Research On The Application Of Information And Communication Technology(ICT) In Teacher Education In Tanzania

With the advent of the information age,countries have gradually applied Information and Communication Technology(ICT)to all areas of education.To comply with the trend of the times,the Tanzanian government has issued a number of policy initiatives to promote the application of information and communication technologies in education.It is essential that the Tanzania Ministry of Education and Vocational Training establish a teaching staff that can use ICT as a teaching and learning tool.In 2005,the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training(MoEVT)of Tanzania obtained a fund of US$3.333 million from the Swedish International Agency for Development(SIDA)to implement the integration of normal colleges and universities for 34 normal universities.ICT projects.The development goal of the project is to combine information and communications technology with teacher education to improve the quality of normal college education so that all normal students have the information and communication technology capabilities in the course of completing the course.The project purchased the necessary hardware(computers,routers,printers,digital cameras)and software(operating system and office applications)for the installation of ICT teaching and updated Internet connectivity for 34 normal schools in Tanzania.Morogoro Teachers' College(MTC)was selected as the location of the project office and project team and was responsible for the overall dispatching of the teacher education institutions.The 906 teacher-trainers in 34 normal colleges and universities across the country are provided with basic information and communication technology skills and teaching training,and improve the information and communications technology literacy of administrative personnel.The project has upgraded a large number of information and communication technology equipment and hardware and software for teachers' colleges and universities;promoted teachers to use the Internet to acquire and share knowledge and experience to improve teaching capabilities and increase opportunities for professional development through online learning and distance education.It has a well-trained faculty team;at the same time,it has improved the efficiency of communication between teachers' colleges and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training in Tanzania;it has effectively incorporated the project into government projects at the Ministry of Education and institutions.Some problems and deficiencies were also found in the evaluation of the project,such as inadequate infrastructure to support the school's network needs,brain drain,immature program management and strategic planning,and lack of external cooperation with other institutions and institutions.