Teacher Professional Development in Life Skills and Agency: Pathways to Social Cohesion in Tanzanian Classrooms

• In Event: Whole School Approach to Nurturing Skills, Values and Community Cohesion

Proposal

In fragile education ecosystems across East Africa, classroom teaching is increasingly expected to promote not only academic achievement but also peacebuilding, social cohesion, and democratic values. In Tanzania, the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) emphasizes the integration of life skills and values such as collaboration, respect, and problem-solving into everyday instruction as a pathway to fostering social cohesion encompassing inclusion, mutual understanding, and peaceful coexistence. However, evidence highlights significant gaps in teachers’ preparedness and agency to fulfill this transformative mandate. Many in-service teachers lack a clear understanding of how to effectively integrate life skills into practice, largely due to inadequate professional development and mentorship systems to equip them with pedagogical tools for nurturing 21st-century skills in diverse contexts.
To address these gaps, the School-based In-service Teacher Training (SITT) approach was implemented in selected districts in Tanzania. The SITT model emphasizes collaborative peer learning, reflective practice, and local problem-solving anchored in real classroom contexts. It engages teachers in communities of learning to unpack the CBC and co-design strategies for nurturing life skills. The intervention targeted regions and schools marked by high educational vulnerability, including rural areas with inadequate infrastructure, limited teacher support, and weak community engagement. Teachers from 35 primary schools were trained using a life skills module and received structured support to implement practices in classrooms. The training also incorporated gender-responsive pedagogy, equipping teachers with inclusive strategies to foster peace, respect, and social cohesion. The TPD process was designed not only to build competence but also to strengthen teacher agency by positioning them as facilitators of social cohesion. Teacher mentorship was integrated into existing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) frameworks to enhance agency defined as the capacity to make autonomous, context-sensitive decisions in the best interest of learners and society.
Preliminary reflections from teachers and education officers indicate improved teacher confidence in designing and delivering lessons that embed life skills like collaboration, respect, and critical thinking. Teachers have begun using inclusive strategies such as role-play, group discussions, and reflective dialogues that promote understanding and tolerance. Notably, teachers in marginalized schools where the intervention was most intensively piloted showed greater agency in experimenting with learner-centered strategies. For example, 84% reported applying training skills in daily practice. School leaders and quality assurers noted visible shifts in classroom dynamics, particularly in managing discussions and promoting respect and inclusion. The intervention is helping redefine teachers from content deliverers to agents of change and cohesion in vulnerable contexts.
The Tanzanian case shows that teacher professional development, when grounded in local realities and agency-driven, can support inclusion. Life skills and social cohesion are cultivated not as stand-alone content but through everyday teaching choices, dialogue, and modeling inclusive values. Future research should assess long-term effects on learners’ social behavior and explore how mentorship structures sustain social cohesion across settings.

Author

• Katherine Fulgence, UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM