The Quality of Civic Education Materials for Pre-Service Teachers in a Developing Country: Concepts, Existing Materials, Methodologies and Gaps

Abstract

In order for the developing world to achieve the Jomtien 1990 and Dakar 2000 declarations about access and quality of education, a highly skilled teaching force is necessary. It is generally acknowledged that the gap of 1.2 million teachers required to be trained in Sub Saharan Africa by 2015 is so huge that conventional methods of teacher development are not adequate. UNESCO, the Commonwealth of Learning, the Teacher Education in Sub Saharan Africa (TESSA) and other stakeholders advocate the use of Open and Distance Learning approaches as well as the design, development and sharing of Open Educational Resources within and across countries and educational institutions. This study shares such concerns. It critically analyzes the school texts situation and calls for concerted efforts in addressing the shortage and quality of civics materials for the preparation of civics teachers in Tanzania.

Key words:Civic education, Instructional Design, Open and Distance Learning, Open Educational Resources.