalkboard reliance, and a total absence of specialized autism-support tools such as visual timers or sensory checklists, resulting in an unmanaged reliance on peer support (proxy teaching). The study concludes that current SB-PD operates as a tokenistic, content-heavy framework detached from the specialized demands of inclusive classrooms, functioning as bureaucratic inclusion. It recommends institutionalizing autism-focused modules, structured peer-coaching networks, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, and administrative accountability frameworks within school-based professional learning.