Pedagogical Challenges in Environmental Education in Tanzanian Secondary Schools: A Critical Analysis of Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Capacity

Environmental education (EE) has been integrated into Tanzanian secondary school curricula since the 1990s, yet research consistently reveals a significant gap between policy aspirations and classroom realities. This qualitative case study, conducted in four secondary schools in Temeke Municipality, Dar es Salaam, investigated the pedagogical challenges facing teachers and students of EE. Drawing on the Theory of Responsible Environmental Behavior (Hungerford & Volk, 1990) and the Action Competence framework (Jensen & Schnack, 1997), the study analyzed instructional objectives, pedagogical activities, and teacher knowledge through documentary review, semi-structured interviews with 16 teachers and 24 students, and classroom observations. Findings reveal three interconnected challenges: (a) instructional objectives are predominantly cognitive, emphasizing knowledge and awareness over skills and attitude development; (b) pedagogical activities remain classroom-based and traditional, with limited opportunities for experiential or outdoor learning; and (c) teachers lack adequate pre-service and in-service training in EE-specific pedagogy, constraining their ability to implement competence-based approaches. The study concludes that current EE implementation in Tanzanian secondary schools reflects a declarative-procedural gap, wherein policy rhetoric outpaces classroom practice. Recommendations include curriculum revision to incorporate sequential objectives across cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, enhanced teacher professional development, and systematic integration of outdoor and experiential learning activities.