Conference Agenda

Introduction

The transition from kindergarten to primary school represents a critical period in children’s educational trajectories, involving adaptation to a new learning environment, changing social roles, and increasing institutional expectations (Niesel & Griebel, 2007; Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000; Vernon-Feagans & Blair, 2006). Research consistently characterizes this transition as a vulnerable phase, frequently described as a “gap” caused by insufficient cooperation between preschool and primary education systems (Dockett et al., 2012; Fabian & Dunlop, 2007). Contemporary perspectives emphasize the importance of creating a safe and supportive school environment and advocate a shift toward the concept of a “school ready for the child”.

The research aim was to explore how in-service teachers and pre-service teachers in kindergarten and primary education conceptualize children’s readiness for successful transition to primary school. Special attention was given to the perspectives of pre-service teachers, as they represent future educational professionals who will implement emerging concepts of school readiness and transition in practice. The study addressed the research questions: (1) How do in-service and pre-service teachers conceptualize children’s school readiness? (2) How do they perceive cooperation between kindergarten and primary school during the transition process?

Methods

The study employed a two-phase mixed-method research design. Phase 1 consisted of qualitative semi-structured interviews with 24 educational professionals, including principals, teachers, and one deputy principal, predominantly female and primarily working in institutions operating within a single legal entity to enable closer inter-institutional cooperation. Data were analyzed using open coding, conducted both individually and collaboratively, with triangulation applied to enhance analytical rigor. Four key categories emerged: models of (non-)cooperation, school dictum, marginalization of the child, and concepts of school (un)readiness.

Phase 2 involved 69 female participants, including 58 kindergarten teachers and 11 primary school teachers from public, private, and corporate kindergartens. This phase employed Q methodology to analyze subjective perceptions of children’s school readiness within different models of kindergarten–primary school cooperation. A Q set of 60 statements, derived from Phase 1 findings and relevant educational legislation, was developed. Participants sorted the statements on a 13-point forced distribution scale ranging from -6 to +6. Data were analyzed using cosine similarity measures and hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (average linkage) to identify shared viewpoints and divergences among participants.

Results and discussion

The findings indicate that both preschool and primary school teachers frequently conceptualize children’s transition to primary education from an adult-centered perspective, emphasizing institutional expectations, behavioral compliance, and adaptation to school routines. School readiness was predominantly associated with socialization, emotional stability, and the ability to follow rules, with assessments often highlighting perceived deficits in these areas. Teachers in both settings expressed frustration over limited information sharing and insufficient system integration, which they perceived as disrupting continuity and potentially disadvantaging children. Transition practices were described as largely unsystematic and dependent on individual teacher initiative, confirming earlier findings by Schultingem et al. (2005) and Ahtola et al. (2011).

Pre-service teachers, in contrast, attributed greater importance to cooperation between kindergarten and primary school and perceived the transition as more stressful for children than did in-service teachers. Students regarded pedagogical assessment as a meaningful and indispensable component of the educational process, particularly in the context of transition, and strongly emphasized the use of children’s portfolios as diagnostic and communicative tools supporting curricular continuity. This aligns with research highlighting the value of pedagogical documentation in monitoring children’s development and facilitating transitions (Vukašinović & Matijašević, 2024). Differences were also identified between students preparing for kindergarten teaching and those preparing for primary teaching, particularly in expectations regarding children’s competencies, attitudes toward early grading, and perceptions of school enrolment. Overall, the findings underscore the need for relational, systematic, and child-centered approaches to transition that prioritize socio-emotional development over narrowly defined academic performance (McClelland et al., 2006; McIntyre et al., 2006; Petrakos & Lehrer, 2011).

Educational Significance of the Research

The study highlights the importance of individualizing the transition to primary school, strengthening cooperation between educational institutions, and enhancing the quality of pedagogical assessment through meaningful documentation and information sharing. It underscores the role of school leadership in fostering continuity between preschool and primary education, the need for reflective and adaptive teaching practices poses children as active participants in the transition process, and the preparation of future teachers aligned with child-centered educational paradigms.

Globally, the development of learners' 21st-century skills has gained significant attention across various educational levels as core future competences. These skills are crucial for empowering learners to innovate, adapt, and tackle complex global challenges, including poverty, health, and economic growth, preparing them for meaningful participation in both local and global workforces (Senjiro & Lupeja, 2023; Tandika, 2022). In response, Tanzania introduced a competence-based curriculum (CBC) in 2005 to replace the previous knowledge-based curriculum in primary schools (Paulo & Tilya, 2014). The emphasis on developing 21st-century skills is documented in the 2014 Education and Training Policy (2023 edition), implementation guidelines, and the National Curriculum Framework for Basic and Teacher Education (Komba & Shukia, 2023; MoEST, 2019). These changes have created new demands on teachers, necessitating the alignment of their instructional practices to help learners master these skills.

Research indicates that many teachers in Tanzania have limited instructional competencies to facilitate lessons and design assessments that foster 21st-century skills, primarily due to inadequate professional development training (Ndimbo, 2024; Nyoni, 2023). While studies have focused on secondary education, there is a notable lack of research on primary school teachers (Ndimbo, 2024). Komba and Shukia (2023) also highlight limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of primary school teachers in supporting learners' mastery of these skills. Thus, this study aims to assess primary school teachers' instructional practices for fostering 21st-century skills in Tanzania. We examine variations in teachers’ instructional practices for fostering critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills and compare these practices based on working experience, education level, teaching subject, and gender.

The study addresses the following questions:

1. What variations exist in teachers’ instructional practices for fostering critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills?

2. Are there significant differences in these practices based on working experience, education level, teaching subject, and gender?

This study is part of the STEP-STUDY (Strengthening Primary School Teacher Professional Development in Tanzania) project, employing a quantitative approach and cross-sectional survey design. Data will be collected from 400 public primary schools selected through proportionate sampling across Tanzania. A sample of around 4,000 primary school teachers will be surveyed. For the construct of interest a structured, closed-ended questionnaire was developed based on Chai et al. (2015) and adapted to the Tanzanian context in Swahili, the medium of instruction in public primary schools. The questionnaire focuses on teachers’ practices in fostering critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills. A pilot study conducted in Dodoma City showed good reliability for the questionnaire, with Cronbach Alpha scores above .70.

Data collection will occur from February to March 2026 by trained enumerators using an online survey via Kobo toolkit and paper surveys where necessary. Repeated measures ANOVA will analyze differences in overall mean scores of instructional practices, while ANOVA will compare practices based on various demographic factors. The study is expected to reveal varying levels of instructional practices among teachers in fostering critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills, with significant differences based on various factors. Findings will provide evidence-based insights and recommendations to enhance teacher professionalism in Tanzania, inform targeted professional development, and guide policy interventions aimed at improving 21st-century skills instruction.

Inclusive education is an explicit requirement of education systems committed to equity and to competence-based curriculum (CBC) implementation, because learning outcomes cannot be considered “achieved” if structural and classroom barriers exclude learners on the basis of disability, language, gender, socio-economic background, or location. Internationally, inclusion is framed as the removal of barriers in curricula, pedagogy, assessment, and school organisation, with equity as the core principle (UNESCO, 2020). The right to inclusive education is also articulated as a binding standard in the interpretation of Article 24, emphasising access, participation, and reasonable accommodation within the general education system (CRPD Committee, 2016).

Tanzania provides a strategically informative context: inclusive education has been institutionalised through national strategies that aim to strengthen equitable access and quality for learners in vulnerable situations, alongside efforts to build teacher capacity and system supports (United Republic of Tanzania, 2018–2021). At the same time, the literature and field experience suggest a recurrent implementation tension: inclusive education is recognised in policy and teacher discourse, yet classroom enactment often remains narrow (frequently disability-centred) and constrained by resource limitations, large class sizes, uneven support services, and limited opportunities for practice-based professional learning. Evidence from Tanzanian inclusive education settings highlights the centrality of teaching approaches that respond to diverse needs and the consequences when pedagogy remains weakly differentiated (Kisanga & Richards, 2018).

This contribution develops an equity-, diversity- and inclusion-focused strand within STEP–Tanzania (Strengthening Primary School Teacher Professional Development in Tanzania). The strand addresses two evidence gaps: (1) how inclusion and diversity competencies are translated into teacher education curricula and in-service professional development offers; and (2) how institutional conditions shape teachers’ opportunities to enact inclusive pedagogy across rural, urban and remote contexts. The study treats inclusion not as an “add-on,” but as an implementation requirement embedded in CBC teaching, learning and assessment, and therefore a core quality criterion for teacher education and CPD design.

Research questions are: (RQ1) To what extent do teacher education and CPD offers integrate competencies for teaching diverse learners, and where does translation remain partial? (RQ2) What inclusive strategies do primary teachers report using, and what constraints and enabling conditions do they identify? (RQ3) Do preparedness and reported practices vary systematically by context (rural/urban/remote), career stage, and access to CPD/mentorship?

STEP–STUDY Tanzania uses a convergent mixed-methods design in which documentary analysis, surveys, and qualitative fieldwork are carried out in the same phase and interpreted together (Cedefop, 2024, 2025; Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). The desk-review strand synthesises policy documents and prior research to clarify intended learning outcomes and their translation routes (teacher education curricula, CPD/TPD guidance, assessment regulations, learning materials). The survey programme covers pre-service teachers (n≈2,500) and in-service primary teachers (n≈4,000), with oversampling of novice and upgrading in-service teachers; a school-context module targets head teachers (n≈400). Additional survey modules include teacher educators (n≈400), teacher education institution (TEI) heads (n≈80), and further pre-service cohorts within TEIs (n≈1,600). Qualitative data include interviews/focus groups with policy makers, quality assurance officers, and stakeholders (typically ~20 per group), plus a “best-practice” classroom observation component in model schools (n≈20). Documents and transcripts are analysed using structured qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2014).

The contribution’s outputs are (1) an evidence-based map of how inclusive education is embedded in teacher education and CPD; (2) a profile of teachers’ reported inclusive strategies and the institutional conditions associated with stronger enactment; and (3) an equity-oriented diagnosis of rural–urban disparities in preparedness and professional learning opportunities. Findings will inform policy and CPD design by identifying leverage points for strengthening inclusive teaching capacity within CBC implementation (United Republic of Tanzania, 2018–2021; United Republic of Tanzania, MoEST, TCPD).