ERIC Number: ED431727
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1999-Apr-23
Pages: 39
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Comparative Analysis of Some Aspects of Educating Young Children in Tanzania and in North America: Tanzanian Parents' Perspectives.
Mushi, Selina L. P.
This study analyzed aspects of educating young children in Tanzania and then transitioning them to the U.S. and Canada, examining parents' perspectives of their children's transitions. Researchers collected data via questionnaires and interviews with 30 Tanzanian parents about 35 children's adjustment to new education systems, highlighting demographics, schooling and transfer experiences, presence or absence of educational aspirations in both contexts, choice of school in the new education system, ratings on school and home related factors, and specific observations and concerns about their children's educational development. Data analysis indicated that Tanzanian children who came to North America to continue their education were mostly from publicly owned schools or childcare centers, and most of them had high educational aspirations when they left Tanzania. Parents indicated that learning English and speaking it at home and the availability of learning materials were the major advantages of coming to North America. Factors that prohibited smooth transition included inability to speak English fluently (especially at school), lack of enough teacher attention, lack of close and strong relationship with teachers, lack of learning content, reduced enthusiasm about school, and feelings of inferiority among peers. The paper discusses findings according to language and cognition, the Tanzanian child's perception of race, and confusion between racial label and socioeconomic background. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada; Tanzania; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A