Empathy-based stories capturing the voice of female secondary school students in Tanzania

Abstract

Tanzania, like many other African countries, has experienced a rapid expansion of its secondary education sector. This has resulted in large numbers of secondary school graduates struggling to build a future through continuing education or finding employment. ¹ Students are faced with the difficult task of assessing their opportunities in the face of various challenges and making plans to build a better life. The presented research uses empathy-based stories to identify which elements were considered to be important by students in determining their success in education. The analysis of narrative data represents a shared cultural meaning on the social and cultural support available to students. The findings suggest that using empathy-based stories as a methodological tool can provide valuable insights for culture-sensitive and intercultural research through its ability to widen the context of discovery.

Keywords:

• empathy-based stories
• Tanzanian youth
• secondary education
• transitions
• future-orientation

Acknowledgements

This study was conducted as part of a joint research project of University of Jyväskylä, Finland and University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, titled “Educated girls and women in Tanzania – Socio-cultural interpretations on the meaning of formal education”, funded by the Academy of Finland. I am grateful to my Tanzanian colleagues Wende Luvinga Heinoja, John Adicka and Magreth Matonya for their commitment and support. I would also like to thank Ms. Tuija Modinos and Dr. Margaret Trotta Tuomi for language editing and Mr. Stefan Wahlen for reading the earlier drafts of the manuscript. Comments given by Professor Päivi Palojoki and Dr. Elina Lehtomäki have been vital at various stages of the writing process.

Notes

1. During the past decade, secondary education enrolment in Tanzania has increased rapidly, net enrolment in secondary education in 2009 being 31.3% (URT 2009). Still, transition rates from primary to secondary education are among the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although almost equal in lower years of primary education, the proportion and performance of girls decrease while moving to the upper secondary education. For a recent review on gender and education in Tanzania, see Okkolin, Lehtomäki, and Bhalalusesa (2010).

2. A joint research project of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland and the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been initiated to analyse the experiences and perceptions of girls and women, who have succeeded to continue their educational path up to secondary and higher education, on the meaning of education in their lives. For more information on the project, please visit the project website: http://www.jyu.fi/ytk/laitokset/yfi/en/research/projects/educatedtanzania/intro.

3. Qualitative research for social justice is widely discussed in a special issue of International Journal for Qualitative Studies in Education 22:3, May/June 2009. Application of critical research approaches in Africa has also been discussed by Chilisa (2005), Fritz, Henning, and Swart (2008), and Toncy (2008) in this journal.

4. The school needs include fees, books and other school-related costs. The term is used in the official education statistics in Tanzania as a category for reasons for non-attendance and dropout.

5. Ordinary-level refers to lower secondary education, Forms 1–4. Continuation to Advanced-level education (Forms 5–6) is determined by success in O-level final examinations.

6. Resources are needed for covering school fees, textbooks, school uniforms, etc., resulting in financial constraints being a constant problem for families who want to educate their children beyond primary education.

7. The provision of education is still limited in rural areas. The extended family is a common source of support to rural youth.