A. Program Context
Tanzania faces persistent challenges in teacher professional development, particularly in STEM education, which is fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on inclusive and equitable quality education. Despite government reforms, the country continues to experience shortages of qualified teachers, limited access to teaching resources, and large class sizes that constrain effective instruction. Digital infrastructure in schools remains uneven, and professional development opportunities for teachers are often limited to short-term workshops with limited follow-up mechanisms.
Recognizing that teachers are the cornerstone of educational quality, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Tanzania, supported by the World Bank and international partners, has prioritized strengthening teacher continuous professional development systems. Within this framework, UNESCO-TEC in collaboration with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), launched a long-term capacity development program focusing on STEM education - areas essential for industrialization and sustainable growth.
B. Institutional Context and Rationale
Teacher Education Centre under the auspices
of UNESCO (UNESCO-TEC) was a Category-2 institution established in 2017 jointly by UNESCO and the Shanghai Municipal Government, hosted by Shanghai Normal University. Its mission is to advance global teacher education and provide technical support to developing countries. Leveraging its prior experience implementing large-scale teacher development programs - including the China-UK Mathematics Teacher Exchange Program (2014-2022) and the “Belt and Road” Exchange Project. UNESCO-TEC has established a model for cross-cultural teacher capacity building that emphasizes joint research, digital collaboration, and evidence-based practice.
The China-Tanzania Teacher Professional Development Program (2021-present) builds on this foundation to address STEM education challenges in Tanzania through teacher collaboration, digital enhanced learning and sustained partnerships. The program aligns with the UNESCO Priority Africa and South-South cooperation.
C. Program Development Objective (PDO)
The PDO is to strengthen institutional and individual capacities for STEM teacher professional development in Tanzania through digital resource innovation, cross-cultural collaboration and sustainable knowledge exchange between Chinese and Tanzanian educators.
PDO-Level Results Indicators
1.Improved instructional competence of mathematics and science teachers in participating schools.
2.Increased availability and utilization of localized digital teaching resources.
3.Enhanced institutional collaboration between UNESCO-TEC and TIE for continuous teacher learning.
4.Expanded cross-cultural understanding among participating educators.
D. Program Description
From 2021 to 2023, UNESCO-TEC and TIE jointly implemented four rounds of online professional development workshops for Tanzanian mathematics educators, training over 80 teachers in primary and secondary schools, and tutors in 12 teacher training colleges.
In 2023, UNESCO-TEC and TIE signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and established the Joint Centre (JEC-TEC-TIE) in Dar es Salaam, marking a long-term institutional partnership between China and Tanzania. Since July 2023, UNESCO-TEC has deployed field-work volunteers to Tanzania. The activities cover four regions, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha and Moshi.
E. Means of Implementation
The Program adopts a pattern of blended learning, school immersive learning, knowledge co-creation and evidence-based improvement:
1.Teacher Blended Learning with Digital Resources
UNESCO-TEC has specially developed a digital repository called Share Maths, including e-textbooks, syllabi, lesson plans, slides, digital teaching and learning tools, and online video lessons to support asynchronous learning for Tanzanian teachers. The content emphasizes problem solving, multiple representations, teaching with variation and technology integration, embodying Shanghai mathematics education features and global mathematics education trends.
Figure 1 The Framework of Share Maths Repository
2.School Immersive Learning in Shanghai, China
Building on the legacy of the China–UK Mathematics Teacher Exchange Program, the Program renewed “Teaching Research Group Activities”, a featured teacher professional development pattern, between Chinese and Tanzanian teachers. The collaboration emphasizes joint lesson design, lesson observation, and reflection using standardized observation guides. This approach bridges cultural and pedagogical boundaries and promotes mutual professional learning.
Specifically, the main process of school immersive learning is: lesson observation in Shanghai → collective reflection by Chinese and Tanzanian teachers → lesson observation in Shanghai → collaborative lesson planning → lesson show by Tanzanian teachers → collective reflection by Chinese and Tanzanian teachers.
Figure 2 The Process of School Immersive Learning
Figure 3 A Tanzanian Teacher Taught in Shanghai School
3.Knowledge Co-Creation in Field Work of Volunteers
Each year, Chinese volunteers consisting of experts, in-service teachers and university students are deployed to Tanzanian local schools to conduct co-teaching and teaching research group activities. Through continuous sharing and focused discussions, teacher learning outcomes are rapidly consolidated and disseminated, forming an experienced facilitator team to connect multiple schools and a wide range of local teachers.
Specifically, the process is: lesson planning by Chinese volunteers → lesson show and reflection in Tanzanian schools → joint improvement by Chinese and Tanzanian participants → second lesson show by Chinese volunteers → in-depth collective reflection.
Figure 4 The Process of Knowledge Co-Creation by Chinese and Tanzanian Teachers
Figure 5 Regional Teacher Workshop in Dar es Salaam
Figure 6 A Chinese Volunteer Interacted with Local Teachers
4.Evidence-Based Improvement: A Case
Since 2021, School C in Dar es Salaam has been an active participant in the China-Tanzania Teacher Professional Development Program. Through online workshops, the School C teachers engaged in continuous professional learning and cross-cultural exchange supported by digital resources.
In 2023, with support from the World Bank, all mathematics teachers from School C traveled to Shanghai, China, for a two-week immersive learning event. They observed live classroom teaching, participated in teaching reflection with Shanghai teachers, and explored pedagogy embedded in Share Maths resources. Besides, Chinese volunteers conducted school-based Teaching Research Group activities in the neighbourhood of School C, providing on-site professional support and helping teachers integrate teaching methods into their daily practice.
After two years of collaboration, first, student learning gains were recorded. In National Mathematics Examination, the failure rate among Standard 7 primary students at School C dropped from 19.13% to 8.40%, while the failure rate among Form 2 secondary students decreased from 28.90% to 16.10%. Second, the performance of teacher development was noticed. TIE appointed School C’s mathematics teachers as national facilitators for mathematics teacher professional development, enabling them to train and mentor teachers across the country.
Figure 7 Teaching Research Group Activities in the School
Figure 8 Lesson Show in a Local Digital Classroom Donated by a Chinese Company
E. Program Influence
lTeacher Reach: Over 500 Tanzanian educators, including teachers and teacher training college tutors, have benefited from training and resource sharing.
lResource Sharing:Share Maths has been integrated into the national online teacher learning platform of TIE. The lesson observation tools developed by UNESCO-TEC volunteers has been adopted by TIE and scaled up for use in teacher training colleges nationwide.
lRecognition: The Program team has been commended by Permanent Secretary Tanzanian Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for its role in advancing teacher professional development.
lYouth Engagement: Most of the participants from UNESCO-TEC are young teachers and students, who have further expanded field work in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia. Based on this Program, young team leaders launched “Go to Global South: Shanghai International STEM Education Volunteer Program”, which was selected into the Global Youth Development Action Plan supported by the All-China Youth Federation and UN agencies.
