DETERMINANTS OF PARENTS’ SATISFACTION WITH THE QUALITY OF PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION IN ILALA DISTRICT, DAR ES SALAAM REGION, TANZANIA

BY

DAPHINA LIBENT E83EA/22945/2011

EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES DEPARTMENT

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES) IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OF KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

MAY, 2015 DECLARATION

I confirm that this research thesis is my original work and has not been presented in any other university/institution. The thesis has been complemented by referenced works duly acknowledged. Where text, data, graphics, pictures or tables have been borrowed from other works-including internet, the sources are specifically accredited through referencing in accordance with anti-plagiarism regulations.

Signature:……………………... Date:……………………………

Daphina Libent

E83EA/22945/2011

We confirm that the work reported in this thesis was carried out by the candidate under our supervision as University supervisors:

Signature…………………………. Date:……………….………….….

Dr. Esther Waithaka Department of Early Childhood Studies School of Education Kenyatta University

Signature………………………… Date:…………………………….…

Dr. Nyakwara Begi Department of Early Childhood Studies School of Education Kenyatta University

ii

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to my husband Dr. Stephen Mabagala and our children

Gladys, Harry, Bryan and Juniour. It is also dedicated to my late son Hans who passed away in his early childhood; and my late father Libent J. Rweyemamu who passed away when I was in pre-primary school. I will always cherish you.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my appreciation to many individuals who provided support and guidance in completion of this study. First, I would like to thank our Almighty

God for giving me strength and protection during the course of my study. Second,

I thank my employer, the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) for granting me study leave and facilitating my scholarship under the World Bank capacity building project.

I wish also to thank my supervisors Dr. Esther Waithaka and Dr. Nyakwara Begi for their valuable time, constructive suggestions, advice and encouragement throughout this process. I will be forever grateful for your kindness and support.

Thank you and May God bless you.

I would also like to thank my friends and fellow graduate students especially

Benta Ogutu, Ismail Pangani and Yusuph Singo for the cooperative support and helpful advice.

Finally, I would like to thank my family for their patience, prayers, support, and understanding. Special appreciation is offered to my husband Stephen and our children Gladys, Harry, Bryan and Juniour. Special thanks to my mother Mwl.

Yaledia Rweyemamu for taking me to school, prayers and encouragement; and my in-laws Norbert Mabagala and Josephine Stephen for their love. Lastly, my sister

Jamila M. Shedafa thanks for taking care of my children during the whole period of study.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page

Cover Page ...... ii Declaration ...... ii Dedication ...... iii Acknowledgments ...... iv Table of Contents ...... v List of Tables ...... ix List of Figures ...... ixi Abbreviations and Acronmys ...... xii Abstract ...... xiii

Chapter One: Introduction and Context of the Study ...... 1 1.1 Introduction ...... 1 1.2 Background to the Study ...... 1 1.3 Statement of the Problem ...... 8 1.4 Purpose of the Study ...... 10 1.5 Objectives of the Study ...... 10 1.6 Research Hypotheses ...... 11 1.7 Assumptions of the Study ...... 12 1.8 Limitations of the Study ...... 12 1.9 Delimitation of the Study ...... 13 1.10 Significance of the Study ...... 14 1.11 Theoretical Framework ...... 15 1.12 Conceptual Framework ...... 19 1.13 Operational Definition of Terms ...... 22

v

Chapter Two: Literature Review ...... 24 2.1 Introduction ...... 24 2.2 Quality Pre-primary Education ...... 24 2.3 Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Education ...... 26 2.4 Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Education and Type of School . 31 2.5 Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Education and Parents‟ Gender 34 2.6 Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Education and Parents‟ Education Level ...... 38 2.7 Relationship between Parents‟ Perceived Education Quality and Satisfaction with Quality of Education...... 41 2.8 Summary and Gap Identification ...... 44

Chapter Three: Research Design and Methodology ...... 46 3.1 Introduction ...... 46 3.2 Research Design ...... 46 3.2.1 Variables of the Study ...... 47 3.3 Location of the Study ...... 48 3.4 Target Population ...... 50 3.5 Sampling Techniques and Sample Size ...... 50 3.5.1 Sampling Techniques ...... 50 3.5.2 Sample Size ...... 52 3.6 Research Instrument ...... 53 3.6.1 Scoring of the Questionnaire ...... 55 3.7 Pilot Study ...... 56 3.7.1 Validity ...... 56 3.7.2 Reliability ...... 57 3.8 Data Collection Procedures ...... 59 3.8.1 Training of Research Assistants ...... 59 3.8.2 Administration of the Questionnaire to Parents ...... 59

vi

3.9 Logistical and Ethical Considerations ...... 60 3.10 Data Analysis ...... 61

Chapter Four: Findings, Interpretation and Discussion ...... 63 4.1 Introduction ...... 63 4.2 General and Demographic Information ...... 64 4.2.1 General Information ...... 64 4.2.2 Demographic Information of the Parents ...... 64 4.2.2.1 Age of Parents ...... 64 4.2.2.2 Gender of Parents ...... 65 4.2.2.3 Education Level of Parents ...... 65 4.2.2.4 Education Levels of Parents by Type of school ...... 66 4.3 Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-Primary Education ...... 68 4.4 Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education by Type of School ...... 78 4.5 Parents Satisfaction with Pre-primary Education Quality by Gender ...... 84 4.6 Parents Satisfaction with Pre-primary Education Quality by Levels of Education ...... 90 4.7 Relationship between Parents‟ Perception of Quality, and Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education ...... 96

Chapter Five: summary, Conclusions and Recommendations ...... 108 5.1 Introduction ...... 108 5.2 Summary of the findings ...... 108 5.3 Conclusions ...... 111 5.4 Recommendations ...... 112 5.4.1 Policy Recommendations ...... 112 5.4.2 Recommendations for Further Research ...... 116 References ...... 119

vii

Appendices ...... 136 Appendix A: Information about the study (English Version) ...... 136 Appendix B: Information about the study (Swahili Version) ...... 137 Appendix C: Informed Consent Form (English Version) ...... 138 Appendix D: Informed Consent Form (Swahili Version) ...... 139 Appendix E: Questionnaire (English Version) ...... 140 Appendix F: Questionnaire (Swahili Version) ...... 144 Appendix G: Map of Dar es Salaam Region ...... 148 Appendix H: Frequencies and Percentages of Parents Opinions and Suggestions for Quality Improvements ...... 149 Appendix I: Research Authorization from Kenyatta University (I) ...... 150 Appendix J: Research Authorization from Kenyatta University (II) ...... 151 Appendix K: Research Clearance from Regional Administrative Secretary...... 152 Appendix L: Research Clearance from Municipal Educational Officer ...... 153

viii

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

Table 3.1Sample Size of Schools and Parents ...... 53 Table 3.2 Reliability Results ...... 58 Table 4.1 Number of Parents by Age ...... 64 Table 4.2 Number of Parents by Gender ...... 65 Table 4.3 Education Level of Parents ...... 66 Table 4.4 Education Level of Parents by Type of School ...... 67 Table 4.5 Mean Scores of Parents Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education ...... 69 Table 4.6 Level of Means Scores of Parents Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre- primary Education ...... 71 Table 4.7 Mean Scores of Parents‟ Satisfaction with Pre-primary Education Quality by Type of School ...... 79 Table 4.8 t-tests for Parents‟ Satisfaction with Pre-primary Education Quality by Type of School ...... 82 Table 4.9 Mean Scores of Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education by Gender ...... 85 Table 4.10 t-tests for Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education by Gender ...... 87 Table 4.11 Mean Scores of Parents Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education by Educational Levels ...... 91 Table 4.12 One-way ANOVA for Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre- primary Education by Educational Levels ...... 93 Table 4.13 Tukey-HSD Post Hoc Test for the Differences in Parents‟ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education by Educational Levels ...... 95 Table 4.14 Mean Scores of Parents Perceptions of Pre-primary Education Quality ...... 99 Table 4.15 Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient Between Parents Perception and Satisfaction ...... 102

ix

Table 4.16 Model Summary of the Relationship between Perception and Satisfaction ...... 103 Table 4.17 Regression Analysis for Perception and Satisfaction with Quality of Pre-primary Education…………………………………………………..104

x

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1: Ecological Systems Theory……….………………………………….16 Figure 1.2: Conceptual Framework Diagram…………………………………….20

xi

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONMYS

ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education

ECD Early Childhood Development

ECDVU Early Childhood Development Virtual University

ECE Early Childhood Education

ECERS-R Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised

EFA Education for All

ETP Education and Training Policy

GoT Government of Tanzania

MoEC Ministry of Education and Culture

MoEVT Ministry of Education and Vocational Training

OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

QAO Quality Assurance Officers

TECDEN Tanzania Early Childhood Network

TIE Tanzania Institute of Education

Tukey-HSD Tukey-Honestly Significantly Difference

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund

URT United Republic of Tanzania

xii

ABSTRACT Globally, studies have shown that the demand for pre-primary education is increasing. In cognizance of the increasing demand and importance of pre-primary education quality, researchers and professionals provided a definition and developed standards of pre-primary education quality. However, parents as key stakeholders in pre-primary education, their voices are usually unheard in these deliberations and processes. Since parents create an ongoing demand for pre- primary education how they perceive the quality of pre-primary education is imperative. Besides, studies done in Tanzania show that the structural and process quality of pre-primary schools is not compatible with the increasing demand of pre-primary education. Despite poor provision of pre-primary education parents are still enrolling their children in these schools. It was not known whether they were satisfied with pre-primary education. This study intended to investigate parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. The study also explored factors influencing parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. The study adopted the Ecological Systems Theory in the theoretical framework. The dependent variable was parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. The independent variables included parents‟ perception of the quality of pre-primary education, parents‟ demographic characteristics (gender, education level) and type of school. The study employed descriptive survey research design. A stratified random sample of 829 parents with children aged 5 to 6 years from 34 pre-primary schools was used. Data was collected using a four point Likert scale questionnaire. Prior to data collection, the instrument was pilot-tested in two pre-primary schools in order to ensure validity and reliability. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used during data analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. The independent samples t-test was used to test Ho1 and Ho2. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test Ho3. The bivariate correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to test Ho4. The level of significance tested for each hypothesis was .05. Findings revealed that parents believed that their children‟s pre-primary schools were of high quality, specifically in process indicators than in the structural category. As a result, they were more satisfied with process quality than structural quality of pre-primary education. Results also indicated that parents‟ gender, education level and type of school significantly influenced their satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. Parents who were females, more educated and had children in private pre-primary schools were found to be more satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education. The study also revealed a positive and significant relationship between parents‟ perception of quality and satisfaction with pre-primary education. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training should take appropriate measures to improve pre-primary education and allocate resources to meet parents‟ demands. Moreover, school heads and managers should strengthen parent-teacher partnerships.

xiii

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

1.1 Introduction

This chapter describes the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research objectives and hypotheses. It also outlines the significance of the study, limitations and delimitations of the study, theoretical and conceptual framework, and operational definition of terms.

1.2 Background to the Study

Globally research has shown that there is an increase in the demand of pre-primary education. By 2009, 157 million children were enrolled in pre-primary education programmes, this was an increase of 40% since 1999 (UNESCO, 2012). In Europe the percentage has risen from 85.6% in 2000 to 92.5% in 2009 (Mejer, Turchetti &

Eric, 2011). Sub-Saharan Africa also has registered gains, with enrolment increasing from 18.4% in 2002 to 28.2 % in 2010 (UNESCO, 2012). For instance, in Kenya the enrollment has increased by 11.8% from 1.7 million in 2008 to 1.9 million in 2009 (Government of Kenya, 2010). In Tanzania the enrolment rate has risen by 66.8% from 554, 835 in year 2004 to 925,465 in year 2010 (Ministry of

Education and Vocational Training [MoEVT], 2010a). That increase in the enrollment indicates an increase in demand for pre-primary education.

1

Among reasons contributing to the growth demand for pre-primary education is due to increasing rate of women participating in labour force (Omar, Nazri, Abu,

& Omar, 2009). Women are moving away from traditional works and entering different forms of labour force like commercial activities and paid employment.

Another reason for growing demand is the recognition of the importance of early childhood education. Since the demand of pre-primary education is increasing there is need to focus on the quality of education and services provided to children. Several studies reveal that high quality early education produces long lasting benefits for children such as stronger literacy, language and math skills, better attitudes towards school, better relationships with classmates, and later academic success (Barnett, 2004; 2008; Gormley, Gayer, Phillips & Dawson,

2005).

Due to the importance of quality education, the United Nations International

Conference Declarations; the Jomtien Declaration in 1990, and more particularly, the Dakar Framework for Action in 2000 recognized the quality of education as a key determinant of achieving Education for All (UNESCO, 2004). Therefore, strengthening the quality of education has become a concern at all levels of education including pre-primary education. In many countries there are series of reviews, policies, guidelines and studies into what should constitute quality in early childhood care and education (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and

Development [OECD], 2006). For instance, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda,

2

Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia have developed national policies and minimum standards for quality on early childhood development (UNICEF, 2009).

While the governments have provided a definition and developed standards of pre- primary education quality, little is known about how parents perceive these professional criteria and their levels of satisfaction.

According to Katz (1993) and Ceglowski (2004) there are four different perspectives when evaluating the quality of early childhood programmes: (a) the perspective from above as seen by researchers and professionals (b) the perspective from below as seen by children (c) the perspective from outside as seen by parents, and (d) the perspective from inside as seen by staff. However, the researcher/professional perspective has been used mostly in every study on quality of child care, and the parent perspective has been studied modestly (Liang, 2001;

Ceglowski & Bacigalupa, 2002). Therefore, establishing parents‟ level of satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education offered to their children was important because parents‟ views are usually unheard.

Parents are consumers and partners in early childhood education because they make decision about selecting schools for their children (Cryer & Burchinal, 1997;

Woodhead, 1996). Their views, opinions and expectations also vary according to needs, values, attitudes, age, gender, economic and cultural factors (Ceglowski &

Bacigalupa, 2002; da Silva & Wise, 2006; Noble, 2007). Increasing parents‟

3

satisfaction is considered one way of improving the quality of the schools

(Salisbury, Branson, Altreche, Funk, & Broetzmann, 1997). Satisfied parents tend to be loyal and committed to the schools their children attend (Salisbury et al,

1997). Understanding satisfaction is important in the sense that dissatisfied customers rarely complain, but rather simply purchase from another service provider (Milbourn, 1998). Dissatisfied parents tend to move their children to different schools. However, satisfied parents tend to be actively involved in school activities (Legg, 2009 & Danner, 2012). Studies show that parents‟ involvement is significantly related to children‟s cognitive development and academic performance (Kreider, 2002). Therefore, knowing parents opinions and perceptions regarding quality of pre-primary education and their levels of satisfaction was very important as a means to inform policy makers and service providers.

Parents are enrolling their children in variety of pre-primary schools. However,

Lewin (2008) reported that the demand for private education is rising in Sub-

Saharan Africa, and this has been caused by increasing parental dissatisfaction with public schooling. Phillipson (2008) indicated several differences in service delivery in terms of management, teacher qualifications and behaviour between public and private schools, which suggest that the quality of education is better in private institutions. However, despite the fact that the reports above identified some trends of parents‟ preference of private than public schools, these studies

4

focused on primary and secondary schools. Therefore they may not be generalized to pre-primary schools, hence the need for the present study.

Studies reviewed (Liang, 2001; Muganda, 2003 & Thill, 2004) reveal that parents differ in perception and satisfaction regarding quality of ECCE services. Studies done in USA for instance indicate that parents perceive their child care centres possess high quality in terms of teachers‟ characteristics, facility, space and safety

(Thill, 2004; Raikes, Wilcox, Peterson & Edwards, 2005). Liang (2001) found that

Taiwanese parents perceived their child‟s kindergarten as having higher quality in the process variables than in the structural features; as a result parents were more satisfied with process quality than with structural quality of their child‟s program.

A study conducted in Kenya by Muganda (2003) revealed that parents perceived pre schools quality as poor and as a result they were dissatisfied with both process and structural variables of quality. However, the above studies were done in other countries, due to differences in social, cultural and economic situations a related study needed to be conducted in Tanzania.

In Tanzania, for several years, since independence in 1961 up to 1994 pre-primary education was not the responsibility of the government, but that of private operators, parents and local community (Kameka, Mohamed, Missani, &

Salakana, 2005). In 1990 the government constituted National Task Force to review the education system and propose one suitable for the nation (Ministry of

5

Education and Culture, 1995). The Task Force found that pre-primary education was not being coordinated. Following the recommendations of the National Task

Force, in 1995, pre-primary education was systematized and formalized. The

Education and Training Policy (ETP) for all levels of education was also developed in the same year. In the policy, the government declared abounds with pre-primary education for five to six year old children. The policy states that every primary school must have a pre-primary class. Since pre-primary classes exist in a variety of settings, it was crucial to focus on their quality based on parents‟ perspectives. This study investigated parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education in pre-primary schools in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam Region.

The directive for primary schools to start pre-primary classes was however not preceded by sufficient arrangements to cater for the teaching and learning needs of young children (Mtahabwa, 2007). Studies done in Tanzania which mainly focused on „researchers/professionals perspectives‟ show that most pre-primary education suffers from the poor quality. A study conducted by Mbise (2008) on mapping early childhood service delivery, revealed that ECD related services experienced poor funding, lack of good facilities, poor supply of materials and poor environments. The study however, did not directly look at parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education which was investigated in this study.

6

A rapid appraisal base line study was conducted by MoEVT (2010b) in six districts to assess the practices in pre-primary and community-based pre-school classroom interaction. The results revealed that ECD programmes were in place but lacked quality whereby classes were overcrowded, teachers lacked support and monitoring. The results also indicated that learning materials were inadequate, there was little active experiential activity in the classes, and the programmes were not developmentally appropriate to the age groups. However, the study was based on the quality of classroom activities (process quality) and not on the quality of pre-primary education in general. The present study explored both structural and process quality of pre-primary education as perceived by parents.

In terms of structural quality, the MoEVT (2010a) indicates that qualified teacher- child ratio was high in public primary schools (1:74) compared to those from private (1:37). This is because several public primary schools have one teacher and one pre-primary classroom, with both Year 1 and Year 2 children mixed in one classroom, while in private schools, Year 1 and Year 2 children are taught in different classrooms (Shavega, Brugman, & Van Tuijl, 2014). As regards facilities and equipment, studies indicate that they are not sufficient (Mwinuka, 2001;

Mtahabwa, 2001; 2007). The studies also found that private and urban based pre- primary schools had better resources than public and rural based pre-primary schools. In addition, the MoEVT (2010a) indicates a serious shortage of pre- primary classrooms in the country which have resulted in most of public pre-

7

primary pupils to use primary school classrooms. Similarly, the MoEVT (2010a) indicated unfavourable Pupil pit latrine ratio (PLR) of 1: 134. This is due to the fact that most primary schools do not have separate pit latrines for pre-primary school pupils as required.

Despite poor provision of pre-primary education as portrayed by the cited studies, parents are still enrolling their children in the pre-primary schools. This situation prompted the need to conduct the study to establish the determinants of parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

In recent years the demand for pre-primary education has increased. Parents are taking their young children to a variety of pre-primary schools with a range of quality. High quality pre-primary education has been linked to various benefits such as language, literacy and mathematics skills development; better attitudes towards school and better relationships with peers. In cognizance of the increasing demand and importance of quality pre-primary education, researchers and professionals provided a definition and developed quality standards for pre- primary education. However, the voices of parents who are key stakeholders in pre-primary education were often unheard in these deliberations and processes.

This raises the question on how parents perceive the quality of pre primary education and whether they are satisfied with its quality.

8

According to Katz (1993) and Ceglowski (2004), parents, teachers, children and professionals must work together in evaluating the quality of pre-primary education. However, studies done in Tanzania focused mainly on researchers‟/professionals‟ perspectives. Hence, little was known about parents‟ perspectives.

Studies done elsewhere by Liang (2001), Muganda (2003), Thill (2004) and

Raikes, et al. (2005) revealed varying levels of parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. Due to differences in social, cultural and economic situations such findings cannot be generalized to Tanzanian parents.

In Tanzania, studies done by Mbise (2008), MoEVT (2010b), Mtahabwa (2007), and Mwinuka (2001), on the quality of pre-primary education, show that the structural and process quality of pre-primary schools did not match with the increasing demand of pre-primary education. Despite such observations, parents still enroll their children in these schools. This could again, raise questions on whether parents are satisfied with the quality of pre primary education.

Studies also indicate that parents‟ views, opinions and expectations may be affected by demographic characteristics, experience and environment (da Silva &

Wise, 2006; Noble, 2007). But, limited studies have been done in Tanzania to document how parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education is associated with

9

factors such as type of school, perception, gender and education levels. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the extent to which parents are satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education and establish the factors influencing their satisfaction.

1.4 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to establish parents‟ levels of satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania.

The study also sought to explore how factors such as type of school, parents‟ perceptions, gender and education levels influences parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

1.5 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were to: i. Establish the level of parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education. ii. Find out if there is a difference in satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education between parents of children in public and private pre-primary

schools. iii. Determine if there is a difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

pre-primary education between male and female parents.

10

iv. Investigate if there is a difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

pre-primary education across various levels of education. v. Find out if there is a relationship between parents‟ perception of the quality

and their satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

1.6 Research Hypotheses

The following were the general hypotheses which were stated in the alternative form:

Ha1 There is a difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education between parents of children in public and private pre-primary

schools.

Ha2 There is a difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education between male and female parents.

Ha3 There is a difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education between parents of different educational levels.

Ha4 There is a relationship between parents‟ perception of quality in pre-

primary education and their satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education.

11

1.7 Assumptions of the Study

This study was based on the following assumptions:

i. Parents‟ satisfaction levels are socially constructed, that is, they are

influenced by personal characteristics, experiences and the environment.

Therefore, it was assumed that factors such as parents‟ perception, gender,

education and type of school had some relationship with the level of parents‟

satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

ii. Parents were aware of the resources and activities of pre-primary schools.

Therefore, they were able to give out their views on whether they were

satisfied or not satisfied with the quality pre-primary education in their

children‟s schools.

iii. Parents were able to understand and answer the questions on the survey, and

each respondent completed the survey independently and honestly.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The major limitation in the present study was that, it was based on self-report data from the parents; it could be possible for some parents to give responses that please the researcher or authority as opposed to their real perception regarding school quality and satisfaction. However, the researcher minimized this problem

12

by eliminating the mid-point (undecided) response in a likert scale; and assuring confidentiality by asking them to return questionnaires in a sealed envelope.

There is dearth of relevant literature on pre-primary education in Tanzania.

Therefore, the study was limited by lack of sufficient local literature; and this forced the researcher to use literature from outside Tanzania. Due to the difference in social-cultural contexts, the interpretations drawn in this study lack sufficient local comparison on the various issues discussed.

1.9 Delimitations of the Study

The study was conducted in pre-primary schools in Ilala district, in Dar es Salaam region. The region has an excessively large percentage of parents from different backgrounds. This study was also restricted to licensed pre-primary schools in urban setting. Consequently, the findings of this study may only be generalized to pre-primary schools with similar set-ups.

In addition, the study only focused on the structural and process indicators of pre- primary education quality. Besides, the study was only limited on the perspectives of parents with regard to satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education and factors influencing it.

13

1.10 Significance of the Study

This study is significant because it may add to both theoretical and practical knowledge to the available literature on pre-primary education in Tanzania.

Theoretically, this study may contribute to fill the research gap in the area of quality in pre-primary education in Tanzania. That is, the findings of the study may serve as an inspiration and reference for further research in the area of pre- primary education in Tanzania.

This study may have also practical contributions, that is, it may give pertinent information concerning parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. The results may provide information to the Ministry of Education and

Vocational Training (MoEVT) so that appropriate measures may be taken to improve pre-primary education services and allocate resources to meet parents‟ demands. The Quality Assurance Officers (QAO) may use the findings of the study to broaden their quality assurance assessment procedures in pre-primary schools. These QAO may develop a system which includes evaluation of perspectives of various stakeholders like parents; and this may help when giving advices to the schools.

School managers may use the findings of this study to maintain quality aspects that parents are satisfied with and improve the quality of services they offer that parents are not satisfied with in order to improve satisfaction among parents and

14

ultimately, attract more children. The study findings may also inform parents on the importance of being actively involved in the pre-primary schools activities so as to ensure their children receive quality pre-primary education. Finally, this study may inform policy makers on the views, opinions and thoughts of parents.

Such information may be used as basis for future planning and policy formulation.

1.11 Theoretical Framework

This study was guided by the ecological systems theory developed by Urie

Bronfenbrenner (1979). As the present research assumes that parents‟ satisfaction levels are socially constructed, the epistemological underpinning of this study recognizes the importance of the influence of personal characteristics, experiences and the environment as a process placed in the ecological systems in which parents‟ satisfaction levels occur. The study therefore adopted the ecological systems epistemology as presented in Figure 1.1.

15

Figure 1.1 Ecological Systems Theory

Source: Santrock (2007)

The theory recognizes that individuals do not live in isolation but influence and are influenced by the immediate and broader environment in time and space. The theory states that individual development occurs within a complex set of nested interconnected systems. The levels of nested systems are microsystems, mesosystems, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystems. The microsystems are the individual‟s immediate surroundings which have direct influence to an individual through activities and interactions with others (Berk, 2005).

Bronfenbrenner emphasizes that experience is the key element of the microsystem.

Parents‟ microsystems might include children, spouses, siblings, co-workers and

16

friends. Therefore, parents‟ satisfaction with quality of pre-primary education might be affected by their family, peer group and work place.

The mesosystem comprises links between microsystems, such as home, school, and neighborhood. The mesosystem is shaped by the various connections between and among individuals, objects, and circumstances (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).

Bronfenbrenner distinguishes four forms of these connections. The first is multi- setting participation; this type of connections takes place when the same individual participates in more than one setting, such as home, church and work place.

Second connection is an indirect linkage which occurs when the same person does not actively participate in both settings, but nonetheless influenced through an intermediate link who facilitates this connection. The third connection is inter- setting communication whereby persons in two or more settings directly interact with each other for the purpose of sharing information (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).

The fourth connection is inter-setting knowledge whereby information about a setting exists in a separate setting. In a context of this study the mesosystem is particularly important in determining parents‟ satisfaction with quality in pre- primary education; whereby parents‟ views and thoughts may be influenced by interaction with different settings such as home, school environment and work place.

17

The exosystem is another level of the ecological systems theory. These are social settings that do not contain the focal person, but indirectly influence person through microsystem and mesosystems. For example parents‟ satisfaction with quality may be influenced by their experience, support from administration, as well as the neighborhood where the home is located. The macrosystem consists of the societal conditions, laws, cultural values, customs and economic patterns surrounding the parents. The macrosytem level is likely to influence how parents perceive and being satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education. For example, the cultural beliefs that children rearing and education is the responsibility of females may hamper males‟ involvement in their young children‟s education; as a result this may affect their perception and satisfaction with pre-primary education. The chronosystem is the largest of all and encompasses the changes or similarities over the course of time not only in the characteristics of the person but also on the environment of an individual. These might include changes in family structure, socio economic status, education and employment.

Parents‟ satisfaction with quality of pre-primary education is an important issue not only for service providers but also children and community at large. The application of this theory suggests that parents‟ satisfaction with quality may be influenced by all systems whether day to day influence or over the course of time influence. These influences include immediate environment (family, home and

18

peer group), experiences, culture, existing laws, policies and guidelines. Thus, the study acknowledges that the phenomena of parents satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education are not objective but are actively constructed and constantly evolving as a result of social interaction in a particular environment or culture.

Therefore, in the present study factors that influence parents‟ satisfaction included parents‟ perceptions, demographic characteristics and school variables.

1.12 Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of this study was based on the concept of quality in early childhood education as influenced by the systems which Bronfenbrenner outlined. The study used the process and structural indicators of quality. These are mostly used approaches in measuring the quality of early childhood programs

(Bigras, Bouchard, Cantin, & Brunson, 2010; Burchinal, 2010; Ishimine, Tayler &

Thorpe, 2009). The relationship between parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education and other variables of study are illustrated in Figure 1.2

19

Parents’ perception of pre-primary education quality

Structural Quality Process Quality Physical environment Children’s experience

-Equipment & -Developmentally

materials Appropriate Activities Public/Private -Availability of water, Teacher behavior toilets and sanitation -Interaction with Children

-Available space

Gender, Educational level Educational Gender, Classroom Characteristics of education of Parents Involvement -Teacher-Childs‟ ratio - Getting adequate ariables: vel -Class size information about their

Le children type v type Teacher Qualifications - Parent-teacher meetings -Experience - Involved in academic ol -Type of training activities

Scho

variables: Parents’

Parents’ satisfaction with the quality of pre-

primary education

Outcomes

 Increased enrollment

 Increased parent loyalty and trust  Increased children retention  Strong parent-teacher partnership

Key: Study variables

Non study variable

Source: Author Figure 1.2: Factors influencing Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre- primary Education

20

Figure 1.2 Illustrates the relationship between variables of the study; whereby parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education was influenced by parents‟ demographic (gender and educational level) and school variables (public or private). In addition, parents‟ perception of quality of pre-primary education was expected to have an influence on their level of satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. It was expected that parents as consumers evaluate pre- primary education (be satisfied or dissatisfied) only after they perceive it. The quality of pre-primary education was measured by structural (physical environment, classroom characteristics and teacher qualifications) and process variables (children‟s experience, teacher behavior and parents involvement) which are related. The outcomes of parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education are increased enrollment and retention of children, parents‟ loyalty and trust; and strong parent-teacher partnership.

21

1.13 Operational Definition of Terms

Children’s experiences: Activities which children are engaged in - stimulating

and developmentally appropriate.

Classroom characteristics: Teacher-child ratio and class/group size (number of

children).

Day care: A specially designed place where young children (3 – 4 years) receive

care, learning and development services.

Demographic variables: Parents‟ gender and educational levels.

Early Childhood Education: Learning experiences offered to children aged 3 to

8 years.

Early childhood: The period from birth to eight years old.

Parent: Any adult of pre-primary school child who takes the responsibility of

parent (father or mother) or guardian.

Parents’ involvement: Parents active engagement in academic activities, decision

making and school meetings.

Perception: Opinions, beliefs and thoughts of parents regarding quality in pre-

primary education.

Physical environment: Pre-primary school buildings, surroundings, furniture,

spaces, educational materials and equipment.

Pre-primary Education: Education for children of 5 to 6 year old before joining

primary school (i.e. “elimu ya awali” in Kiswahili).

22

Private Pre-primary Schools: Learning institutions for 5 to 6 years old managed

by individuals or non-governmental organisations for profit making.

Process Quality: The children‟s experiences, teacher behavior, parents'

involvement and the types of activities in which children are engaged.

Provider: An individual or an institution that offers care and education services to

children.

Public Pre-primary Schools: Learning institutions for 5 to 6 years old owned and

supported by the government.

Quality: Process and structural features of pre-primary schools that influence

children‟s learning and development.

Satisfaction: Fulfillment or exceeding the expectations on quality of pre-primary

education.

Structural Quality: Measurable features that constitute the makeup of the pre-

primary education setting, these include physical environments, teachers‟

qualifications, teacher/child ratios, and group size (number of children).

Teacher qualifications: Teaching experiences and type of training possessed by

pre-primary teachers.

Teachers’ behavior: Teachers‟ willingness to help children, kindness and

patience.

Type of Pre-primary School: Private and public pre-primary schools.

23

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter consists of seven sections. The sections include quality in pre- primary education, parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of education, parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of education based on type of school. Other areas covered include parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of education based on gender, parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of education based on educational level; and the relationship between parents‟ perception of education quality and satisfaction. The last section deals with summary and gap identification of literature reviewed.

2.2 Quality Pre-primary Education

The concept "Quality" is elusive (Myers, 2001) and the question of quality in early childhood education and care is no exception. There is no universally accepted definition of quality (Mosha, 2000; Sims & Parry, 2006). Post modernism view quality in early childhood services as a 'constructed concept, subjective in nature and based on values, beliefs and interest, rather than an objective and universal reality‟ (Dahlberg, Moss & Pence, 1999). This perspective indicates that the meaning and perception of quality can change depending on the individual and circumstances.

24

Although the notion of quality is subjective, a degree of consensus does exist

(Ishimine, Tayler & Bennett 2010; Olaleye, Florence & Omotayo, 2009; Rivas &

Sobrino, 2011). Many scholars agree on structural and process categories of quality (Burchinal, 2010; Ishimine, et al., 2009; Marshall, 2004). These quality variables are related, and influence the quality of the educational experiences for children.

The structural quality refers to measurable features that involve the characteristics of the program/setting, such as physical environments (buildings, surrounding, materials and equipment), teacher/child ratios, class size, qualifications and motivation of teachers and staff, use of a standard curriculum, level of public funding, and the availability of supplementary services (Mashburn, 2008;

Protheroe, 2006). Studies have shown that structural quality measures (i.e. teacher/child ratio, teacher qualifications and programme location and length) have an indirect impact on children‟s developmental outcomes (Howes et al.,

2008; Ishimine, et al., 2010; Mashburn & Pianta, 2010). A small class size, favorable teacher/child ratio and relevant curriculum may directly influence the quality of interactions children experience in classrooms, which in turn, affects children‟s development (Mashburn & Pianta, 2010).

On the other hand, process quality emphasizes the actual experiences that occur in educational settings, such as teacher-child interactions, peer interaction, teacher–

25

parents interaction and teaching or the types of activities in which children are engaged (Banga & Jaswal, 2001; Ishimine, et al., 2009). In general these measures reflect teacher sensitivity and responsiveness, instruction, classroom management and activities available to children (Burchinal, 2010). Studies have indicated that process quality has more significant influence on children‟s social and academic development (Howes et al., 2008; Mashburn, Pianta, Hamre, Burchinal, Early, &

Howes, 2008). In a study which was measuring classroom quality in prekindergarten and children‟s development in USA, Mashburn et al. (2008) found that process quality (teacher/child instructional and emotional interactions experienced in classroom) have consistently and strong influence in children‟s academic, language and social skills. Similarly, the positive social interactions between teachers and children, teachers and parents and peer interaction have a stronger influence on children‟s development of social, language and academic competencies.

2.3 Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Education

The satisfaction of parents as consumers of pre-primary education is the most efficient and least expensive source of market communication because consumers who are satisfied with the product or service are likely to disseminate positive experiences to others while dissatisfied will spread negative information about the product or service (Dubroski, 2001 cited in Omar, et al., 2009). Ojo (2010) purported that a dissatisfied customer may tell seven to 20 people about their

26

negative experience, while satisfied customer may only tell three to five people about their positive experience.

Parents‟ satisfaction levels depend on different experiences about school.

According to Friedman, Bobrowski, and Markow (2007) parents evaluate their children‟s school on a number of variables including teachers, administrators, curriculum, technology, facilities, involvement, transportation, and budget. These variables may influence the parents‟ satisfaction with their children‟s schools.

Jinnah and Walter (2008) investigated the relationship between parental satisfaction and involvement in the child development programs. The results indicated that parental involvement positively predicted parental satisfaction with their child care programs. Similar findings were reported by Friedman et al.

(2007). Parents who were actively involved in the schools tended to be more satisfied with the services offered. The study by Jinnah and Walter (2008) found parents‟ level of satisfaction to be a useful measure of evaluation which implied that parents have to continue being involved in evaluating their child care programs. However, the participants of the study were mainly female, with high educational levels and high income groups. Therefore, the findings may not be generalized to other categories of parents. The present study involved parents with different demographic backgrounds.

27

Similarly, Legg (2009) conducted studies to determine which variables were most closely related to parent satisfaction with Marshall University Summer

Enrichment Program (MUSEP). The four variables were: parent level of involvement; child recipient of reading tutoring; level of academic progress; and parent satisfaction with staff. Data was collected from 111 parents of children who attended the summer program in 2007 and 2008. Legg (2009) found that parental involvement was the best predictor of parent satisfaction with the Summer

Enrichment Program. In a follow up study Danner (2012) investigated which specific variable of parental involvement was the best predictor of parental satisfaction in the 2011 Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program.

Findings revealed that participation in direct services was influential when predicting program satisfaction. That is, when parents find participation services helpful they are more satisfied with the program.

Keiningham, Aksoy, Andreassen, and Estrin (2006) investigated the relationship between parent satisfaction and child retention at a childcare centre in USA. The survey involved a sample size of 1,003 respondents. The results revealed that parent satisfaction was positively associated with child retention when the child is very young (birth to one year of age). As children increase in age, however, the relationship between parent satisfaction and child care retention declined. In addition, the quality of the caregiver was found to be the primary determinant of overall satisfaction. However, the study did not directly look at parents‟

28

satisfaction with the quality of education. The present study investigated parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

A survey on parents‟ satisfaction with early childhood services was conducted by

Teleki and Buck-Gomez (2002). Participants were 65 rural families with a child younger than 5 years of age enrolled in a child care centre. Parents responded to the 20 items of the questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. Parents in that study reported moderate to high levels satisfaction with services provided in early childhood programs. The highest averages were for parents feeling welcome at all times, teachers having a good attitude toward the parent and child, and being satisfied with the care and education the child receives. Teleki and Buck-Gomez

(2002) study was conducted among rural population in USA, given the geographical and cultural differences it is difficult to generalise the results to the whole world. The current study was done in an urban setting in Tanzania.

Fantuzzo, Perry and Childs (2006) investigated parents‟ satisfaction and involvement with their child‟s early education programs. The study involved 648 parents. Multivariate results revealed that parents with children in kindergarten were more satisfied in all three dimensions of parent satisfaction (which were teacher contact experiences, classroom contact experiences, and school contact experiences) than were parents of children in first grade. They believed that the difference was possibly due more emphasis being placed on parental involvement

29

in classrooms of younger children than classrooms of older children. The study however, mainly focused on parental involvement in their child‟s early education program.

Howe, Jacobs, Vukelich and Recchia (2013) examined parental selection criteria and satisfaction with day care in three Canadian cities. The study involved 261 parents and 94 educators in 44 non-profit centres. Their findings revealed that about one-third of the parents had no complaints about the day-care centre. This implied that many parents were highly satisfied with the care provided. In this study parents‟ reported strong preference for the teachers‟ personal characteristics

(warmth), curriculum (activities for children) and child-related aspects

(happiness). However, parents were not satisfied with physical aspects such as group size and differences between centre and home practices.

Raikes et al. (2005) assessed parent perception of child care choices and quality in four states of USA. A total of 1,325 parents completed the questionnaires by rating the quality of child care. Most parents (81%) rated their child‟s care quality highly. Parents using family child care gave their provider the highest ratings than for other types of care. More parents of infant centre-based care rated their providers as low. Interestingly 77% of the parents agreed or strongly agreed that they would select their current provider again than rated their provider‟s quality as high. This trend of evaluation indicates that parents were satisfied with the quality

30

of child care. This study however, focused on parents‟ preferences of child care choices in relation to quality, and was done in USA. The present study investigated parents‟ satisfactions with the quality of pre-primary education.

Muganda (2003) investigated the perceptions of parents, teachers and head teachers towards the quality of ECE provided by community pre-schools in

Kakamega, Kenya. A total of 162 randomly selected respondents from 30 pre- schools filled a 5 point likert scale. The findings revealed that head teachers and parents perceived ECE quality as poor, which implies that they were dissatisfied.

Moreover, a significant difference was observed between groups especially in teachers and parents. For instance, parents perceived contextual variables (space and furnishing, personal care routine, activities and interactions) as poor, while teachers perceived them as fair. Muganda supported parents‟ perceptions and pointed that pre-school staff had a biased outlook. This study however, was carried out in rural setting, due to differences in social, cultural and economic situations the current study was done in an urban setting.

2.4 Parents’ Satisfactions with the Quality of Education and Type of

School

Parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of education has been reported to vary with the type of school. Studies indicate that parents are transferring their children from public to private schools due to perceived low quality of education in public

31

schools in terms of good discipline, physical facilities, better teacher performance and higher quality output (Adebayo, 2009; Oketch, Mutisya, Ngware, Ezrah, &

Epari, 2010). Research conducted by Tooley and Dixon (2005) indicated that even when the parents are very poor, some are keen to pay to send their children to private schools when a free government alternative exists because they believe their children will benefit more from the education offered by private providers.

However, despite the fact that the above findings may provide some insight on how type of school influences parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education, they were done in Kenya and Nigeria and involved parents with children in primary and secondary schools, thus, findings may not be generalized to pre-primary school parents in another country.

Liang (2001) conducted a study to explore parents‟ perception of quality and satisfaction with public and private early childhood programs in Taiwan. A sample of 720 parents with a child between the ages of four to six attending kindergarten filled in the questionnaire. Findings revealed that parents of public programs perceived a significantly higher quality score than those from private programs on the category of teacher qualifications. Moreover, parents of public programs were more satisfied with the quality of teacher qualifications than those having a child in private programs. The study was carried in child care programmes while this study was done in pre-primary schools.

32

Charles (2011) conducted a study to compare parental perceptions of school quality based on whether the children attend public or private elementary school in

Tennessee, USA. Using purposive sampling 336 parents completed the questionnaire. The study examined the differences in perceptions between parents of public and private school children in terms of the quality of instructional programs, support for student learning, school climate/environment for learning, parent-school relationships, and resource management. The results revealed that parents of private school students scored significantly higher than the parents of public school students in quality of the instructional program, support for student learning, school climate/environment for learning, and parent-school relationships.

This study was done in elementary schools; the present study was conducted in pre-primary schools.

In Kenya, Nelliah (2012) conducted a study to assess parents‟ level of satisfaction with quality of pre-school education in Lang‟ata district. The results showed that there were significant differences in parents‟ satisfaction by type of school.

Nelliah findings indicated that parents in private schools were more satisfied with all variables (curriculum, management, physical facilities, teaching and learning materials, teachers‟ qualifications and teacher-child ratio) determining quality of

ECE. On the contrary, Omondi (2013) who conducted a study in Bondo district to establish parental satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education reported no significant difference in parents‟ level of satisfaction with the quality of pre-

33

primary education between public and private pre-primary school parents.

However, due to inconsistencies findings and differences in social, cultural and economic situations these findings may not be generalized to pre-primary school parents in Tanzania.

The findings of Omondi (2013) were similar with those of Duo (2007) who was examining parents‟ attitudes toward kindergarten assessment standards identified by government in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Data were collected from 480 parents of four to six year old children enrolled in 16 licensed kindergartens. The results of the study revealed that there was no significant difference in parents‟ attitudes toward kindergarten assessment between public and private. The study however was examining parents‟ attitudes toward kindergarten assessment and their selection factors.

2.5 Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Education and Parents’

Gender

Gender differences have been reported to affect people‟s satisfaction on different educational issues. Räty, Jaukka, and Kasanen (2004) conducted a study in

Finland involving 486 university and vocationally educated parents who had seven-year-old children. Parents were requested to evaluate their satisfaction with their child‟s first school year. Open-ended and structured questionnaire was used.

The results revealed that mothers were more satisfied with the functioning of their

34

child‟s school than fathers. In addition, the parents‟ gender displayed a significant effect with reference to problems in home-school cooperation, whereby mothers mentioned negative events more frequently than did fathers. This pattern of evaluation suggests that mothers are more actively engaged in their children‟s schooling than fathers (Lewis & Lamb, 2003). This study was done in elementary schools. The present study was conducted in pre-primary schools.

Studies conducted in Kenya by Ndani (2007) and Koech (2010) revealed significant differences between males and females on their levels of involvement in pre-primary school activities. Specifically males were not regularly participating in their children‟s education. This might predict their satisfaction levels because studies by Jinnah and Walter (2008), Legg (2009) and Danner

(2012) revealed that parental involvement as the best predictor of parent satisfaction. However, despite the fact that the above study findings may provide some insight on how gender differences influence parents‟ beliefs, behaviours, thoughts and expectations about the quality of pre-primary education, they were done in a different country; hence their findings may not be generalized to pre- primary school parents in Tanzania.

Menon (2013) investigated barriers to parental involvement in early childhood education classrooms in the Mumbai slums as perceived by 150 parents. The results showed significant differences in levels of satisfaction between fathers and

35

mothers; whereby majority of the fathers 65.6% faced problems and barriers to be involved in ECE classrooms and were very strongly dissatisfied. According to

Menon the reasons for fathers to perceive problems and barriers could be due to their business and long working hours and failure to manage time. Mothers are more involved because they work as professionals and tend to manage their time better to be involved in their child‟s education. This study was however assessing parents‟ perception on one dimension of quality which is „parental involvement‟, the present study assessed comprehensively different dimensions of quality as being satisfied with parents.

Thao (2000) carried out a study in USA to explore Hmong parents‟ perceptions toward their children‟s education. The survey participants were 93 Hmong parents with children who attended kindergarten to eighth grade. Results showed that the fathers had more positive attitudes toward their children‟s education than the mothers. Likewise Werner, Kelley and Rogers (2011) conducted a study to determine parents‟ perceptions of high school engineering education in USA.

Eighty parents filled in a five-point Likert- scale instrument. Results indicated that male parents very strongly perceived that engineering classes are beneficial to their children as compared to mothers. Despite the fact that the above studies showing the role of gender in influencing parents‟ perception of education provided to their children, they were done in USA. Therefore, its findings may be generalized to parents in areas with similar characteristics. In addition, both Thao

36

(2000) and Werner, Kelley and Rogers (2011) studies did not address directly parents satisfactions with the quality of education.

Lin, Liu and Huang (2012) examined the effect of gender differences on

Taiwanese parents‟ perceptions towards educational robots. Thirty nine parents, whose children study in a junior high school, responded to the questionnaire. The results indicated significant differences between opinions of male and female parents concerning educational robots. Males perceived higher usefulness of educational robots than females. Moreover, males expressed more willingness to support children to learn educational robots. Males also showed significant higher confidence in teaching children with educational robots than females. This study however, did not directly look at parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of their child‟s education. The current study examined if there were differences in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education according to gender.

The above findings differ from other researches. Qiu (2004) who studied parental consumer decision-making behaviour relating to kindergartens in Taipei and

Kaohsiung, Taiwan found no significant difference by parents‟ gender. Likewise,

Badri, Mason and Mourad (2010) found that parent‟s gender was not a significant predictor of parent‟s satisfaction of subjects taught in Abu Dhabi schools. These studies however, did not directly look at parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

37

their children‟s education. The current study established differences in parents‟ satisfaction by gender.

2.6 Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Education and Parents’

Education Level

Parents‟ levels of education have been reported to influence their satisfaction with the quality of education provided to their children. For example, Badri, Mason and

Mourad (2010) examined predictors of parents‟ satisfaction with subject taught in their children‟s schools. The survey which involved 7,287 parents from 209 schools in Emirate of Abu Dhabi, revealed that parents‟ educational level was a significant predictor of satisfaction with subject taught. Similarly, Liang (2001) found that education of parents was significantly related to parental satisfaction.

These findings suggested that the attitude of more educated parents towards their child‟s schooling is an effective one and that parents feel entitled to criticize the school if they find a reason to do so, a competence that derives from their high education (Räty, et al., 2004). The above studies involved parents of children in different levels of education; and were conducted in other countries with different characteristics, therefore may not be generalized to parents in Tanzania.

Torquati, Raikes, Huddleston-Casas, Bovaird and Harris (2011) examined roles of family income, parents‟ education, and parents‟ perceived constraints in selecting child care. Participants were from poor, low-income and non-low-income families.

38

Observations were done in 359 centres in four USA states and 1313 parents filled in the questionnaire. Findings revealed that programs with more educated parents tended to have better observed quality, however, more educated parents tended to have lower perceptions of quality than parents with a lower level of educational attainment. This is due to the fact that more highly educated parents are knowledgeable and may diplomatically criticize the school. However, the study did not directly look at parents‟ satisfaction with quality in their child‟s care centres and was carried in USA.

Similarly, Cryer, Tietze and Wessels (2002) conducted a cross-national study of parents‟ perceptions of their children‟s childcare in Germany and the USA. The sample included 2,407 parents in the USA and 392 in Germany. Findings show that in both countries, parents of lower educational levels tended to score the quality of their children‟s classrooms significantly higher than parents with higher levels of education. These researchers thought that the observed relationship might have been due to the possibility that mothers with higher education systematically enrolled their children in higher quality programs. However, after testing this premise, very weak but significant correlations between maternal education and observed quality were found. The study however involved only mothers. The present study involved parents of both gender.

39

In another study, Makol-Abdul, Nurullah, Iman and Rahman (2009) examined the attitudes of 211 Malaysian rural parents regarding sexual health education in elementary schools. The results revealed that there was a significant difference in the mean attitude scores on sexuality education of parents with different education background. The Tukey-HSD indicated a significant difference between parents with university education and primary school education, whereby less educated parents were more positive about inclusion of sexuality education in school curriculum. On the Contrary, Toor (2012) who was investigating the influence of some demographic variables on attitude of teachers, parents and adolescents towards sex education, found that highly educated parents had significantly more positive attitude towards sex education than less educated parents. These studies were however carried in elementary schools and did not directly assess parents‟ satisfaction with quality of education.

However, a more recent study investigated the perceptions of 60 parents of children with autism (5-18 years old) regarding the services provided in Jordan

(Al Jabery, Arabiat, Khamra, Betawi, & Jabbar, 2014). The results of one-way

ANOVA statistical test revealed no significant differences in parents‟ overall satisfaction with education services provided across their various levels of education (F = 1.79, p = 0.144). The study was however, conducted in Jordan and among parents of children with special needs. Given the geographical, cultural and

40

study population differences, it is difficult to generalize the results to the whole world. This study focused on parents of pre-primary children in Tanzania.

2.7 Relationship between Parents’ Perceived Education Quality and

Satisfaction with Quality of Education

Mixed conclusions exist regarding the causal direction between perceived service quality and satisfaction (Lee, Lee, & Yoo, 2000). The question is, does perceived service quality lead to satisfaction or vice versa? Lee et al. (2000) found that perceived service quality is an antecedent of the broader concept of customer satisfaction; and the relationship between perceived service quality and trust is mediated by satisfaction (Omar, et al., 2009). If perceived service quality exceeds customer expectation, their loyalty, trust and retention increases.

The relationship among perceived service quality and customer satisfaction has received considerable attention in the field of marketing. Within this research area, numerous empirical studies have revealed a significant relationship between perceived service quality and customer satisfaction (Lee et al., 2000; Ham &

Hayduk, 2003; Omar et al., 2009; İncesu & Aşıkgil, 2012). Meaning that an organisation that provides better service quality also has more satisfied customers.

However, despite the existence of these studies, very little attention has been given in the ECCE field. For instance, Bigne, Moliner and Sanchez (2003) studied the

41

relationship between perceived quality and satisfaction in a public hospital and university in Spain. The results indicated that overall satisfaction with the hospital and university setting was a consequence of the overall perceived quality.

Similarly, Ham and Hayduk (2003) confirmed that, there is a positive correlation between perception of service quality and higher education student satisfaction.

These findings imply that perceived service quality determines customer satisfaction.

Lee, et al. (2000) similarly examined the relationship between perceived service quality and customer satisfaction in three firms which are: Entertainment Park,

Aerobic school and Investment consultancy. The results indicated that service quality is an antecedent of customer satisfaction, and that customer satisfaction showed a stronger influence on purchase intention than do service quality. This implied that customers do not necessarily buy services with highest quality but may buy services that provide more satisfaction.

İncesu and Aşıkgil (2012) conducted a study in Turkey to investigate the effect of the five dimensions of service quality in primary education on parent satisfaction.

These included reliability, tangibility, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The research involved 293 randomly selected parents who responded to a five-point

Likert scale. The results revealed that four dimensions in service quality namely; tangibility (equipment, teaching materials), reliability (consistency in service

42

provision), empathy (personal care and individualized attention) and assurance

(teachers‟ kindness and knowledge) were the critical factors in explaining parents‟ satisfaction. However, the study was limited to only one public primary school.

The present study was done in pre-primary schools and included both public and private pre-primary schools.

In ECCE field, (Omar, et al., 2009) investigated the impact of 201 parent‟s perceived service quality on satisfaction and trust in child care centres in

Malaysia. The findings revealed that perceived service quality was positively related to parent satisfaction and trust. In addition, parent‟s satisfaction was found to be the most influential determinant of trust than perceived service quality. This indicates that making parent‟s trust towards the child care and learning centre, service providers need to satisfy parents. The study however, did not indicate clearly the specific quality variables which were compared, and was focused on business and not education field.

In another study Jang (2008) investigated the relationship between parental perception of importance of quality and satisfaction with child care programs in

Taiwan. Data were collected using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire from 810 parents of the three to five-year-old children enrolled in one of 20 pre-schools.

Results revealed that there was significant difference between parental perception of importance of quality and satisfaction with child care programs. The difference

43

was on process quality indicators (teacher-child responses, play activities and learning materials). The researcher cautioned that process features may not be easily visible to parents, so it may result in difficulties when attempting to critically perceive actual levels of quality and satisfaction. The study was however, comparing parents‟ satisfaction and their perceived importance of quality in selection of ECE programs.

2.8 Summary and Gap Identification

The literature revealed that quality and satisfaction in pre-primary education are subjective and context determined concepts that vary from population to population (Dahlberg, Moss & Pence, 1999). Parents from different settings have displayed different perceptions of quality and satisfaction with education provided to their children. On satisfaction with the quality of education based on type of school and parents‟ demographic characteristics empirical evidence revealed contested findings which vary according to settings, and perspectives of stakeholders. In addition, research evidence has revealed a significant relationship between perceived service quality and parents/customers satisfaction.

Majority of the reviewed studies however, were conducted in other countries. But in Tanzania similar or related studies appear to be very limited or non-existent.

The limited research may have been caused in part by an acute shortage of professionals in early childhood education (Katunzi & Mhaiki, 2003) as well as

44

young age of the pre-primary education field (Mtahabwa, 2007). Furthermore, despite the existence of the reviewed studies, very little attention has been given to parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education quality based on demographic characteristics, type of school; and relationship between parents‟ perceptions of service quality and satisfaction in the pre-primary education field. This research attempted to fill this gap.

45

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the research design, variables of the study, location of study, target population, the sampling techniques and sample size. It also describes the data collection instruments, data gathering procedures and methods of data analysis.

3.2 Research Design

The descriptive survey research design was used in this study. Descriptive survey research approach was used because of its capability to gather data at a particular point in time with the intention of describing the nature of existing conditions or identifying standards against which existing conditions can be compared (Cohen,

Manion, & Morrison, 2000). Descriptive research design was also used because it relies on individuals‟ reports of their knowledge, attitudes or behavior (Creswell,

2009). Descriptive design assesses attitudes, opinions, demographic information, conditions and procedures (Ary, Jacobs & Razavieh, 2002). Therefore, the study employed descriptive survey research design in order to get a holistic picture of parents‟ satisfaction with quality of pre-primary education.

46

3.2.1 Variables of the Study

The dependent and independent variables were as follows:

(i) The dependent variable: This was parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

pre-primary education. The dependent variable was measured in two

categories of quality. These included structural and process indicators.

(a) Structural Category: These were examined by use of three dimensions

namely: physical environment, classroom characteristics and teachers‟

qualifications.

(b) Process Category: These were examined in three dimensions namely:

children‟s experiences, teachers‟ behaviour and parents‟ involvement.

(ii) The independent variables: These were factors influencing parents‟

satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education provided to their

children. These factors included parents‟ perceptions of pre-primary education

quality, parents‟ gender, parents‟ education levels and type of school.

(a) Parents’ perceptions of pre-primary education quality: These included

two categories comprising structural and process indicators. These

categories were further classified in six dimensions that involved physical

environment, classroom characteristics, teachers‟ qualifications, children‟s

experiences, teachers‟ behaviour and parents‟ involvement.

47

(b) Parents’ Gender: This was classification based on male and female

parents.

(c) Parents’ level of Education: This was measured by determining parents‟

highest academic level. Parents‟ education levels were: Lower than pre-

primary education, primary education certificate, secondary education

certificate, college diploma and university degree.

(d) Type of school: This was in regard to either public or private pre-primary

schools that children attended.

3.3 Location of the Study

This study was conducted in Dar es Salaam region. The decision to undertake the study in Dar es Salaam was influenced by the researcher‟s attachment to Dar es

Salaam as a home region. Dar es Salaam region was also selected purposively because it is the largest city in Tanzania. Dar es Salaam is the most populated among the 30 regions of Tanzania. According to the 2012 National census, Dar es

Salaam region had a total population of 4.36 million (URT, 2013). It is the centre of government administration, industry, commerce, trade, banking, communication and technology. Dar es Salaam is also the major port city of

Tanzania (URT, 2004). The general state of the region has attracted a large percentage of people with different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

48

Moreover, Dar es Salaam being the largest city, it has also attracted a variety of pre-primary schools as compared to other regions in Tanzania.

Dar es Salaam borders with Coast region in the north, west and south; and the

Indian Ocean in the east. The total surface area of Dar es Salaam region is 1,397 square kilometers, which is equivalent to 0.15% of the entire Tanzania mainland area (URT, 2010). The region has three administrative districts which are

Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke. The districts boundaries are also the same as municipal councils (URT, 2010). The map of Dar es Salaam region is presented in

Appendix G.

Out of the three districts in Dar es Salaam region, Ilala district was purposively selected for the study. Ilala district was purposively selected for the study because it is referred to as the heart of the region (Mtahabwa, 2007). Most government ministries, business and marketing centres are situated in Ilala district. The major port of Tanzania is also located in Ilala district. The presence of many national and international offices pulled in different kinds of pre-primary schools as compared to other districts. Based on the 2012 population census, Ilala district had a total of

1.22 million inhabitants (URT, 2013). Ilala district is bordered with Kinondoni and Temeke districts in the north and south; and Coast region in the west. On eastern part it borders with the Indian Ocean for about 10 kilometers.

Administratively, Ilala district has three divisions namely Kariakoo which has 6

49

wards, Ilala which has 8 wards and Ukonga which has 12 wards. In overall, Ilala district has 26 wards with 102 streets.

3.4 Target Population

The target population of the study was parents with children aged 5 to 6 years enrolled in licensed pre-primary schools in Dar es Salaam region. The URT (2012) indicates that there were a total of 479 licensed pre-primary schools with 300 public and 179 private; with 15,534 and 11,460 children respectively. Specifically,

Ilala district has a total of 128 licensed pre-primary schools with 76 public and 52 private; with 3,656 and 4,636 children respectively (URT, 2012).

3.5 Sampling Techniques and Sample Size

They are described in the following sub sections:

3.5.1 Sampling Techniques

The study adopted multi-stage sampling techniques to select the sample.

i. Stage One: Selection of the District

Purposive sampling method was used to select Ilala district. It was purposively selected because of its strategic location (located at the city centre of the region) and being the heart of the city with so many national and international offices.

Almost all government ministries and large shopping centres are located in Ilala district. Besides, parents from other districts in the region who work in Ilala prefer to register their children near their work places. Moreover, in Ilala district there

50

are different kinds of pre-primary schools of different socio economic situations which formed a good profile of this study. According to Fogelman and Comber

(2009) in purposive sampling the researchers apply the experience to select cases which are in the researcher‟s judgment. All three divisions in the district were involved in the study.

ii. Stage Two: Selection of the Pre-primary Schools

Stratified random sampling method was used to select pre-primary schools.

Stratified random sampling is a combination of stratified sampling, random sampling and quota sampling technique (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001). The advantage of stratified random sampling is that it increases the likelihood of representativeness of the sample, and ensures that key characteristics of individuals in the population are included (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). The strata were based on the type of school in terms of public and private. Then, random sampling was employed to select the sample of pre-primary schools from the strata.

iii. Stage Three: Selection of Parents

Random sampling method was used to select parents. From each pre-primary school, children were randomly sampled from the list provided by teachers. Then, parents of sampled children were selected to participate in this study. Random sampling was used because this technique increases the likelihood of all parents in

51

the sampled schools to be involved in the study. Moreover, through random sampling method parents of different demographic characteristics had equal chances of being involved in the study.

3.5.2 Sample Size

The study population was grouped in two strata based on the type of school in terms of public and private. In each strata 10% of target population was selected.

According to Babbie (2005), for descriptive studies, a sample of 10% to 20% of the population is recommendable. Therefore, in total the sample size was 829 parents; 366 in public and 463 in private pre-primary schools. At most twenty-five

(25) parents from each selected school were randomly sampled. This is because according to the Tanzania minimum standards for ECD, each pre-primary class is supposed to have 25 pupils (URT, 2011). Therefore, it was expected that in each pre-primary class there will be at least 25 pupils. The number of public and private pre-primary schools depended on its fractional representation of the total number of pupils. That is, the sample size in each strata was divided by 25. Therefore, a total of 34 pre-primary schools; 15 public and 19 private were involved in the study. Table 3.1 presents the sample size for schools and parents selected for the study.

52

Table 3.1 Sample Size of Schools and Parents

Ilala District Number of selected schools Number of selected

Private Public parents

Kariakoo Division 7 5 279

Ilala Division 6 5 275

Ukonga Division 6 5 275

Total 34 829

As indicated on Table 3.1, thirty four (34) pre-primary schools were randomly selected for the study; and 829 parents who represent 10% of children enrolled in the district were involved in the study.

3.6 Research Instrument

The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was considered most appropriate because of its capability to collect large amount of information from a big number of people in a short period of time (Orodho, 2009).

The questionnaire for this study was designed by researcher based on literature review; the proposed Tanzania minimum standards for ECD and some items were adopted from Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) by Harms, Clifford and Cryer (1998) and modified to fit the study context. The

ECERS-R was designed for observation of the early childhood environment by trained observers. Therefore, modification of the scale was imperative in order to

53

make it appropriate for collecting parents‟ levels of satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education as contrasted to observing the early childhood environment.

The questionnaire had four parts, (a) parents‟ background information (b) parents‟ perceptions of pre-primary school education quality (c) parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary school education (d) opinions and suggestions for quality improvement.

The first part of the questionnaire collected demographic information from the respondents. This included age, gender, educational level and type of school

(public or private). The second part of the questionnaire included 18 items with structural and process quality aspects. Structure items included issues such as physical environment (furniture, surroundings, learning materials, equipment and space) classroom characteristics (teacher-child ratio and class size) and teachers‟ qualifications (experience and training). Process items included items such as children‟s experiences, teachers‟ behaviour and parents‟ involvement. A 4 point

Likert-type response scale ranging from „4 strongly agree‟ to „1 strongly disagree‟ was used to determine parents‟ perceptions.

The third part of the questionnaire included 17 items with the same structural and process quality indicators to investigate parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary school education. A four point Likert-type response scale ranging from „4 very

54

satisfied‟ to 1‟ very unsatisfied was used to rate satisfaction. The respondents in this study answered questions in a four-point response scale, rather than choosing a mid point on the Likert scale. The midpoint category from the Likert-type scale sometimes distort the overall results because respondents tend to answer to please the researcher or to guess what might be the socially acceptable answer. The fourth part was the open ended question that collected information on opinions and suggestions for quality improvement (see Appendix E).

Since the main language of communication in Tanzania is Kiswahili, translation of the questionnaire was necessary. The questionnaire was translated from English to

Kiswahili by the researcher (see Appendix F). The translated version was discussed with researcher‟s supervisors.

3.6.1 Scoring of the Questionnaire

Demographic information was analysed using descriptive statistics. The demographic information was coded as follows: age was categorized as 1 (18-30),

2 (31-40), 3 (41-50) and 4 (More than 50). Parents gender was categorized as 1

(male) and 2 (female). Parents educational level included categories such as, 1

(lower than standard seven), 2 (primary certificate), 3 (secondary certificate), 4

(college diploma) and 5 (university degree). Type of school the child attended was categorized as 1 (public) and 2 (private).

55

Scores on the 4-point Likert-type response scale were added and averaged to provide a total mean score of the parental perceived quality and satisfaction levels with each item, dimension and category. The researcher grouped the parents‟ mean score into two groups. The two levels of parents‟ ratings of quality were operationally defined as 2.01 to 2.99 being low and 3.00 to 4.00 being high. That is, if a parent scored a mean between 2.01 and 2.99, it meant low perception of, and low satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. If a parent scored mean between 3.00 and 4.00 it was considered as high perception of, and high satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

3.7 Pilot Study

A pilot study was carried out in two pre-primary schools (public and private) in

Ilala district. These schools were not included in the actual study to avoid influencing the findings. The aim of pilot study was to ensure validity and reliability of the instrument. The instrument was administered to the same group of respondents after a period of two weeks. After pilot study minor corrections were made. Some items were removed. It was also necessary to carry out the pilot study to ensure that the items in the questionnaire were clearly stated and can be understood by parents.

56

3.7.1 Validity

Content validity of the instrument was achieved by ensuring that the items covered all variables and objectives of the study. The researcher analyzed the items one at time against the objectives. The researcher further reviewed the instrument together with the supervisors and other three educational experts from Kenyatta

University to ascertain their appropriateness and relevance. This based on the fact pointed by Best and Kahn (2006) that critical judgment of expert in the field of inquiry is helpful in examining content validity.

3.7.2 Reliability

The reliability of the instrument was determined by test re-test method. The same questionnaire was administered twice to the same group of parents within an interval of two weeks. Cronbach‟s Alpha coefficient was then calculated to establish the extent to which the items in the questionnaire were consistent in providing the same responses. Table 3.2 presents the reliability results.

57

Table 3.2 Reliability Results

Test One Test Two

Items Scale Number of Cronbach’s Number Cronbach’s

Items Alpha of Items Alpha

Perception 18 .87 18 .88

Satisfaction 18 .77 17 .85

Whole Questionnaire 44 .85 43 .80

The reliability values for the two subscales of perceptions and satisfaction in questionnaire version one were .87 and .77, respectively. The item-total statistics indicated that Cronbach‟s Alpha on satisfaction category would increase if item 11

„Teachers training in ECE‟ was deleted from the scale. Therefore, in the second test, one item was deleted, and the reliability coefficients on the two subscales of perceptions and satisfaction were .88 and .85, respectively. Jackson (2009) stated that if the Cronbach Alpha is higher than .70, it indicates that the test was strong, while .30 - .69 indicates that it is moderate and less than .29, it indicates weak reliability. In this study, Cronbach‟s Alpha indicated strong reliability for all scales.

58

3.8 Data Collection Procedures

The researcher first trained research assistants before the actual data collection.

The procedures involved were as follows:

3.8.1 Training of Research Assistants

Two research assistants were recruited and trained to assist in data collection process. Research assistants involved were individuals with research skills and good communication skills in both English and Kiswahili languages. The principal researcher conducted training on how to use the instrument. The training involved the principal researcher stating the purpose of study, reading through and providing clarifications of the questionnaire items before distribution of the instrument. After training, the research assistants were practically involved in administering the questionnaires during the pilot study.

3.8.2 Administration of the Questionnaire to Parents

After obtaining school permission, the researchers contacted and asked pre- primary school teachers to distribute the survey envelopes to parents of the sampled children. The envelop included (a) cover letter stating purpose of the study (b) consent form that informed participants of their rights and privacy (c) a copy of the questionnaire; and (d) a return envelope (see Appendices A–F).

Participants were requested to return the questionnaire in a sealed envelope to the school within seven days. After seven days the principal researcher and research

59

assistants collected the returned questionnaires. However, not all respondents returned the questionnaires within a week. The researchers kept contacting the class teachers and asking whether there were any additional questionnaires.

Generally, the process took about six weeks from start to finish.

However, in two pre-primary schools following the advice of class teachers the principal researcher and research assistants met parents and administered the questionnaire face to face. Each questionnaire instruction and item was read and explained to respondents clearly. Then, questionnaires were filled and collected on the same day. However, the turn-out was not good, therefore the researchers were forced to leave the survey envelopes to class teachers for parents who were not able to come physically. After one week the filled in questionnaires were collected.

3.9 Logistical and Ethical Considerations

The researcher sought authorization to collect data from Graduate School,

Kenyatta University. In Tanzania, the researcher obtained permission from the Dar es Salaam Regional Administrative Secretary and Ilala Municipal Educational

Officer (see Appendix I, J, K & L respectively). After obtaining permission, the researcher made visits to the study schools for general introduction of the topic, seek permission and arrange for data collection. Respondents were asked for their consent to participate in the study (see Appendix C and D). Respondents were also

60

assured of confidentiality and that the information obtained was strictly for research purpose.

3.10 Data Analysis

All quantitative data were coded, entered and analyzed using the Statistical

Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations, and percentages) were computed to determine parents‟ perceptions of quality and their satisfaction with pre-primary education. Parents‟ responses (mean scores) were divided into two perception and satisfaction levels,

(1) low perception and satisfaction with a range of (2.01 to 2.99) and (2) high perception and satisfaction with a range of (3.00 to 4.00).

The independent samples t-test was used to examine whether there were any significant differences in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education in relation to type of school and parents‟ gender. One-way Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the means of more than two groups (i.e. education level) on parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education to find out if the group means differ significantly from each other. When the

ANOVA indicated significant difference, a Post-Hoc Test of „Tukey-Honestly

Significantly Difference (Tukey-HSD)‟ was used to compare the group mean to determine exactly where the differences exist. The bivariate correlation analysis and regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between

61

parents‟ perceptions of, and satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

The following null hypotheses were tested at a significance level of 0.05.

Ho1 There is no significant difference in satisfaction with the quality of pre-

primary education between parents of children in public and private pre-

primary schools. Independent samples t-test was used to determine level of

significance.

Ho2 There is no significant difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

pre-primary education between male and female parents. Independent

samples t-test was used to determine level of significance.

Ho3 There is no significant difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

pre-primary education between parents of different educational levels.

One-way ANOVA was used to determine the level of significance.

Ho4 There is no significant relationship between parents‟ perception of quality

in pre-primary education and their satisfaction with pre-primary education.

The bivariate correlation analysis using Pearson Product-moment

Correlation Coefficient was used to determine level of significance.

62

CHAPTER FOUR

FINDINGS, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the findings and discussions in relation to the objectives of the study. The objectives to be achieved were to:

i. Establish level of parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education.

ii. Find out if there is a difference in satisfaction with the quality of pre-

primary education between parents of children in public and private pre-

primary schools.

iii. Determine if there is a difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

pre-primary education between male and female parents.

iv. Investigate if there is a difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of

pre-primary education across various levels of education.

v. Find out if there is a relationship between parents‟ perception of the quality

and their satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

The demographic results are presented first, and then followed by descriptive and inferential results according to the objectives and hypotheses of the study.

63

4.2 General and Demographic Information

This section presents the general information and demographic characteristics of respondents as follows:

4.2.1 General Information

Out of the 829 parents involved in the study, 784 completed and returned the questionnaires. Twelve questionnaires were discarded because of incomplete data leading to a sample of 772, yielding a 93% return rate.

4.2.2 Demographic Information of the Parents

The demographic information of respondents included age, gender, educational level and type of pre-primary schools in which parents enrolled their children.

These are presented in the following sub-sections.

4.2.2.1 Age of Parents

Age of the parents was as presented in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1 Number of Parents by Age

Age Groups Frequency Percentage 18-30 152 19.7 31-40 460 59.6 41-50 120 15.5 above 50 40 5.2 Total 772 100%

64

As indicated in Table 4.1, the largest sample of parents (460, 59.6%) was in the age group of 31- 40 years, followed by parents with the age group of 18-30 years

(152, 19.7%) and 41-50 years (120, 15.5%). The number of parents who were above 50 years was the lowest (40, 5.2%).

4.2.2.2 Gender of Parents

The respondents included males and females. The numbers were as presented in

Table 4.2.

Table 4.2 Number of Parents by Gender

Variable Frequency Percentage Male 332 43.0 Female 440 57.0 Total 772 100%

Out of the 772 respondents involved in the study, 332 (43%) were males and 440

(57%) were females. The low number of male parents is an indication that mothers

(female) were more involved in their children‟s education.

4.2.2.3 Education Level of Parents

Data regarding education level of parents were obtained and the results are indicated in Table 4.3.

65

Table 4.3 Education Level of Parents

Educational Level Frequency Percentage Lower than standard seven 60 7.8 Primary Certificate 164 21.2 Secondary Certificate 212 27.5 College Diploma 96 12.4 University Degree 240 31.1 Total 772 100%

As shown in Table 4.3, most (240, 31.1%) parents were university degree holders, followed by secondary certificate (212, 27.5%) and primary certificate (164,

21.2%) holders. The findings show that 96 (12.4%) had college diploma certificate and 60 (7.8%) had less than standard seven level of education. This gives an indication that parents of different levels of education have children in pre-primary schools.

4.2.2.4 Parents Educational Level by Type of school

Parents‟ educational levels according to types of pre-primary schools attended by their children are shown in Table 4.4

66

Table 4.4 Educational Level of Parents by Type of school

Educational Level Type of school Total Public Private Lower than standard seven 56 (7.5%) 4 (0.5%) 60(8%) Primary Certificate 160 (20.5%) 4(0.5%) 164(21%) Secondary Certificate 108 (14%) 104(13.5%) 212(27.5%) College Diploma 8 (1%) 88 (11%) 96(12%) University Degree 16 (2%) 224 (29%) 240 (31%) 348 (45%) 424 (55%) 772 (100%)

As indicated on Table 4.4, out of the 772 respondents, 348 (45%) parents enrolled their children in public schools and 424 (55 %) in private schools. Most parents with university degree (224, 29%) had enrolled their children in private pre- primary schools. On the contrary, very few parents with primary school certificate and lower than standard seven levels of education (8, 1%) had children in private pre-primary schools. This means that, 53% of parents who enrolled their children in private pre-primary schools were degree holders, and 62% of parents who had children in public schools had primary school certificate or lower. This suggests that parental level of education is one of the determinants in selection of school type; this could be due to the fact that private pre-primary schools were expensive and majority of parents with low levels of education had low income therefore, could not afford them. This study notes that highly educated parents mostly preferred private schools for their children. They probably chose private sector due to the belief that the schools provided better education and opportunities for

67

better academic performance. However, reasons for the type of pre-primary school selection were not investigated in this study.

4.3 Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-Primary Education

This section presents and discusses parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education. The objective to be achieved was:

To establish the levels of parents’ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education

To achieve this objective, a questionnaire with items based on structural and process categories of quality was employed. These categories were also split in six dimensions that comprised physical environment, classroom characteristics, teacher qualifications, teachers‟ behavior, children‟s experiences and parents‟ involvement. In total 17 items using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from “1: very unsatisfied” to “4: very satisfied” were used. For data analysis, means and standard deviations were used to summarize parents‟ satisfaction levels of pre- primary education quality. The greater the mean score, the higher the satisfaction level of quality item. The results are presented Table 4.5.

68

Table 4.5 Mean Scores of Parents Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre- primary Education Category/Item Mean SD Structural Quality 2.98 .586 Physical environment 2.98 .634 Adequacy of indoor space. 3.05 .866 Available classroom learning materials like textbooks, 2.97 .846 pictures and charts. Available classroom furniture (tables, desks, chairs). 3.13 .833 Adequacy of outdoor space. 3.10 .911 Sufficiency of outdoor play equipment. 2.47 .956 Available toilets. 3.09 .729 Toilets hygienic. 2.85 .899 Availability of water. 3.20 .784 Classroom characteristics 2.75 .781 Teacher - child ratio. 2.87 .843 Number of children in class. 2.83 .872 Teacher qualifications 3.22 .711 Teachers working experience with young children. 3.22 .711 Process Quality 3.01 .626 Teachers’ behaviour 3.24 .634 Teachers‟ behaviour (warm and patient). 3.29 .675 Teachers helping children to solve their problems. 3.18 .723 Children’s experiences 3.01 .786 Activities are stimulating and developmentally 3.01 .786 appropriate. Parents involvement 2.80 .797 Holding of parent-teacher meetings to discuss children‟s 3.19 .898 progress at least once a year or at parents‟ request. Involvement of parents in decision making to improve 2.87 .949 the school. Involvement of parents in academic activities like (storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials 2.35 1.023 for children‟s learning). Overall Satisfaction with Quality 3.00 .561 Note: Satisfaction scale: 1: very unsatisfied, 2: unsatisfied, 3: satisfied to 4: very satisfied

Table 4.5 shows that the means for the 17 items ranged from 2.35 (SD = 1.02) to

3.29 (SD = .68). Parents responses was divided into two satisfaction levels, (1)

69

low satisfaction level with a range of 2.01 to 2.99 and (2) high satisfaction level with a range of 3.00 to 4.00. The overall mean score for the parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education quality was 3.00 (SD = .56). This implies that parents were satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education.

As indicated in Table 4.5, the means were 2.98 (SD = .63) for physical environment, 2.75 (SD =.78) for classroom characteristics and 3.22 (SD =.71) for teacher qualifications under the category of „structural quality‟, which had an average mean of 2.98 (SD =.58). With regard to process quality, the means were

3.24 (SD = .63) for teachers‟ behaviour, 3.01 (SD = .78) for children‟s experiences and 2.80 (SD = .79) for parental involvement. The average mean score for items measuring the category of „process quality‟ were 3.01 (SD =.62). Thus, the results indicate that parents were more satisfied with the process quality than with structural quality of pre-primary school education.

Parents were highly satisfied with the dimensions of teachers‟ behaviour (M =

3.24, SD = .63) and teachers‟ qualifications (M = 3.22, SD = .71). On the other hand, parents reported low satisfaction with the dimensions of classroom characteristics (M = 2.75, SD = .78) and parents involvement (M = 2.80, SD =

.79). This suggests that parents had a lot of confidence with the quality of pre- primary school teachers than any other pre-primary education quality dimension.

70

Additionally, based on the mean scores, the rankings of 17 items that concern parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education quality were divided into two levels. Table 4.6 shows the rankings of mean scores of the items for parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education at two levels.

Table 4.6 Level of Means Scores of Parents Satisfaction with Quality

Items according to the Satisfaction Level of Quality Mean SD Level I –Low (Means from 2.01 – 2.99) Available classroom learning materials like textbooks, 2.97 .846 pictures and charts. Involvement of parents in decision making to improve 2.87 .949 the school. Teacher - child ratio. 2.87 .843 Toilets hygienic. 2.85 .899 Number of children in class. 2.83 .872 Sufficiency of outdoor play equipment. 2.47 .956 Involvement of parents in academic activities like (storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials 2.35 1.023 for children‟s learning). Level II –High (Means from 3.00 – 4.00) Teachers‟ behaviour (warm and patient). 3.29 .675 Teachers working experience with young children. 3.22 .711 Availability of water. 3.20 .784 Holding of parent-teacher meetings to discuss children‟s 3.19 .898 progress at least once a year or at parents‟ request. Teachers helping children to solve their problems. 3.18 .723 Available classroom furniture (tables, desks, chairs). 3.13 .833 Adequacy of outdoor space. 3.10 .911 Available toilets. 3.09 .729 Adequacy of indoor space. 3.05 .866 Activities are stimulating and developmentally 3.01 .786 appropriate.

As shown in Table 4.6, the low level of mean ratings was 2.01 – 2.99, which included seven (7) items of satisfaction. The high level was 3.00 – 4.00, which

71

consisted 10 items of satisfaction. Among the 7 items at the low level of satisfaction 5 were under structural category. At the high level, 6 items were under the structural category and 4 were from process category. This distribution implied that parents were more unsatisfied with structural features of pre-primary education.

Parents were highly satisfied with the following items: teachers‟ behaviour – being warm and patient (M = 3.29, SD = .67), teachers‟ working experience with young children (M = 3.22, SD = .71), and availability of water (M = 3.20, SD = .78). On the other hand, parents were less satisfied with involvement of parents in academic activities such as storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials for children‟s learning (M = 2.35, SD = 1.02); sufficiency of outdoor play equipment

(M = 2.47, SD = .95) and the number of children in class (M = 2.83, SD = .87).

Parents were also less satisfied with hygienic toilets (M =2.85, SD = .89) and availability of classroom learning materials like textbooks, pictures and charts (M

= 2.97, SD = .84). However, the standard deviation for the low satisfied items was high, indicating that there was varying degree of satisfaction among the parents.

Generally, the findings in this study show that parents were satisfied with the quality of their children‟s pre-primary education. These findings concur with those of Teleki and Buck-Gomez (2002), Thill (2004) and Raikes, et al. (2005) who

72

found that parents perceived their child care centres as having high quality; as a result they were satisfied with them.

However, these findings are in contrast with those of Muganda (2003) who found that parents in Kenya perceived preschools quality as poor and as a result they were not satisfied with the quality of preschools. Such contested results might be due to differences in social and environmental factors. Parents from different contexts may hold different views of quality which might influence their satisfaction levels. This is supported by the ecological systems theory

(Bronfenbrenner, 1979) which states that individual‟s satisfaction levels are socially constructed in time and space.

Parents‟ perspectives on the quality of pre-primary education as revealed by the present study contrast with findings of other studies carried out in Tanzania which used „professional perspective‟ (Mbise, 2008; Mtahabwa, 2007 & MoEVT,

2010b). The mentioned studies indicated that the quality of pre-primary education was low. Lamb and Ahnert (2006) indicated that reason for variations between parents and professionals in levels of satisfaction and ratings of quality may reflect parents‟ desires to overcome or alleviate concerns about placing their child in a less than optimal setting.

73

Moreover, Cryer & Burchinal (1997) and Cryer, et al. (2002) argued that parents are not experts at judging the quality of their children‟s pre-primary schools, when compared to professionals; therefore they should be taught the dimensions of high quality care before they choose a program for their child. This perspective views parents as lacking both insight on the subjective nature of quality, and knowledge of their children‟s needs and strengths. Parents may not know what a high quality pre-primary school setting looks like according to experts, but they may value the same indicators of quality for their children. For example, a parent may not know the class size and teacher-child ratio standards used by professionals in evaluating learning interaction, but they may highly value the idea of having their children learn in a classroom with favourable teacher to pupil ratio. Besides, the reason for variations in satisfaction might be that parents hold different opinions and beliefs of pre-primary education quality. This is because quality is a subjective and context dependent construct that varies from population to population (Dahlberg, et al., 1999).

Theoretically, indicators of quality in pre-primary education are designated as structural and process (Bigras et al., 2010; Burchinal, 2010; Ishimine, et al., 2009).

These indicators are considered as vital components of providing effective educational service to young children. In the present study parents indicated higher mean scores in the process category than in the structural category in their satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. These findings concur with

74

those of Liang (2001) and Jang (2008) who found that Taiwanese parents were more satisfied with process quality than with structural features of their children‟s kindergarten. However, the process features are sometimes not easily visible to parents. As a result it may cause difficulties when attempting to critically perceive actual quality (Jang, 2008). According to Cryer et al. (2002) this could be attributed to the fact that parents tend to spend little time at a school when they drop off or pick up their children or attend meetings. In addition, early childhood staff do not actively encourage parents to spend much time in their children‟s classrooms (Cryer et al., 2002).

Specifically, parents reported that they were less satisfied with classroom characteristics that included teacher-child ratio and class sizes. Studies conducted in Tanzania indicated high class sizes ranging between 1:37 to 1:74 (MoEVT,

2010a) and 1:18 to 1: 88 (Shavega, et al., 2014). This implies that parents were concerned about individualised attention in the classes with unfavourable teacher to pupil ratio. When there are few children in the classroom, the teacher has more time to work with each child. Researchers have provided strong evidence that a small class size and favorable teacher-child ratio directly influences the quality of interactions children experience in classrooms, which in turn, affects children‟s academic achievement (Mashburn & Pianta, 2010).

75

In addition, parents indicated that they were not satisfied with the indicators related to parental involvement. Specifically, parents reported that they were not satisfied with low involvement in academic activities like storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials for children‟s learning. These results are consistent with previous findings by Mtahabwa (2001), who investigated strategies for promoting family-preschool partnership in Tanzania. The findings in this study confirm that parents are inadequately involved in their children‟s education.

Studies show that parents‟ positive involvement in the early childhood stage helps in their children‟s cognitive development as well as school readiness and achievement (Kreider, 2002). This is because children's learning and development is situated in the cultural and social context of the communities and families, rather than simply the child (Mc-Farland-Piazza &Saunders, 2012). Besides,

Bronfenbrenner‟s theory emphasises the need of collaborations between the school and parents. These results indicate the need to improve parental involvement in pre-primary education.

Through an open ended question which aimed at finding out opinions and suggestions for quality improvement of pre-primary education, 244 (34.9%) parents indicated that they were not satisfied with the current trend of involvement whereby, in most cases the meetings were held to inform them about raising and payment of fees (see Appendix H). This was also confirmed by some parents who met the researcher face to face. These parents asserted that “even today some

76

parents did not come because they thought this gathering is for informing them about school contributions”. These parents‟ views imply that the level of parent- teacher partnerships in pre-primary schools is low.

However, parents reported that they were highly satisfied with teachers‟ behaviour. They described teachers as being, warm, patient and helpful to children. Parents were also satisfied with indicators related to teachers working experience and activities given to children. These findings are consistent with those of Howe et al. (2013) who found that parents had strong preferences for the teachers‟ personal characteristics, curriculum (activities provided to children) and child-related aspects. Even though in the present study parents reported to be satisfied with activities given to children. Two hundred and four (29.1%) parents were worried with the big number of subjects taught to pre-primary school children (See also Appendix H). These parents proposed that the number of subjects be reduced from six to at least three (arithmetic, reading and writing). In addition, 24 (3.4%) parents were not satisfied with the trend of some teachers forcing pre-primary children to attend remedial classes (tuition) with charges (See

Appendix H).

77

4.4 Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education by

Type of School

This section presents and discusses parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education according to type of school. The objective to be achieved was:

To find out if there is a difference in satisfaction with the quality of pre-

primary education between parents of children in public and private pre-

primary schools.

To understand parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education by type of school, mean scores and standard deviations based on two categories

(structural and process) and six dimensions of quality (physical environment, classroom characteristics, teacher qualifications, teachers‟ behavior, children‟s experiences and parents‟ involvement) were computed. Results are presented in

Table 4.7.

78

Table 4.7 Mean Scores of Parents’ Satisfaction with the Pre-Primary Education Quality by Type of School Quality Category Type of School n M SD Structural Public 348 2.81 .616 Private 424 3.15 .509 Physical environment Public 348 2.80 .673 Private 424 3.16 .556

Classroom characteristics Public 348 2.41 .840 Private 424 3.09 .646

Teacher qualifications Public 348 3.14 .786 Private 424 3.30 .633 Process Public 348 2.85 .680 Private 424 3.18 .528 Teachers‟ behaviour Public 348 3.18 .720 Private 424 3.29 .550

Children‟s experiences Public 348 2.84 .866 Private 424 3.18 .676

Parents involvement Public 348 2.54 .842 Private 424 3.06 .674 Overall Satisfaction with Public 348 2.83 .594 Quality by Type of School Private 424 3.17 .479 Total 772 3.00 .561

The means for the overall satisfaction with the quality were 2.83 (SD = .59) for parents with children in public pre-primary schools and 3.17 (SD = .47) for parents with children in private pre-primary schools. It can be concluded that parents with children in private pre-primary schools were more satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education than those having children in public pre-primary schools.

79

In addition, the finding indicates that the means values for satisfaction with the quality in pre-primary school education were higher on almost every category for parents of children in private pre-primary schools than those parents with children in public pre-primary schools. That is, the means for structural category were 2.81

(SD = .61) for parents in public schools and 3.15 (SD = .50) for parents with children in private pre-primary schools. The means for process category were 2.85

(SD = .68) for parents in public schools and 3.18 (SD = .52) for parents with children in private pre-primary schools. This indicates that parents with children in private pre-primary schools were more satisfied with both structural and process quality than those having children in public pre-primary schools.

In addition, findings of this study show that parents with children in public pre- primary schools had the lowest mean score on the „classroom characteristics‟ dimension, which had 2.41 (SD = .84). This shows that parents in public pre- primary schools were less satisfied with the quality of classroom characteristics

(teacher-child ratio and class sizes).

However, the findings indicated high mean scores for parents in both types of schools on the aspect of teacher qualifications and teachers behaviour. For instance, the mean scores for „teacher qualifications‟ were 3.14 (SD = .78) for parents in public and 3.30 (SD = .63) for parents in private schools. While the mean scores for „teachers behavior‟ were 3.18 (SD = .72) for parents in public and

80

3.29 (SD = .55) for parents in private schools. This suggests that irrespective to the type of school, parents were satisfied with teachers‟ qualifications and behaviours.

To establish whether there was a significant difference in satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education between parents of children in public and private pre-primary schools, the following hypothesis was tested:

Ho1 There is no significant difference in satisfaction with the quality of pre-

primary education between parents of children in public and private pre-

primary schools.

Independent samples t-test was used to test the hypothesis. Table 4.8 presents the results of the two categories and six dimensions of pre-primary education quality by type of school.

81

Table 4.8 t-tests for Parents’ Satisfaction with Pre-Primary Education Quality by Type of School Quality Category/Dimension Type of School t-value Sig. Structural Public Private 8.675 .000 Physical environment Public Private 7.581 .000 Classroom characteristics Public Private 9.424 .000 Teacher qualifications Public Private 3.436 .001 Process Public Private 8.066 .000 Teachers‟ behaviour Public Private 2.062 .040 Children‟s experiences Public Private 6.203 .000 Parents involvement Public Private 9.607 .000 Overall Satisfaction with Quality Public by type of school Private 9.094 .000 *p< .05

The results show that the difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education between parents of children in public and private pre-primary schools was highly significant (t [770] = 9.094, p = .000). Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected. Similarly, results show a significant difference on structural category (t [770] = 8.675, p = .000) and process category (t [770] = 8.066, p

= .000). Besides, the findings show that there was a significant difference (p <.05) in satisfaction between parents of children in public and private pre-primary schools in all six dimensions of pre-primary education quality. It was therefore, concluded that parents of children in private pre-primary school were more

82

satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education than those with children in public pre-primary schools.

The findings of this study concur with those of Charles (2011) who compared parental perceptions of school quality between public and private elementary schools in USA. Charles found that perceptions of school quality among parents with students in private school were significantly higher than those of parents with students in public schools on almost every aspect. The present study agrees with findings of previous studies carried out in Tanzania by Mtahabwa (2001; 2007) and Mwinuka (2001) which used „professional perspectives‟. The mentioned studies found that private pre-primary schools were of higher quality than the public pre-primary schools. This implies that parents and professionals‟ perspectives are in agreement on the quality of pre-primary education based on type of school.

In addition, parents with children in public pre-primary schools reported lowest score on satisfaction with the quality based on teacher-child ratio and class sizes.

This implies that teacher-child ratio and class size is still an issue in public pre- primary schools. According to the proposed Tanzania minimum standards for

ECD, each pre-primary class is supposed to have 25 pupils (URT, 2011).

However, this teacher-pupil ratio is yet to be met and as a result parents in public pre-primary schools are not satisfied with teacher-child ratio and class size.

83

On the other hand, findings indicate that parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education quality based on teachers‟ qualifications and experiences were high in both public and private schools. These findings are in contrast with those of Liang

(2001) whose study on parents‟ perception of quality and satisfaction with early childhood programs in Taiwan found that only parents of children in public programs were more satisfied with the quality of teacher qualifications. The findings of this study have shown that parents in public and private schools have trust and confidence on teachers‟ qualifications and experiences, and that could be one of their reasons for school selection. Parents believe that for one to be employed and assigned the responsibility of teaching and caring for young children she/he must have the required qualifications.

4.5 Parents Satisfaction with Pre-primary Education Quality by Gender

This section presents and discusses parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education according to gender. The objective to be achieved was to:

Examine if there was a difference in satisfaction with the quality of pre-

primary education between male and female parents.

To achieve this objective; mean scores for parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education quality by gender was computed. Results were as presented in Table

4.9.

84

Table 4.9 Mean Scores of Parents’ Satisfaction with Quality by Gender Quality Category Gender n M SD Structural Male 332 2.96 .597 Female 440 2.99 .646 Physical environment Male 332 2.91 .598 Female 440 3.02 .653

Classroom characteristics Male 440 2.78 .694 Female 332 2.72 .837

Teacher qualifications Male 332 3.19 .720 Female 440 3.25 .704 Process Male 332 2.93 .554 Female 440 3.09 .604 Teachers‟ behaviour Male 332 3.19 .602 Female 440 3.30 .656

Children‟s experiences Male 440 2.88 .777 Female 332 3.15 .792

Parents involvement Male 332 2.77 .759 Female 440 2.84 .826 Overall Satisfaction with Male 332 2.94 .529 Quality Female 440 3.04 .582 Total 772 3.00 .561

The findings revealed that the mean scores for males (M = 2.96, SD =.59) were lower than those for the females (M = 2.99, SD = .64) on the structural category.

On the process category the means for males (M = 2.93, SD = .55) were also lower than females (M = 3.09, SD = .60). The means for the overall parents‟ satisfaction were also low for males (M = 2.94, SD = .52) than for females (M =

3.04, SD = .58). The results imply that female parents were more satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education than male parents.

85

Further examination of the results shows that both male and female parents scored lowest means on satisfaction in the classroom characteristics and parental involvement dimensions. The mean scores for classroom characteristics were 2.78

(SD = .69) for males and 2.72 (SD = .83) for females. The mean score for satisfaction based on parental involvement were 2.77 (SD = .75) for males and

2.84 (SD = .82) for females. This suggests that irrespective of the gender, both male and female parents were not satisfied with classroom characteristics and parental involvement.

In addition, results indicate that both male and female parents were satisfied with teachers‟ qualifications and teachers‟ behaviours. That is, the mean scores for teachers‟ qualifications were 3.19 (SD = .72) for males and 3.25 (SD = .70) for females; the satisfaction mean score based on teachers‟ behaviours were 3.19 (SD

= .60) for males and 3.30 (SD = .65) for females. This suggests that parents had a lot of confidence and expectations on teachers who taught their children.

In order to determine whether the difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education between male and female parents was significant, the following hypothesis was stated and tested:

Ho2 There is no significant difference in parents’ satisfaction with the quality

of pre-primary education between male and female parents.

86

Independent samples t-test was performed to examine the level of significance for this hypothesis. Results are presented in Table 4.10.

Table 4.10 t-tests for Parents’ Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary

Education by Gender

Quality Category/Dimension Type of School t-value Sig. Structural Male Female .705 .395 Physical environment Male Female 3.103 .002 Classroom characteristics Male Female 2.042 .042 Teacher qualifications Male Female 1.019 .308

Process Male Female .304 .056 Teachers‟ behaviour Male Female .948 .344 Children‟s experiences Male Female .899 .368 Parents involvement Male Female .309 .754 Overall Satisfaction with Quality Male by Gender Female 2.331 .040

*p< .05

Results in Table 4.10 show that there was a significant difference (t [770] = 2.331, p

= .040) in satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education between male and female parents. Therefore, the hypothesis which stated that there is no significant difference in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education between male and female parents was rejected. It was therefore, concluded that

87

female parents were satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education than male parents.

In addition, the t-test results indicated significant differences (p< .05) in satisfaction between female and male parents on only two dimensions of pre- primary education quality. These are physical environment (t [770] = 3.103, p =

.002) and classroom characteristics (t [770] = 2.042, p = .042), respectively. It was concluded that the level of satisfaction of parents with different gender was significantly different in physical environment and classroom characteristics.

The findings of the present study concur with those of Thao (2000), Werner, et al.

(2011) and Lin, et al. (2012) which found significant differences between fathers

(males) and mothers (females) in perception of their children‟s education.

However, the cited studies findings purported that perceptions among the male parents were significantly higher as compared to female parents. While the present study found that satisfaction levels of female parents on the quality of pre-primary education were higher than those of males. Generally these results indicate that parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education is determined by gender.

In addition, these results are in line with the findings of Räty, et al. (2004), who evaluated parents‟ satisfaction with their child‟s first school year and found that

88

mothers were more satisfied with the functioning of their child‟s school than fathers. The findings also concur with those of Menon (2013), which purported that mothers have a higher level of satisfaction compared to fathers. However, the results are in contrast with those of Qiu (2004) who indicated that parents‟ gender does not significantly influence parental decision-making behavior. In addition, these results disagree with findings by Badri et al. (2010) which found no significant difference, based on parents‟ gender toward satisfaction with subjects taught.

The present results suggest that males and females have different levels of satisfaction, whereby males appear to have more expectations than females which might have been caused by their low involvement in their children‟s education.

Studies indicate that most fathers do not participate regularly in their children‟s education (Koech, 2010; Menon, 2013; & Ndani, 2007). Thus, their ratings may be attributed to their having low contact with the school. In addition, in many cultures in Africa and Tanzania in particular, care giving and education for young children has been left to females. Therefore, for fathers to set high expectations on their children‟s pre-primary education is not surprising due to the fact that they are not aware of some early childhood issues. According to Jinnah and Walter (2008) parents who are involved in child care programs tend to be more satisfied with the programs. Another possible explanation for this variation might be due to perceptions held by male parents on the quality of pre-primary education. This is

89

because satisfaction has been considered to be determined by perception one has on a particular service quality. These findings are in line with Bronfenbrenner‟s theory (1979) which purports that individuals‟ perceptions and satisfaction with anything are shaped by their experiences and cultures.

4.6 Parents Satisfaction with Pre-primary Education Quality by Levels of

Education

This section presents and discusses parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education across various levels of education. The objective to be achieved was to:

Investigate if there is a difference in parents’ satisfaction with the quality

of pre-primary education across various levels of education.

To achieve this objective, mean scores and standard deviations of six dimensions of quality based on education levels were calculated. Findings are presented in

Table 4.11.

90

Table 4.11 Mean Scores of Parents Satisfaction with Quality of Pre-primary Education by Educational Levels Quality Dimension/ n Mean SD Educational Level of Parents Physical environment Lower than standard seven 60 3.02 .565 Primary School Certificate 164 2.89 .674 Secondary School Certificate 212 2.88 .714 College Diploma 96 3.09 .578 University Degree 240 3.09 .544 Total 772 2.98 .634 Classroom characteristics Lower than standard seven 60 2.74 1.005 Primary School Certificate 164 2.80 .837 Secondary School Certificate 212 2.82 .854 College Diploma 96 3.04 .479 University Degree 240 3.07 .664 Total 772 2.75 .781 Teacher qualifications Lower than standard seven 60 3.20 .840 Primary School Certificate 164 3.27 .736 Secondary School Certificate 212 3.26 .706 College Diploma 96 3.29 .614 University Degree 240 3.13 .696 Total 772 3.22 .711 Teachers’ behaviour Lower than standard seven 60 3.00 .901 Primary School Certificate 164 3.25 .701 Secondary School Certificate 212 3.22 .588 College Diploma 96 3.29 .500 University Degree 240 3.26 .581 Total 772 3.24 .634 Children’s experiences Lower than standard seven 60 2.80 1.006 Primary School Certificate 164 2.93 .892 Secondary School Certificate 212 3.00 .803 College Diploma 96 3.08 .706 University Degree 240 3.13 .620 Total 772 3.01 .786 Parents Involvement Lower than standard seven 60 2.46 .980 Primary School Certificate 164 2.55 .821 Secondary School Certificate 212 2.81 .793 College Diploma 96 2.96 .714 University Degree 240 3.00 .670 Total 772 2.80 .797 Overall Means Lower than standard seven 60 2.95 .619 Primary School Certificate 164 2.94 .579 Secondary School Certificate 212 2.95 .638 College Diploma 96 3.07 .424 University Degree 240 3.09 .487 Total 772 3.00 .561

91

The results in the table shows that parents with college diploma (M=3.07, SD

=.42) and university degree (M=3.09, SD = .48) had high mean scores than parents with secondary school certificate, primary school certificate and those with lower than standard seven level of education (M=2.95, SD=.63; M=2.94, SD=.57

& M=2.95, SD=.61; respectively). The results indicate that parents with higher levels of education were more satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education than parents with lower levels of education.

In addition, findings indicate that parents‟ satisfaction consistently increases in dimensions of classroom characteristics, children‟s experiences and parents‟ involvement except in dimensions of physical environment, teacher qualifications and teachers‟ behavior. The frequency of the reported satisfaction increases from

„dissatisfaction‟ to „satisfaction‟ as parents become more educated. Parents with university degree had the highest mean value on every dimension of pre-primary education quality. Besides, parents with all education levels indicated the highest mean score on dimensions of teacher qualifications and teachers‟ behavior.

In order to determine whether there were significant differences between parents of different educational levels, the following hypothesis was stated and tested:

Ho3 There is no significant difference in parents’ satisfaction with pre-primary

education quality between parents of different educational levels.

92

One way ANOVA was computed to find out whether the difference in parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education quality between parents of different educational levels was significant. Results are shown in Table 4.12.

Table 4.12 One-way ANOVA for Parents’ Satisfaction with Pre-primary

Education Quality by Educational Level

Quality Dimension Sum of df Mean F Sig. Squares Square Physical environment Between Groups 7.151 4 1.788 4.529 .001 Within Groups 302.756 767 .395 Total 309.906 771 Classroom characteristics Between Groups 15.137 4 3.784 6.372 .000 Within Groups 455.516 767 .594 Total 470.653 771 Teacher qualifications Between Groups 3.109 4 .777 1.542 .188 Within Groups 386.569 767 .504 Total 389.679 771 Teachers‟ behaviour Between Groups 3.951 4 .988 2.474 .043 Within Groups 306.143 767 .399 Total 310.093 771 Children‟s experiences Between Groups 11.423 4 2.856 4.715 .001 Within Groups 464.556 767 .606 Total 475.979 771 Parents involvement Between Groups 26.819 4 6.705 11.081 .000 Within Groups 464.060 767 .605 Total 490.879 771 Overall Satisfaction

with Quality Between Groups 6.193 4 1.548 5.004 .001 Within Groups 237.299 767 .309 Total 243.492 771 *p < .05

93

The results in Table 4.12 show that satisfaction with pre-primary education quality differed significantly between parents of different educational levels (F [4,767] =

5.004, p = .001). The null hypothesis was thus rejected. The results imply that parents with higher levels of education were more satisfied with the quality of pre- primary education than parents with lower levels of education.

In addition, the findings show that there was a significant difference in the satisfaction scores among parents of different education levels in the dimensions of physical environment (F [4,767] = 4.529, p = .001), classroom characteristics (F

[4,767] =6.372, p = .000), teachers‟ behavior (F [4,767] = 2.474, p = .043), children‟s experiences (F [4,767] = 4.715, p = .001) and parents‟ involvement (F [4,767] =

11.081, p = .000). There was no significant difference in parent satisfaction scores with different educational levels in the dimension of teacher qualifications (F [4,767]

= 1.542, p = .188). The null hypothesis was therefore rejected in physical environment, classroom characteristics, teachers‟ behavior, children‟s experiences and parents‟ involvement. It was concluded that parents‟ levels of education lead to significant differences in physical environment, classroom characteristics, teachers‟ behavior, children‟s experiences and parents‟ involvement.

To further examine exactly where the differences existed, a post hoc test using

Tukey-HSD was calculated and results were as presented in Table 4.13.

94

Table 4.13 Tukey-HSD Post Hoc Test for the Differences in Parents’

Satisfaction with Pre-primary Education Quality by

Educational Level

(Educational Level Educational Level Mean Difference Std. Sig. (I) (J) (I-J) Error Lower than

standard seven Primary Certificate .05959 .08392 .954 Secondary -.00118 .08134 1.000 Certificate -.13775 .09154 .560 College Diploma -.15882 .08028 .278 University Degree Primary Lower than standard

Certificate seven -.05959 .08392 .954 Secondary -.06077 .05784 .832 Certificate -.19733* .07148 .047 College Diploma -.21841* .05635 .001 University Degree Secondary Lower than standard Certificate seven .00118 .08134 1.000 Primary Certificate .06077 .05784 .832 College Diploma -.13656 .06843 .269 University Degree -.15764* .05243 .023 College Diploma Lower than standard

seven .13775 .09154 .560 Primary Certificate .19733* .07148 .047 Secondary .13656 .06843 .269 Certificate -.02108 .06717 .998 University Degree University Degree Lower than standard

seven .15882 .08028 .278 Primary Certificate .21841* .05635 .001 Secondary .15764* .05243 .023 Certificate .02108 .06717 .998 College Diploma

The results showed that there were significant differences in levels of satisfaction with pre-primary education quality between parents of different educational backgrounds. University degree holders differed significantly with primary

(.21841, p = .001) and secondary (.15764, p = .023) school certificate holders.

95

There was also a significant difference between college diploma and primary school certificate holders (.19733, p = .047). Based on the above findings, it was concluded that highly educated parents are more likely to be satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education provided to their children than less educated parents.

These findings are in line with several other studies such as Badri, et al. (2010),

Liang (2001) and Toor (2012). These studies indicated that parents‟ education was a significant determinant of satisfaction. However, these findings contradict Cryer, et al. (2002) and Torquati et al. (2011) studies, which stated that parents of lower educational levels tend to score the quality of their children‟s schools significantly higher than parents with higher levels of education. The findings are also inconsistent with Al Jabery, et al. (2014), whose study in Jordan established no significant differences in parents‟ satisfaction with education services provided across the various levels of education.

The present study suggests that the higher the parents‟ education level, the higher the chances of being satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education. This could be due to several reasons: First, parents with a higher education level tend to enrol their children in private pre-primary schools which are believed to have high quality. The present study revealed that majority (53%) of parents who enrolled their children in private pre-primary schools were degree holders. Therefore, it

96

was not surprising to see parents with university degree who have children in private pre-primary schools being satisfied with the quality.

Second, high levels of education have been associated with high income. As a result, parents with university degree have the ability to enrol their children in schools they perceive as providing high quality experiences. Third, high parental education is associated with higher levels of active involvement in children‟s education (Kohl, Lengua, McMahon, 2000; Mwoma, 2009), which influences satisfaction. Whereby, less educated parents may feel less able to be actively involved in their children‟s school. Parents with low education may also feel inadequate in school work. This is supported by findings of Jinnah and Walter

(2008), Legg (2009) and Danner (2012) who reported that parents who felt involved in the ECE programs were more satisfied with their children‟s education.

This is due to the fact that people‟s satisfaction with anything is shaped by their experiences (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). While studies on how one‟s education level can influence his/her satisfactions are scarce, the mean scores of respondents in this study have indicated levels of satisfaction are determined by one‟s education.

97

4.7 Relationship between Parents’ Perception of Quality, and Satisfaction

with the Quality of Pre-primary Education

This section presents and discusses the relationship between parents‟ perception of the quality and their satisfaction with pre-primary education. The objective to be achieved was:

To find out if there was a relationship between parents’ perception of the

quality and their satisfaction with pre-primary education.

To achieve this objective, the first step was to establish parents‟ perception of the quality of pre-primary education. This involved responses to a questionnaire with items based on structural and process categories of quality. These categories were further classified in six dimensions that were measured using 18 specific items.

Each item was tested using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from “1: strongly disagree” to “4: strongly agree”. For data analysis, means and standard deviations were used to summarize parents‟ perceptions of pre-primary education quality.

The greater the mean score, the higher the perception of pre-primary education quality. Results are as presented in Table 4.14.

98

Table 4.14 Mean Scores of Parents Perceptions of Pre-primary Education Quality

Category/Item Mean SD Structural Quality 2.99 .568 Physical environment 3.08 .618 There is adequate indoor space. 3.16 .793 Classroom learning materials like textbooks, pictures, 3.13 .848 charts are available. Classroom furniture (tables, desks, chairs) are available. 3.21 .857 There is adequate outdoor space. 3.20 .924 Outdoor play equipment are sufficient. 2.44 1.012 Toilets are available. 3.31 .718 Toilets are hygienic. 2.92 .922 Water is available. 3.27 .750 Classroom characteristics 2.52 .901 Teacher to child ratio is lower than 1:25. 2.76 1.011 Number of children in class is less than 25. 2.30 .977 Teacher qualifications 3.25 .662 Teachers have some ECE training. 3.21 .743 Teachers have some working experience with young 3.28 .718 children. Process Quality 3.08 .608 Teachers’ behaviour 3.30 .617 Teachers are warm and patient. 3.34 .673 Teachers are willing to help children to solve their 3.27 .700 problems. Children’s experiences 3.08 .823 Appropriate activities which are stimulating and 3.08 .823 developmentally appropriate are offered. Parents involvement 2.93 .767 Parents-teacher meetings are held to discuss children‟s 3.33 .895 progress at least once a year or at parents‟ request. Parents are involved in decision making roles about 3.10 .874 improving the school. Parents are involved in academic activities like (storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials 2.37 1.046 for children‟s learning). Overall Perceptions on Quality 3.03 .544 Note: Perception scale: 1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: agree to 4: strongly agree

99

The means for all 18 items ranged from 2.30 (SD = .97) to 3.34 (SD = .67). The overall mean score for the parents‟ perception of pre-primary education quality was 3.03 (SD = .54). The result implies that the overall perceptions of parents in pre-primary education quality were high. This was based on dividing parents‟ responses into two perception levels, (1) low perception with a range of 2.01 to

2.99 and (2) high perception with a range of 3.00 to 4.00.

Specifically, the means for the three dimensions in the structural quality were 3.08

(SD = .61) for physical environment, 2.52 (SD = .90) for classroom characteristics and 3.25 (SD = .66) for teacher qualifications. The average mean of all items in the structural category was 2.99 (SD =.56). With regard to process quality, the means for other three dimensions were 3.30 (SD = .62) for teachers‟ behaviour,

3.08 (SD = .82) for children‟s experiences and 2.93 (SD = .77) for parental involvement. The average mean score for items measuring the category of process quality was 3.08 (SD = .60). These results indicate that the average score for process quality was greater than that of structural quality. It was therefore, concluded that parents‟ perceived pre-primary education as having higher quality in the basis of process variables than structural indicators.

The lowest mean was 2.30 for the item „number of children in class is less than

25‟. This indicates that parents‟ perception of pre-primary education quality based on the number of children in class was low as compared to other items. However,

100

the standard deviation for this item was .98. This indicated that there was a high disagreement of pre-primary education quality among parents with regard to the number of children in class. On the other hand, the item „teachers are warm and patient‟ had an average mean of 3.34 (SD = .67), indicating that parents‟ perception of pre-primary education quality based on teachers‟ behaviours was high.

In order to find out if there was a relationship between parents‟ perception of the quality and their satisfaction with pre-primary education, the following hypothesis was formulated and tested:

Ho4 There is no significant relationship between parents’ perception of quality

in pre-primary education and their satisfaction with pre-primary

education.

The researcher employed a bivariate correlation analysis using Pearson product- moment correlation coefficient to determine the relationships between parents‟ perception of quality and satisfaction with pre-primary education. Results are presented in Table 4.15.

101

Table 4.15 Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient between Parents’ Perception of Quality and Satisfaction with Pre- primary Education Quality Overall Perception Overall Satisfaction Pearson Correlation .880** Overall 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 Perception 772 N 772 Pearson Correlation .880** Overall 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 Satisfaction 772 N 772

The results shows that correlation coefficient between parents‟ perception and satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education were significantly high (r =

.880, p = .000). The results indicate a positive and significant relationship between parents‟ perception of pre-primary education and satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. Therefore, the null hypothesis, that there was no significant relationship between parents‟ perception of quality in pre-primary education and their satisfaction with pre-primary education was rejected. The high correlation implies that parents with higher levels of perceptions of quality were more likely to be very satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education.

In order to further find out the connection between perception of quality and satisfaction with quality of pre-primary education, a Multiple Regression analysis was used. The overall satisfaction with quality was treated as a dependent variable

102

and six (6) dimensions that were measuring perception of quality were treated as the independent variables. Table 4.16 shows the model summary of the correlation.

Table 4.16 Model Summary of the Relationship between Perception and

Satisfaction

R R Square Adjusted R Std. Error of the Square Estimate .883a .781 .779 .26428 a. Predictors: (Constant), Children‟s experiences, Classroom characteristics, Teachers behaviours, Parental involvement, Physical environment, Teachers qualifications b. Dependent Variable: Overall Satisfaction

The summary on how much of the variance in the dependent variable (parents satisfaction) is explained by the model (which includes the variables of children‟s experiences, classroom characteristics, teachers‟ behaviours, parental involvement, physical environment and teachers‟ qualifications). In this case the coefficient of determination R² value is 0.781 which means that 78.1% of parent satisfaction variation is determined by the perception dimensions. After this test, the regression analysis was done and the results are shown in Table 4.17.

103

Table 4.17 Regression Analysis for Perception and Satisfaction with

Quality of Pre-primary Education

Unstandardized Standardized Coefficients Coefficients Independent Variable B Std. Beta t Sig. Error (Constant) .253 .061 4.109 .000 Classroom .106 .013 .170 7.982 .000 Characteristics Teacher Behaviour .137 .020 .151 6.811 .000 Parents Involvement .184 .017 .252 10.657 .000 Physical Environment .420 .022 .462 19.181 .000 Teacher Qualification .029 .021 .034 1.397 .163 Children‟s experiences .027 .016 .040 1.672 .095 a. Dependent Variable: Overall Satisfaction

As indicated on the table, four dimensions of perception were positive and significant (< .05) related to the overall parent satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education. These were classroom characteristics (β = .17, p < .05), teacher behavior (β = .15, p < .05), parents‟ involvement (β = .25, p < .05) and physical environment (β = .46, p < .05). This confirms that the higher the level of these four dimensions of perception, the higher its significance on satisfaction with quality.

However, two independent variables teacher qualification (β = .03, p > .05) and children‟s experiences (β = .04, p > .05) were not significantly related to parents‟ satisfaction.

104

In addition, the beta values indicate the contribution of each independent variable to parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. In Table 4.17 the largest beta coefficient was .462 which is physical environment. This implies that the perception of physical environment makes the strongest unique contribution to parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

The findings of this study are consistent with Bigne et al. (2003), Ham and

Hayduk (2003), Lee et al. (2000), Omar et al. (2009) and İncesu and Aşıkgil

(2012), which found significant relationship between perception of service quality and satisfaction. However, the key items and dimensions are different due to differences in the type of organization studied.

The present study indicates that classroom characteristics have a significant effect on parents‟ satisfaction level with the quality of pre-primary education. This implies that the more the parents perceived class sizes and teacher- child ratio as favourable, the more they were satisfied with pre-primary education. The study also shows that teacher behaviour was a main factor that influenced parents‟ satisfaction. This implies that the more the parents perceived teachers‟ behaviors such as warm, patient and helpful to children as being good, the more they were satisfied with pre-primary education.

105

This finding also indicates that parents‟ involvement has a significant impact on their satisfaction level with the quality of pre-primary education. This means that the more the parents perceive their involvement in their children‟s education as adequate, the more they are satisfied with pre-primary education. In addition, physical environment seems to have a significant effect on the parent‟s satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. This suggests that the more the parents perceive their children‟s learning environment as good, the more they are satisfied with pre-primary education.

On the other hand, there was no significant contribution of teacher qualification and children‟s experiences on parents‟ satisfaction with quality of pre-primary schools. This is probably due to the fact that these two in many cases are not directly observable to parents. This may be due to their brief stay in school.

Parents may also find it difficult to ask teachers about their qualifications. In addition, issues of teacher qualification and activities for children seem to not bother parents. Possibly parents believe that teachers have the necessary qualifications and their children are given developmentally appropriate activities.

Thus, the issues of teacher qualifications and children‟s experiences in relation to the parents‟ satisfaction did not emerge.

106

Generally, findings of the present study are in line with Bronfenbrenner‟s theory

(1979) that people‟s satisfaction with anything is shaped by their experiences, cultures, and situations in time and space. This study has revealed that there were significant differences found between parents of different demographic characteristics (gender and education level) with regards to their satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. Similarly, the findings indicated that parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education depended on perceptions and the type of school in terms of public or private.

107

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

In this chapter, the summary of the findings and conclusions drawn from the study are presented. The chapter also presents recommendations for various stakeholders and for further research.

5.2 Summary of the findings

Parents were found to be satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education

(M=3.00, SD=.56). Specifically, parents were more satisfied with process quality

(M = 3.01, SD =.62) than structural features (M = 2.98, SD =.58) of pre-primary education. In addition, parents were less satisfied with involvement of parents in academic activities like storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials for children‟s learning; sufficiency of outdoor play equipment and the number of children in class. Additionally, from the open-ended responses, 204 (29.1%) parents were worried with the large number of subjects taught to pre-primary school children. On the other hand, parents were satisfied with teachers‟ behaviour that was cited as warm and patient; teachers working experience with young children and availability of water. This implies that although parents were not satisfied with other dimensions of pre-primary education quality, they have some confidence and trust on the teachers of their children.

108

There were significant differences in satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education between parents of children in public and private pre-primary schools (t

(770) = 9.094, p=.000). Parents of children in private pre-primary schools (M =

3.17, SD = .47) were more satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education than those having a child in public pre-primary schools (M = 2.83, SD = .59). The findings also showed that parents in both types of schools were satisfied with teachers‟ qualifications and behaviours. This implies that satisfaction with pre- primary education quality depended on the school type in terms of public or private.

There were significant differences in parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education between male and female parents (t [770] =2.331, p=.040).

Females (M = 3.04, SD = .58) indicated high satisfaction with the quality of pre- primary education than males (M = 2.94, SD = .52). On the other hand, both male and female parents were not satisfied with classroom characteristics and parental involvement dimensions while they were satisfied with teachers‟ qualifications and teachers‟ behaviours dimensions of pre-primary education quality.

There were significant differences in parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education quality between parents of different educational levels (F [4,767] =5.004, p=.001). Parents with higher levels of education namely college diploma (M=3.07,

SD = .42) and university degree (M = 3.09, SD = .48) were satisfied with the

109

quality of pre-primary education than parents with secondary school certificate

(M=2.95, SD = .63), primary school certificate (M=2.94, SD = .57) and those with lower than standard seven level of education (M=2.95, SD = 61). This implies that the higher the education level a parent has, the higher chances of being satisfied with the quality of pre-primary education.

Parents perceived the quality of pre-primary education as high (M=3.03, SD= 54).

Specifically, parents perceived their children‟s pre-primary education as having high quality in process indicators (M=3.08, SD=.60) than in the structural category

(M=2.99, SD=.56). In addition, parents perceived quality on teachers‟ behaviour and qualifications as high; but believed that the teacher-child ratio, class sizes were of low quality. This implies that despite the fact that parents perceived the quality of pre-primary education as high, they were concerned with unfavourable teacher-pupil ratio in their children‟s classrooms.

There was a significant relationship between parents‟ perception of quality and their satisfaction with pre-primary education (r = .880, p=.000). This high correlation implies that parents with higher levels of perceptions of pre-primary education quality were likely to be very satisfied with pre-primary education. Four dimensions of perception were positive and significantly related to the overall parents‟ satisfaction with quality. These were classroom characteristics (β = .17, p

< .05), teacher behavior (β = .15, p < .05), parents‟ involvement (β = .25, p < .05)

110

and physical environment (β = .46, p < .05). On the other hand, two dimensions of perception namely teacher qualification (β = .03, p > .05) and children‟s experiences (β = .04, p > .05) were not significantly related with parents‟ satisfaction.

5.3 Conclusions

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:

Parents believed that their children‟s pre-primary schools had high quality education, specifically in process indicators than in the structural category. As a result, parents were more satisfied with process quality than structural quality of pre-primary education. In particular, parents were less satisfied with their involvement in academic activities, sufficiency of outdoor play equipment and the number of children in class.

Parents‟ demographic characteristics (gender and education) and type of school influences parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. Parents who were females, more educated and had children in private pre-primary schools were found to be more satisfied with their children‟s education. Therefore, this indicates that these variables were significant determinants of parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education.

111

There is a significant and positive relationship between parents‟ perception of quality and their satisfaction with pre-primary education. This implies that parents with higher levels of perceptions on quality of pre-primary education were likely to be more satisfied with pre-primary education. In addition, four dimensions in perception of quality namely; classroom characteristics, teacher behaviour, parents‟ involvement and physical environment are the critical factors in explaining parents‟ satisfaction. Moreover, it can be concluded that perceived quality is an important antecedent of parents‟ satisfaction with pre-primary education.

5.4 Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, some recommendations have been made for various stakeholders and for further research. These are provided in the subsequent sections:

5.4.1 Policy Recommendations

i. It is suggested that the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training

(MoEVT) should effectively enforce the implementation of the minimum

standards and operational guidelines for ECD in order to promote the

quality of both public and private pre-primary schools. Since minimum

standards are new, the MoEVT in collaboration with other ECD

stakeholders such as Tanzania Early Childhood Network (TECDEN)

112

which is an umbrella for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working with

young children can create awareness to the public and service providers

through seminars, conferences and advertisements. The implementation of

the minimum standards for ECD may improve the quality of pre-primary

education and create satisfaction to parents on dimensions which they are

not satisfied with like classroom characteristics and parents involvement.

ii. Since the demand for pre-primary education is growing; it is thus

recommended that the MoEVT establish national and district centres for

ECE (ECE coordination board). The national and district centres for ECE

will be responsible for the oversight of early childhood education in the

country. Specific activities of that coordination board would include

curriculum development, training and supervision of pre-primary schools.

The establishment of these national and district centres for ECE might

contribute in improving the quality of pre-primary education which may

increase parents‟ satisfaction.

iii. It is recommended that the government through MoEVT should allocate

more financial resources to ensure that structural and process features of

public pre-primary schools are improved.

113

iv. It is recommended that the MoEVT should review or develop new policy

that strongly supports parent-teacher relationships to ensure quality pre-

primary education. For example formulation of policy statements that

clearly outlines roles of parents and teachers in children‟s education.

v. It is recommended that Quality Assurance Officers should constantly

assess the quality of pre-primary education in order to ensure that the

licensed pre-primary schools meet the required minimum quality

standards. In addition, these Quality Assurance Officers can develop an

inventory to capture views and opinions of various stakeholders like

parents, teachers and researchers on the quality of pre-primary education

provided to children. This will help the Quality Assurance Officers to

provide comprehensive advice to the schools on the areas that need to be

improved.

vi. It is recommended that school heads and managers should consider

teachers‟ qualifications as a serious matter. For parents to continue to have

trust and confidence with pre-primary education, teachers need to be

supported and motivated. These teachers can be motivated by being given

good salary; and sponsored to attend in-service training (seminars and

workshops) so as to rejuvenate their knowledge. This will not only benefit

teachers but also children, parents and the school. That is, by getting in-

service training teachers will share new information and resources with

114

colleagues, offer quality services to children and their families, as a result

parents will be satisfied and retain children in those schools.

vii. In order to ensure children receive individualised attention and learn in a

favourable classroom environment, school heads and managers need to: (i)

improve teacher-child ratio and class sizes by recruiting more qualified

teachers; (ii) splitting existing public pre-primary classes into at least two

groups. This can be done by constructing additional classes.

viii. School heads and managers should allocate the limited resources

appropriately in order to ensure that structural aspects are improved to the

required level. In addition, they should make sure play grounds, teaching

and learning materials are available for effective teaching and learning.

ix. School heads and managers should make sure parents are involved as

much as possible in different school activities. Schools should introduce

special days for parents or hold regular meetings to discuss children‟s

progress and school plans. Parents should also be involved in academic

activities like storytelling and collection of local materials for children‟s

learning.

115

x. Parents should set substantial amounts of time to be actively involved in

the pre-primary schools activities. For example, they can pay regular visits

(by invitation or not) and share their views to the schools. Or, when they

drop off or collect their children, they should visit their children‟s

classrooms and have an opportunity to accurately assess the quality of care

and education that their children receive. Parents should also attend school

meetings, by doing so they will be able to express their satisfactions and

dissatisfactions with the services provided to their children.

5.4.2 Recommendations for Further Research

(i) This study was limited in one urban district; it is thus recommended that a

similar study covering a large part of Tanzania could be conducted so as to

provide a broader picture of parents‟ satisfaction with the quality of pre-

primary education for the whole country.

(ii) This study reported the perspectives of parents with regard to satisfaction

with the quality of pre-primary education. A similar study could be

replicated among teachers and head teachers of pre-primary schools. A

research that compares whether the perspectives of parents, teachers and

head teachers on satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education are

consistent could be conducted.

116

(iii)The present study focused on the influence of two parents‟ demographic

variables (gender and education), type of school and perception on

satisfaction. There might be other factors that influence parents‟

satisfaction like cultural differences, income, location, marital status, age

and occupation. Therefore, there is need to carry out research on other

factors and establish their real impact on parents satisfaction.

(iv) The study found significant differences by parents‟ gender, education

levels and type of school on satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education. There is need to conduct a study to establish the actual reasons

for the differences. Therefore, the use of qualitative method is required so

as to get in-depth information behind the differences.

(v) The findings of this study have shown that parents in public and private

schools have trust and confidence on teachers‟ qualifications and

experiences; the researcher concluded that this could be one of their

reasons for school selection. More research is required to document factors

influencing parents‟ selection of pre-primary schools in Tanzania.

117

(vi) The present study focused on satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education from the perspective of parents. Since very little is documented

on the perspective of children in regard to quality provision, there is need

to conduct a research and gather their views. This is because children are

the best source of information about issues related to them.

118

REFERENCES

Adebayo, F. A. (2009). Parents‟ preference for private secondary schools in

Nigeria. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 1(1), 1-6.

Al Jabery, M., Arabiat, D., Al Khamra, H., Betawi, I., & Jabbar, S. (2014).

Parental perceptions of services provided for children with autism in

Jordan. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(3), 475-486.

Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Razavieh, A. (2002). Introduction to research in

education (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Babbie, E. (2005). The basics of social research (3rd ed.). London: Thomson

Wadsworth.

Badri, M. A., Mason, S. E., & El Mourad, T. (2010). Determinants of parent‟s

satisfaction with subjects taught and the effects of school factors, parent‟s

demographics and school‟s characteristics. Paper presented in the

International Academy of Business & Public Administration Discipline

‐2009 annual conference, Dallas, TX, USA.

Banga, A., & Jaswal, S. (2001). Parent-teacher perception of early childhood

education. Journal of Human Ecology, 12(6), 449-455.

Barnett, W. S. (2004). Better teachers, better preschools: Student achievement

linked to teacher qualifications, Preschool Policy Matters, 2. New

Brunswick, NJ: NIEER. Retrieved October 11, 2012 from

http://nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/2.pdf

119

Barnett, W. S. (2008). Why governments should invest in early education. CESifo

DICE Report, 6(1), 9-14.

Berk, L. E. (2005). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (5th

ed.). Toronto: Allyn & Bacon.

Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V. (2006). Research in education. (10th ed.). New Delhi:

Pearson Education Inc.

Bigne, E., Moliner M.A., & Sanchez, J. (2003). Perceived quality and satisfaction

in multiservice organizations: The case of Spanish public services, Journal

of Services Marketing, 17(4), 420-442.

Bigras, N., Bouchard, C., Cantin, G., Brunson, L., Coutu, S., Lemay, L., &

Charron, A. (2010). A comparative study of structural and process quality

in center-based and family-based child care services. Child and Youth Care

Forum, 39(3), 129-150.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by

nature and design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Burchinal, M. (2010). Differentiating Among Measures of Quality: Key

Characteristics and Their Coverage in Existing Measures. OPRE

Research-to-Policy, Research-to-Practice Brief OPRE 2011-10b,

Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation,

Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services.

120

Ceglowski, D. (2004). How stake holder groups define quality in child care. Early

Childhood Education Journal, 32(2), 101-111.

Ceglowski, D., & Bacigalupa, C. (2002). Four Perspectives on Child Care Quality.

Early Childhood Education Journal, 30 (2), 87-92.

Charles, G. W. (2011). Parental perceptions of school quality in government and

private schools. Dissertation abstract (UMI No. 3447723) retrieved

October 11, 2012 from www.gradworks.umi.com/34/47/3447723.html

Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods in Education.

London: Routledge.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed

methods approache (3rd ed). London: Sage Publications.

Cryer, D., & Burchinal, M. (1997). Parents as child care consumers. Early

Childhood Research Quarterly, 12, 35-58.

Cryer, D., Tietze, W., & Wessels, H. (2002). Parents‟ perceptions of their

children‟s child care: A cross-national comparison. Early Childhood

Research Quarterly, 17, 259-277. da Silva, L., & Wise, S. (2006). Parent perspectives on childcare service quality

among a culturally diverse sample. Australian Journal of Early Childhood,

31(3), 6-14.

Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., & Pence, A. (1999). Beyond quality in early childhood

education and care: Postmodern perspectives. London: Falmer.

121

Danner, L. R. (2012). Parental involvement and level of parent satisfaction in a

summer enrichment program. Electronic thesis retrieved on March 5th,

2014 from http://marshall.edu.etd.masters/danner-leslie-2012-eds.pdf

Duo, D. P. (2007). Parents‟ attitudes toward kindergarten assessment and selection

in Taiwan: a study using government-identified quality factors.

Unpublished PhD Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University.

Fantuzzo, J., Perry, M. A. & Childs, S. (2006). Parent satisfaction with

educational experiences scale: A multivariate examination of parent

satisfaction with early childhood education programs. Early Childhood

Research Quarterly, 21, 142-152.

Fogelman, K., & Comber, C. (2009). Surveys and Sampling. In A. R. J. Briggs &

M. Coleman (Eds.), Research methods in educational leadership and

management (pp. 125-141). London: Sage Publications.

Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2009). How to design and evaluate research in

education. Boston: McGraw-Hill Publishers

Friedman, B., Bobrowski, P., & Markow, D. (2007). Predictors of parents‟

satisfaction with their children‟s school. Journal of Educational

Administration, 45(3), 278-288.

Gormley, J., William T., Gayer, T., Phillips, D., & Dawson, B. (2005). The effects

of universal pre-K on cognitive development. Developmental Psychology,

41(6), 872-884. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.41.6.872

122

Government of Kenya. (2010). Economic survey 2010. Kenya National Bureau of

Statistics.

Ham, L. & Hayduk, S. (2003). Gaining competitive advantages in higher

education: analyzing the gap between expectations and perceptions of

service quality. International Journal of Value-Based Management, 16 (3),

223-242.

Harms, T., Clifford, C. M., & Cryer, D. (1998). Early Childhood Environment

Rating Scales-Revised Edition (ECERS-R). New York: Teachers College

Press.

Howe, N., Jacobs, E., Vukelich, G. & Recchia, H. (2013). Canadian parents‟

knowledge and satisfaction regarding their child‟s day-care experience.

Journal of Early Childhood Research, 11 (2), 133–148.

Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Pianta, R., Bryant, D., Early, D., Clifford, R., &

Barbarin, O. (2008). Ready to learn? Children‟s pre-academic achievement

in pre-Kindergarten programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly,

23(1), 27-50.

İncesu, G., & Aşıkgil, B. (2012). An evaluation of the relationship between

service quality in primary education and parent satisfaction. International

Journal of Business and Management, 7 (18), 92-98.

Ishimine, K., Tayler, C. & Bennett, J. (2010). Quality and Early Childhood

Education and Care: A Policy Initiative for the 21st Century. International

Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 4(2), 67-80.

123

Ishimine, K.; Tayler, C., & Thorpe, K (2009). Accounting for quality in Australian

childcare: A dilemma for policymakers. Journal of Education Policy,

24(6), 717–732.

Jackson, S. L. (2009). Research methods and statistics: A critical thinking

approach (3rd ed.). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.

Jang, L. F. (2008). Taiwanese parents' perceptions of child care quality and

decision-making and selection processes. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Texas

Woman's University.

Jinnah, H. A., & Walters, L.H. (2008). Including Parents in Evaluation of a Child

Development Program: Relevance of Parental Involvement. Early

Childhood Research and Practice. Retrieved October 10, 2012, from

http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v10n1/jinnah.html

Kameka, G., Mohamed, A., Missani, B., & Salakana, L. (2005). Tanzania:

Country Report. Early Childhood Development Virtual University

(ECDVU). Retrieved June 12, 2012, from

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/tanzania.asp

Katunzi, N. B., & Mhaiki, O. P. (2003). Curriculum Issues in Early Childhood

Development: The case of Tanzania. The Tanzania Education Journal,

21(1), 31-39.

Katz, L. (1993). Multiple perspectives on the quality of early childhood programs.

ERIC Document Reproduction Service No: ED355 041.

124

Keiningham, T. L., Aksoy, L., Andreassen, T. W., & Estrin, D. (2006) Does

Parent Satisfaction with a Childcare Provider Matter for Loyalty? Journal

of Consumer Marketing, 23(7), 470-479.

Koech, P. K. (2010). Parent-teacher partnership for enhancing pre-school

children's education in Uashin Gishu District, Kenya. Unpublished PhD

thesis, Kenyatta University.

Kohl, G. O., Lengua, L. J. & McMahon, R. J. (2000). Parent involvement in

school conceptualizing multiple dimensions and their relations with family

and demographc risk factors. Journal of School Psychology, 38(6), 501-

523.

Kreider, H. (2002). Getting parents “ready” for kindergarten: The role of early

childhood education. Amherst, MA: Harvard Family Research Project.

Retrieved June 18, 2012, from

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/kreider.ht

ml

Lamb, M. E, & Ahnert, L. (2006). Non-parental child care: context, concepts,

correlates, and consequences. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.),

Handbook of Child Psychology: Vol. 4. Child Psychology in Practice. (pp.

950–1016). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

125

Lee, H., Lee, Y., & Yoo. D. (2000). The determinants of perceived service quality

and its relationship with satisfaction. Journal of Services Marketing, 14

(3), 217-231.

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2001). Qualitative research, planning and design.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Legg, K.D. (2009). Parent satisfaction with Marshall University‟s summer

enrichment program. Years four and five. Electronic thesis retrieved on

March 5th, 2014 from http://marshall.edu.etd.masters/legg-kimberly-2009-

eds.pdf

Lewin, K. M. (2008). Strategies for sustainable financing of secondary education

in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Human Development Series. Working Paper

No 136. World Bank, Washington.

Lewis, C., & Lamb, M. (2003). Fathers‟ influences on children‟s development: the

evidence from two-parent families. European Journal of Psychology of

Education, 18, 211–228.

Liang, P. (2001). Parents perceived quality of and satisfaction with early

childhood programs: A study of Taiwanese parents who have a child

enrolled in Kindergarten. Dissertation Abstracts International, 62(07),

2338. (UMI No. 3020489).

Lin, C.H., Liu, E.Z.F., & Huang, Y. Y. (2012). Exploring parents‟ perceptions

towards educational robots: Gender and socio-economic differences.

British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(1), 31-34.

126

Magnuson, K. A., & Waldfogel, J. (2005). Early childhood care and education:

Effects on ethnic and racial gaps in school readiness. The Future of

Children, 15(1), 169-196.

Makol-Abdul, P., Nurullah., Iman, S. & Rahman, S. (2009). Parents‟ attitudes

towards inclusion of sexuality education in Malaysian schools.

International Journal about Parents in Education, 3(1), 42-56.

Marshall, N. L. (2004). The Quality of Early Child Care and Children's

Development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(4), 165-

168.

Mashburn, A. J. (2008). Quality of social and physical environments in preschools

and children's development of academic, language, and literacy skills.

Applied Developmental Science, 12(3), 103-127.

Mashburn, A. J., & Pianta, R. (2010). Opportunity in early education: Improving

teacher-child interactions and child outcomes. In A. Reynolds, A. Rolnick,

M. Englund, & J. Temple (Eds.), Childhood Programs and Practices in the

First Decade of Life: A Human Capital Integration (pp. 243-265). New

York: Cambridge University Press.

Mashburn, A. J., Pianta, R. C., Hamre, B. K., Downer, J. T., Barbarian, O.A.,

Bryant, D., Burchinal, M., Early, D. M., & Howes, C. (2008). Measures of

classroom quality in prekindergarten and children‟s development of

academic, language and social skills. Child Development, 79(3), 732–749.

127

Mbise, A. S. (2008). Early childhood service delivery mapping and baseline study

in Bagamoyo, Hai, Magu and Mtwara: Summary of findings and

recommendations. Dar es Salaam: Ministry of Education and Vocational

Training.

Mc-Farland-Piazza, L., & Saunders, R. (2012). Hands on parent support in

positive guidance: Early childhood professionals as mentors. Australasian

Journal of Early Childhood, 37 (1) 65-73.

Mejer, L., Turchetti, P., & Eric G. (2011). Population and social conditions.

Eurostat Statistics in focus. Retrieved October 11, 2012 from

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/education/data/database

Menon, A. (2013). Barriers to parental involvement in early childhood education

classrooms in Mumbai slums as perceived by parents. Literacy Information

and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), 2 (2), 1314-1318.

Milbourn, G. J. (1998). Quality service makes happy customers and greater

profits. Business Forum, 23(4), 15-18.

Ministry of Education and Culture. (1995). Education and Training Policy. Dar es

Salaam: Ministry of Education and Culture.

MoEVT. (2010a). Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania (BEST) 2006-2010

National Data. Dar es Salaam: Ministry of Education and Vocational

Training.

MoEVT. (2010b). The quality of teaching and learning in Tanzanian pre-school

and pre-primary Classrooms (for children aged 3-5 and aged 5-6): A

128

Rapid Appraisal Baseline Study. Dar es Salaam: Ministry of Education and

Vocational Training.

Mooney, A., Cameron, C., Candappa, M., McQuail, S., Moss, P., & Petrie, P.

(2003). Early years and childcare international evidence project: Quality.

London: Sure Start.

Mosha, H. J. (2000). Conceptualizing quality of education. In J. Galabawa, J.

Senkoro & A. Lwaitama (Eds.). The Quality of Education in Tanzania:

Issues and Experiences (pp. 1 – 18). Dar-es-Salaam: Institute of Kiswahili

Research.

Mtahabwa, L. (2001). Strategies for Promoting Family-Preschool Partnership in

Tanzania: Focus on Holistic Preschool Education. Unpublished MA.

Dissertation. Faculty of Education, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es

salaam.

Mtahabwa, L. (2007). Pre-primary educational policy and practice in Tanzania:

Observations from urban and rural pre-primary schools. Unpublished PhD

Thesis, The University of Hong Kong.

Muganda, B. M. (2003). Perceptions of early childhood education quality in

Kenya: A case study of community preschools in Lurambi division,

Kakamega district, Kenya. Unpublished PhD Thesis, National and

Kapodistrian University of Athens.

129

Mwinuka, C. (2001). The Quality of Preschool Education in Tanzania: A

Comparison of the Government and Montessori Training –Teaching

Systems. Unpublished MA.Ed. Thesis, University of Dar es Salaam.

Mwoma, B. T. (2009). Paternal involvement in children's education: an

implication of children's performance at preschool in Gucha District,

Kenya. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Kenyatta University.

Myers, R. G. (2001). In search of early childhood indicators. In Coordinators’

Notebook, No. 25. Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and

Development. Washington, DC: World Bank.

Myers, R. G. (2004). In search of quality in programmes of early childhood care

and education (ECCE). Paper commissioned for the EFA Global

Monitoring Report 2005: The Quality Imperative. Retrieved June 14, 2012,

from http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php

Ndani, M. (2007). Impacts of community participation on preschool teacher

motivation and physical learning environment in Thika district, Kenya.

Unpublished PhD Thesis, Kenyatta University.

Nelliah, M . O. (2012). Assessment of parents‟ level of satisfaction with the

quality of pre-school education in Lang‟ata district, Nairobi County,

Kenya. Unpublished M. Ed. Thesis, Kenyatta University.

Noble, K. (2007). Complexities and compromises. Australian Journal of Early

Childhood, 32(1), 24-29.

130

OECD. (2006). Starting strong II: Early childhood education and care. Paris:

OECD.

Ojo, O. (2010). The Relationship between service quality and customer

satisfaction in the telecommunication industry: Evidence from Nigeria.

Broad Research in Accounting, Negotiation, and Distribution (BRAND), 1

(1), 88-100.

Oketch, M., Mutisya, M., Ngware M., Ezrah, A., Epari, C. (2010). Pupil school

mobility in Urban Kenya. International Journal of Educational Research,

49(6), 173-183.

Olaleye O, Florence, O & Omotayo, K. A. (2009). Assessment of Quality in Early

Childhood Education in Ekiti-State Nigeria. World Applied Sciences

Journal, 7(5), 683-688.

Omar, N. A., Nazri, M. A., Abu, N. K., & Omar, Z. (2009). Parents‟ Perceived

Service Quality, Satisfaction and Trust of a Childcare Centre: Implication

on Loyalty (2009). International Review of Business Research Papers,

5(5), 299-314.

Omondi, A. M. (2013). Parental satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary

education in Bondo District, Siaya County, Kenya. Unpublished M. Ed

Thesis, Kenyatta University.

Orodho, J. A. (2009). Elements of education and social science research methods.

(2nd ed.). Maseno-Kenya: Kanezja Publisher.

131

Phillipson, B. (2008). Low Cost Private Education-Impacts on Achieving

Universal Primary Education. Commonwealth Secretariat.

Protheroe, N. (2006). Readiness for kindergarten: What schools can do. Principal

86 (1) 32-36.

Qiu, H. F. (2004). The study of parental consumer decision making behavior of

kindergarten in Taipei and Kaohsiung. Unpublished Master's Thesis,

National Ping-Tung University of Science and Technology, Ping-Tung,

Taiwan.

Raikes, H., Wilcox, B., Peterson, C., & Edwards, C. (2005). Parent perceptions of

child care choice and quality in four states. Publications of the Center on

Children, Families, and the Law (and related organizations). Paper

14.Retrieved November 06, 2012 from

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ccflpubs/14

Räty, H., Jaukka, P., & Kasanen, K. (2004). Parents‟ satisfaction with their child‟s

first year of school. Social Psychology of Education, 7, 463–479.

Rivas, S. & Sobrino, A. (2011). Determining quality of early childhood education

programmes in Spain: A case study. Revista de Educación, DOI: 10-

4438/1988-592X-RE-2011-355-024, 257-283.

Salisbury, D. F., Branson, R. K., Altreche, W. I., Funk, F. F., & Broetzmann, S.

M. (1997). Applying customer dissatisfaction measures to schools: you

better know what‟s wrong before you try to fix it. Educational Policy,

11(3), 286-308.

132

Santrock, J. W. (2007). Child Development. Eleventh edition. NY: McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc.

Shavega, T., Brugman, D. & Van Tuijl, C. (2014). Children's behavioral

adjustment in pre-primary schools in Tanzania: A multilevel approach.

Early Education and Development, 25 (3), 356-380.

Sims, M. Guilfoyle, A & Parry, (2006). The determinants of quality care: review

and research report. Report funded by Lotterywest.

Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Taggart, B. (2004).

The effective provision of pre-school education (EPPE) project: Findings

from Pre-school to end of Key Stage 1. Retrieved June 16, 2012, from

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/

Teleki, J. K., & Buck-Gomez, S. (2002). Child Care and Early Education:

Satisfaction with Services among Rural Families. Early Childhood

Education Journal, 29 (3), 161-166.

Thao, D (2000). Hmong parents‟ perceptions toward their children‟s education in

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Unpublished Master‟s of Science Thesis,

University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Thill, A. M. (2004). Parents Perceptions of the Care their Child Receives in Child

Care Facilities in Barron County Wisconsin. Unpublished Master‟s of

Science Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Stout.

133

Tooley, J. and Dixon, P. (2005). Private education is good for the poor a study of

private schools serving the poor in low-income countries. CATO Institute:

Washington DC.

Toor, K. K.(2012). A study of the attitude of teachers, parents and adolescents

towards sex education. MIER Journal of Educational Studies, Trends &

Practices, 2(2), 177-189.

Torquati, J. C., Raikes, H. H., Huddleston-Casas, C. A., Bovaird, J. A. & Harris,

B. A. (2011). Family income, parent education, and perceived constraints

as predictors of observed program quality and parent rated program

quality. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26(4), 453-464.

UNESCO. (2004). EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005: Education for All - The

Quality Imperative. Paris: UNESCO.

UNESCO .(2012). Education for All Global Monitoring Report: Policy Paper 03.

Paris: UNESCO.

UNICEF. (2009). Child-Friendly Schools: Emerging Practices in Eastern and

Southern Africa. A Human Rights-Based Approach. ESARO, Nairobi:

Kenya.

URT. (2004). Dar es salaam city profile. Document prepared by Dar es Salaam

City Council with advice from cities and health programme, WHO centre

for development. Kobe: Japan.

134

URT. (2010). Dar es salaam region strategic plan for 2010/11- 2012/2013. Dar es

Salaam regional commissioner‟s office; Prime Minister‟s Office, Regional

Administration and Local Government.

URT. (2011). Operational Guidelines and Minimum Standards for Integrated

Early Childhood Development in Tanzania. Dar es Salaam: Ministry of

Education and Vocational Training.

URT. (2012). Dar es Salaam region: Primary Education Development Plan

(PEDP): Implementation report for the period of April – June, 2012. Dar

es Salaam: Prime Minister‟s office, Regional Administration and Local

Government.

URT. (2013). 2012 Population and housing census. Dar es Salaam: National

Bureau of statistics, Ministry of Finance.

Werner, G., Kelley, T., & Rogers, G. (2011). Perceptions of Indiana parents

related to project lead the way. Journal of Stem Teacher Education, 48 (2),

137-154.

Woodhead, M. (1996). In search of the rainbow: Pathways to quality in large

programmes for young disadvantaged children. The Hague: Bernard van

Leer Foundation.

135

Appendices

Appendix A

Cover Letter for Parents (Information about the study)

Dear parents, I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Early Childhood Studies at Kenyatta University, Kenya. I am conducting a study on parents‟ perceptions of quality and satisfaction with pre-primary education in Dar es salaam region, Tanzania. The purpose of this study is to understand parents‟ perceptions of quality and levels of satisfaction so that information may be used to provide feedback to the government and other service providers for improving the schools in future.

The attached questionnaire is collecting information for research purposes only. There is no right or wrong answer; you only need to answer the questions based on your own opinion. Your personal information and response will be confidential; the researcher will not pass any detail to any other person, or organisation. Please seal your complete questionnaire in the enclosed envelope, and return that envelope to the class teacher or give your child to return it to school in 7 days.

Thank you,

Yours sincerely,

Daphina Libent, PhD candidate, Kenyatta University.

136

Appendix B

Habari Kuhusu Utafiti

Mpendwa Mzazi, Mimi ni mwanafunzi wa shahada ya uzamivu katika Idara ya Masomo ya Malezi, Makuzi na Maendeleo ya Awali ya Mtoto katika Chuo Kikuu cha Kenyatta, Kenya. Ninafanya utafiti kuhusu mitazamo ya wazazi juu ya ubora wa elimu ya awali na kama wanaridhika na ubora wa elimu ya awali itolewayo kwa watoto wao katika mkoa wa Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Madhumuni ya utafiti huu ni kuelewa mitazamo ya wazazi juu ya ubora wa elimu ya awali na viwango vya kuridhika na ubora wa elimu ya awali, ili taarifa zitakazo patikana ziweze kutumika kutoa maoni kwa serikali na watoa huduma wengine kwa ajili ya kuboresha shule za awali katika siku zijazo.

Dodoso hili linakusanya taarifa kwa ajili ya shughuli za kitafiti tu. Hakuna jibu sahihi au lisilo sahihi, unachotakiwa kufanya ni kujibu swali kulingana na maoni yako. Taarifa zako binafsi na majibu utakayoyatoa yatabaki kuwa siri; mtafiti hata toa taarifa zako kwa mtu mwingine yeyote au shirika lolote. Tafadhali lifungie dodoso lililokwisha kujazwa katika bahasha iliyoambatanishwa. Rudisha bahasha iliyofungwa kwa mwalimu wa darasa au mpatie mtoto wako airudishe shuleni ndani ya siku 7.

Asante,

Wako,

Daphina Libent, Mwanafunzi wa Shahada ya Udaktari wa Falsafa, Chuo Kikuu cha Kenyatta.

137

Appendix C

Informed Consent Form

1. The title of this research is “Parents‟ perceptions of quality and satisfaction with pre-primary education in Dar es salaam, Tanzania”.

2. The purpose of this study is to understand parents‟ perceptions of quality and levels of satisfaction with pre-primary education programs so that findings could provide ideas for improving the schools in future.

3. If you agree to take part in this research, you will respond to four parts in the questionnaire, the first part is your background information, the second part is your perceptions of pre-primary school quality, the third part is your satisfaction with pre-primary schools and the fourth part is your opinions and suggestions for quality improvement.

4. Your answers and personal information will remain confidential and will be used for research only.

5. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in this study.

6. Completion and return of the questionnaire is considered as an implied consent to participate in this study. Please keep this form for your records.

7. Your decision to participate in this research is voluntary. If you have any concern or question, please feel free to contact:

Daphina Libent, Department of Early Childhood Studies, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844, Nairobi, Kenya. Mobile: +254 706 246860 (Kenya); +255 762 056661 or +255 715 692009 (Tanzania).

E-mail: [email protected]

138

Appendix D

Fomu ya Idhini ya Kushiriki

1. Utafiti huu unahusu mitazamo ya wazazi juu ya ubora wa elimu ya awali na kama wanaridhika na ubora wa elimu ya awali itolewayo kwa watoto wao katika mkoa wa Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

2. Madhumuni ya utafiti huu ni kuelewa mitazamo ya wazazi juu ya ubora wa elimu ya awali na viwango vya kuridhika na ubora wa elimu ya awali, ili taarifa zitakazo patikana ziweze kutumika kutoa maoni kwa ajili ya kuboresha shule za awali katika siku zijazo.

3. Kama unakubali kushiriki katika utafiti huu, unatakiwa kujibu sehemu nne katika hojaji, sehemu ya kwanza ni taarifa zako binafsi, sehemu ya pili ni mtazamo wako kuhusu ubora wa elimu ya awali, sehemu ya tatu ni kuridhika kwako na ubora wa elimu ya awali, na sehemu ya nne ni maoni na mapendekezo yako jinsi ya kuboresha elimu ya awali.

4. Majibu yako na taarifa zako binafsi zitabaki kuwa siri na zitatumika kwa ajili ya utafiti tu.

5. Yakupasa uwe na miaka 18 au zaidi ili kushiriki katika utafiti huu.

6. Kukamilika na kurudi kwa dodoso hili kutahesabiwa kuwa umeridhia kushiriki katika utafiti huu. Tafadhali baki na fomu hii kwa ajili ya kumbukumbu zako.

7. Uamuzi wako wa kushiriki katika utafiti huu ni hiari. Kama una wasiwasi au swali, tafadhali jisikie huru kuwasiliana na:

Daphina Libent, Idara ya Masomo ya Malezi, Makuzi na Maendeleo ya Awali ya Mtoto, Chuo Kikuu cha Kenyatta, S. L.P. 43844, Nairobi, Kenya. Simu: +254 706 246860 (Kenya); +255 762 056661 au +255 715 692009 (Tanzania).

Barua Pepe: [email protected]

139

Appendix E

Questionnaire for Parents

Dear Parent, The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather information about your perceptions of quality and satisfaction with the quality of pre-primary education. The questionnaire comprises of four parts: (I) Demographic information, (II) perceived quality of pre-primary education program, (III) satisfaction with quality of pre- primary education, and (IV) opinions and suggestions for quality improvement. All your answers will remain confidential; your responses will not be reported to any other person except the researcher. Your cooperation will be highly appreciated.

Part I: Demographic Information

Instructions: Do not write your name. This part relates to your personal information. Please put a tick (√) in the box that is most accurate for you.

1. Age: (a) 18-30 � (b) 31-40 � (c) 41-50 � (d)More than 50 � 2. Gender: (a) Male � (b) Female � 3. Highest education level: (a) Lower than standard seven � (b) Primary Certificate � (c) Secondary Certificate � (d) College Diploma � (e) University Degree � 4. Your child is attending: (a) Public pre-primary school � (b) Private pre- primary school �

Part II: Perceived Quality of the Pre-Primary Education

Directions: The following questions determine your perceptions of the quality of pre-primary school education that your child is receiving. Please indicate your opinion of the level of school quality by circling the appropriate number that best represents your perceptions.

KEY: Strongly Agree (SA) = 4, Agree (A) = 3, Disagree (D) = 2, Strongly Disagree (SD) =1

140

S/N Items measuring quality indicators SA A D SD 1 There is adequate indoor space. 4 3 2 1 2 Classroom learning materials like textbooks, 4 3 2 1 pictures, charts are available. 3 Classroom furniture (tables, desks, chairs) are 4 3 2 1 available. 4 There is adequate outdoor space. 4 3 2 1 5 Outdoor play equipment are sufficient. 4 3 2 1 6 Toilets are available. 4 3 2 1 7 Toilets are hygienic. 4 3 2 1 8 Water is available. 4 3 2 1 9 Teacher to child ratio is lower than 1:25. 4 3 2 1 10 Number of children in class is less than 25. 4 3 2 1 11 Teachers have some ECE training. 4 3 2 1 12 Teachers have some working experience with young 4 3 2 1 children. 13 Teachers are warm and patient. 4 3 2 1 14 Teachers are willing to help children to solve their 4 3 2 1 problems. 15 Appropriate activities which are stimulating and 4 3 2 1 developmentally appropriate are offered. 16 Parents-teacher meetings are held to discuss children‟s 4 3 2 1 progress at least once a year or at parents‟ request.

17 Parents are involved in decision making roles about 4 3 2 1 improving the school. 18 Parents are involved in academic activities like 4 3 2 1 (storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials for children‟s learning).

141

Part III: Satisfaction with the Quality of Pre-primary Education

Directions: The following questions ask for your level of satisfaction with the quality of your child‟s pre-primary school. Respond by indicating 4 = Very Satisfied (VS), 3 = Satisfied (S), 2 = Unsatisfied (U) and 1= Very Unsatisfied (VU) S/N Items measuring satisfaction indicators VS S U VU 1 Adequacy of indoor space. 4 3 2 1 2 Available classroom learning materials like 4 3 2 1 textbooks, pictures and charts. 3 Available classroom furniture (tables, desks, chairs). 4 3 2 1 4 Adequacy of outdoor space. 4 3 2 1 5 Sufficiency of outdoor play equipment. 4 3 2 1 6 Available toilets. 4 3 2 1 7 Toilets hygienic. 4 3 2 1 8 Availability of water. 4 3 2 1 9 Teacher - child ratio. 4 3 2 1 10 Number of children in class. 4 3 2 1 11 Teachers working experience with young children. 4 3 2 1 12 Teachers‟ behaviour (warm and patient). 4 3 2 1 13 Teachers helping children to solve their problems. 4 3 2 1 14 Activities are stimulating and developmentally 4 3 2 1 appropriate. 15 Holding of parent-teacher meetings to discuss 4 3 2 1 children‟s progress at least once a year or at parents‟ request. 16 Involvement of parents in decision making to 4 3 2 1 improve the school. 17 Involvement of parents in academic activities like 4 3 2 1 (storytelling, field trips or collection of local materials for children‟s learning).

142

Part IV: Opinions and Suggestions for Quality Improvement

1. Please write what you think should be done to improve the quality of pre- primary education in your child‟s school.

i. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………….…………………………… ii. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… iii. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… iv. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………

Thank you for your time and cooperation. Please return the questionnaire with the sealed envelope to the class teacher or give your child to return to school in 7 days.

143

Appendix F

Dodoso Kwa Wazazi

Mpendwa Mzazi, Dhumuni la dodoso hili ni kukusanya taarifa kuhusu mtazamo wako juu ya ubora wa elimu ya awali na kama unaridhika na ubora wa elimu ya awali itolewayo kwa mtoto wako. Dodoso hili lina sehemu nne: (I) Taarifa zako binafsi, (II) Mtazamo wako kuhusu ubora wa elimu ya awali, (III) Kuridhika na ubora wa elimu ya awali, na (IV) Maoni na mapendekezo ya jinsi ya kuboresha elimu ya awali. Majibu yako yatakuwa siri na hayata taarifiwa kwa mtu mwingine yeyote zaidi ya mtafiti. Nitashukuru sana kwa ushirikiano wako.

Sehemu ya I: Taarifa Binafsi

Maelekezo: Usiandike jina lako. Sehemu hii inahusu taarifa zako binafsi. Tafadhali weka alama ya vema (√) kwenye kisanduku unachoona ni sahihi kwako.

1. Umri wako (a) 18 -30 � (b) 31-40 � (c) 41-50 � (d) Zaidi ya 50 � 2. Jinsia yako: (a) Mwanaume � (b) Mwanamke � 3. Kiwango chako cha Elimu: (a) Chini ya darasa la saba � (b) Cheti cha elimu ya msingi � (c) Cheti cha elimu ya sekondari � (d) Stashahada � (e) Shahada ya chuo kikuu � 4. Mtoto wako anasoma: (a) Shule ya awali ya umma� (b) Shule ya awali ya binafsi �

Sehemu ya II: Mtazamo Kuhusu Ubora wa Elimu ya Awali

Maelekezo: Maswali yafuatayo yanauliza mtazamo wako kuhusu ubora wa elimu ya awali inayotolewa kwa mtoto wako. Tafadhali onesha ni kwa kiwango gani unakubaliana au haukubaliani na sentensi zifuatazo kwa kuzungushia namba husika kuhusu mtazamo wako juu ya ubora wa elimu ya awali.

Maelekezo: Nakubaliana Kabisa (NK) = 4, Nakubaliana (N) =3, Sikubaliani (S) =2, Sikubaliani Kabisa (SK) =1

144

Na. Maswali kuhusu Mtazamo wa Ubora NK N S SK 1 Mazingira ya ndani ya darasa yana nafasi ya 4 3 2 1 kutosha. 2 Nyenzo za kujifunzia darasani kama vitabu, picha, 4 3 2 1 chati zipo. 3 Fenicha za darasani (meza, madawati, viti) zipo. 4 3 2 1 4 Mazingira ya nje ya darasa yana nafasi ya kutosha. 4 3 2 1 5 Vifaa vya kuchezea nje ya darasa vipo vya kutosha. 4 3 2 1 6 Vyoo vipo 4 3 2 1 7 Vyoo ni visafi. 4 3 2 1 8 Maji yapo. 4 3 2 1 9 Uwiano kati ya mwalimu na wanafunzi ni 1:25 4 3 2 1 (yaani mwalimu 1 anafundisha wanafunzi 25). 10 Idadi ya wanafunzi kwenye darasa ni chini ya 25. 4 3 2 1 11 Waalimu wana mafunzo kuhusu elimu ya malezi na 4 3 2 1 makuzi ya watoto wadogo 12 Waalimu wanao uzoefu wa kufanya kazi na watoto 4 3 2 1 wadogo. 13 Waalimu ni wasikivu na wavumilivu. 4 3 2 1 14 Waalimu wako tayari kuwasaidia watoto kutatua 4 3 2 1 matatizo yao. 15 Watoto wanapatiwa shughuli mwafaka zinazo 4 3 2 1 chochea ukuaji sahihi wa kimaendeleo. 16 Mikutano ya wazazi na walimu inafanyika kujadili 4 3 2 1 maendeleo ya watoto angalau mara moja kwa mwaka au kwa ombi la wazazi. 17 Wazazi wanashirikishwa kufanya maamuzi kuhusu 4 3 2 1 kuboresha shughuli za shule. 18 Wazazi wanashirikishwa katika shughuli za 4 3 2 1 kitaaluma kama (kusimulia hadithi, safari za kitaaluma, au ukusanyaji wa vifaa vya kienyeji kwa ajili ya watoto kujifunzia).

145

Sehemu ya III: Kuridhika na Ubora wa Elimu ya Awali

Maelekezo: Maswali yafuatayo yanaulizia juu ya kiwango chako cha kuridhika na ubora wa shule ya awali ya mtoto wako. Jibu kwa kuonesha 4 = Naridhika Sana (NS); 3 = Naridhika (N); 2 = Siridhiki (S) na 1= Siridhiki Sana (SS) Na. Maswali kuhusu Kuridhishwa na Ubora NS N S SS 1 Nafasi ya kutosha ndani ya darasa. 4 3 2 1 2 Uwepo wa nyenzo za kujifunzia darasani kama 4 3 2 1 vitabu, picha, chati. 3 Uwepo wa fenicha za darasani (meza, madawati, 4 3 2 1 viti). 4 Nafasi ya kutosha ya mazingira ya nje ya darasa. 4 3 2 1 5 Uwepo wa vifaa vya kutosha vya kuchezea nje ya 4 3 2 1 darasa. 6 Uwepo wa vyoo. 4 3 2 1 7 Usafi wa vyoo. 4 3 2 1 8 Uwepo wa maji. 4 3 2 1 9 Uwiano kati ya mwalimu na wanafunzi. 4 3 2 1 10 Idadi ya wanafunzi kwenye darasa. 4 3 2 1 11 Uzoefu wa waalimu wa kufanya kazi na watoto 4 3 2 1 wadogo. 12 Usikivu na uvumilivu wa waalimu. 4 3 2 1 13 Waalimu kuwasaidia watoto kutatua matatizo yao. 4 3 2 1 14 Shughuli zitolewazo kwa watoto zinazo chochea 4 3 2 1 ukuaji sahihi wa kimaendeleo. 15 Ufanyikaji wa mikutano kati ya wazazi na walimu 4 3 2 1 kujadili maendeleo ya watoto angalau mara moja kwa mwaka au kwa ombi la wazazi. 16 Ushirikishwaji wa wazazi katika kufanya maamuzi 4 3 2 1 kuhusu kuboresha shughuli za shule. 17 Ushirikishwaji wa wazazi katika shughuli za 4 3 2 1 kitaaluma kama (kusimulia hadithi, safari za kitaaluma, au ukusanyaji wa vifaa vya kienyeji kwa ajili ya watoto kujifunzia).

146

Sehemu ya IV: Maoni na Mapendekezo kwa ajili ya Uboreshaji

Tafadhali andika ni kwa jinsi gani unafikiri elimu ya awali inaweza kuboreshwa shuleni kwa mtoto wako. 1. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… 2. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… 3. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… 4. ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………

Asante kwa muda wako na ushirikiano. Tafadhali rudisha dodoso katika bahasha iliyofungwa kwa mwalimu wa darasa au mpatie mtoto wako airudishe shuleni ndani ya siku 7.

147

Appendix G

Map of Dar es Salaam Region

Key:

Kinondoni District Ilala District Temeke

District

148

Appendix H Frequencies and Percentages of Parents Opinions and Suggestions for Quality Improvements Parents opinions for quality improvement Response Percent of N Percent Cases Teacher-child ratio should be improved. 296 16.3% 42.3% Teachers should have ECE training. 52 2.9% 7.4% Tuition fees and other contributions should be 40 2.2% 5.7% reduced. Classroom furniture should be improved. 48 2.6% 6.9% School environment should be spacious, clean and 144 7.9% 20.6% safe. Children should not be forced to attend remedial 24 1.3% 3.4% classes (tuition). Teaching/Learning materials should be available and 348 19.2% 49.7% relevant. Play grounds and materials should be available. 232 12.8% 33.1% Children who do well should be motivated. 4 0.2% 0.6% Parents‟ involvement- holding teacher-parent meetings; but should not be for providing 244 13.4% 34.9% information about raising and payment of fees. Number of subjects to be reduced to at least three - 204 11.2% 29.1% curriculum reviewed. Children should be taught through play rather than 48 2.6% 6.9% writing. Pre-primary schools should be inspected regularly. 20 1.1% 2.9% Pre-primary school should have its own management 16 0.9% 2.3% and not be under primary school. Pre-primary teachers should be motivated. 64 3.5% 9.1% Meals should be provided to pre-primary pupils. 32 1.8% 4.6% Total 1816 100.0% 259.4%

149

Appendix I

150

Appendix J

151

Appendix K

152

Appendix L

153