By Hamad Rashid
A certificate, a small recognition pin and a simple acknowledgement from school management may appear modest, for Teacher Stella Mchome, however, they have become a powerful source of motivation.
Standing among her colleagues at Mazinyungu Secondary School in Kilosa District, Mchome has a clear reason to feel proud, out of 217 students she taught, 95 percent achieved success, with only one student unable to complete the expected performance because of illness.
Her efforts did not go unnoticed.
The school recognised her performance by awarding her a certificate and a feather pin a gesture that Mchome says gave her renewed energy to continue improving her work.
“I was very happy, this recognition has added to my motivation and encouraged me to perform even better for my students,” says Mchome.
It was not the first time she had been recognised after performing well in her class the previous year, the school again acknowledged her efforts.
For Mchome, the repeated recognition has become more than a reward it has created a sense that her work in the classroom matters.
On the right is Madam Mchome receiving a gift from a member of the School Board during the teachers’ celebration ceremony in 2026.
Recognition that reaches the classroom
For students, the effects of motivated teachers can be seen in the way lessons are conducted.
Wilifred Maganga, a Form Four student at Mazinyungu Secondary School, describes Mchome as a teacher who makes Kiswahili lessons engaging through participatory approaches.
“She is a good Kiswahili teacher and helps students greatly, she also uses collaborative learning by putting students into groups so that they can work together,” says Maganga.
The classroom experience reflects a broader effort by the school to create an environment in which teachers are encouraged to perform, recognised for their achievements and supported in their professional responsibilities.
The approach comes at a time when teacher motivation remains a major concern across many education systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Research by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2020 found that many teachers in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly those working in rural schools, appeared to have lower levels of job satisfaction and were not sufficiently motivated.
The challenge is significant because teachers are at the centre of the learning process. Where teachers lack motivation, the consequences can extend beyond their own professional wellbeing to the quality of teaching and learning experienced by students.
Madam Mchome during the interview
A different approach to motivating teachers
At Mazinyungu Secondary School, which has a total of 1,053 students, the response has been to make teacher motivation part of the school’s everyday management approach.
Rather than relying only on instructions from school leadership, teachers are involved in discussions about performance targets, improvement strategies and the forms of recognition that can be used.
Masegese Robert, the school’s head, says the approach begins with teachers themselves.
“The best method among all those we use here, which I have found to be very effective, is one that starts with the teachers themselves. We collaborate in planning for better results and also agree on the kind of motivation we will use.”
“The school has established a system for recognising the best-performing teacher each month, alongside other forms of recognition for good performance. It has also introduced free Wi-Fi for teachers, adding another layer of support to the school’s working environment” Masegese added.
For the school leadership, these efforts are not simply about making teachers feel appreciated. They are linked to the broader objective of improving student achievement.
Masegese Robert, the school’s head
And the numbers tell part of the story.
In 2024, Mazinyungu Secondary School recorded a 53 percent pass rate in Form Four and 70 percent in Form Two. A year later, the Form Four pass rate had risen to 98 percent.
The school also moved from position 23 to position six among secondary schools in the district.
The improvement has strengthened the belief among school leaders and education stakeholders that a motivated teaching workforce can contribute significantly to better educational outcomes.
Motivation beyond financial rewards
While financial incentives form part of the broader discussion around teacher motivation, the experience at Mazinyungu suggests that recognition does not always have to come in the form of money.
A certificate, a public acknowledgement, professional support, access to resources and involvement in decision-making can all send a powerful message to teachers: their work is seen and valued.
That message is also reflected in the national policy environment.
In 2024, Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology developed the Teachers Incentivisation Guide, providing guidance on establishing systems for recognising and motivating teachers at community, ward, school and district levels.
The guidelines are intended to help different education stakeholders develop appropriate mechanisms for recognising teachers based on their contribution and performance.
At Mazinyungu, some of those principles are already taking shape.
A role for the district
The responsibility for teacher motivation does not stop at the school gate.
The Kilosa District education authorities have also been supporting initiatives aimed at recognising teachers whose work contributes to improved student performance.
Daniel Kisoso, the Academic Secondary Education Officer for Kilosa District, says TZS 5.3 million were provided as teacher incentives, with one million shillings contributed by the district education office for two teachers.
The approach focuses on recognising teachers whose efforts contribute to students’ success in particular subjects.
“We motivate a teacher who has helped students pass a particular subject. We use an approach that ensures every school recognises its top performer and provides motivation,” says Kisoso.
Daniel Kisoso, the Academic Secondary Education Officer for Kilosa District
When the community notices the difference
For parents and community members, improved academic performance provides perhaps the clearest evidence that something is changing.
Mawazo Mlondoye, a resident of Manzese A in Mkwatani Ward, has a child studying in Form Three at Mazinyungu Secondary School, he is also a member of the school board.
From his perspective, supporting teachers is an investment in the education of children.
“The teachers are working with great enthusiasm, and the evidence is in the examination results, we can see improvements in our children’s internal examinations as well as national examinations, this shows that the students are also working with enthusiasm,” says Mlondoye.
His observation points to a wider relationship between teachers, students, parents and school leadership.
Turning national guidance into action
The experience of Mazinyungu is part of a wider teacher motivation initiative being implemented in Tanzania.
The teacher motivation project is coordinated by the Tanzania Education Network (TEN/MET) across 10 regions of mainland Tanzania, with the Childhood Development Organization (CDO) serving as the implementing partner in Morogoro Region.
The project supports government efforts to implement the Teachers Incentivisation Guide by bringing education stakeholders together to strengthen systems of teacher recognition, motivation and professional development.
Innocent Rusomyo, a CDO Programme Officer involved in implementing the project, says the initiative is intended to strengthen the role of teachers in delivering quality and inclusive education.
“In collaboration with education stakeholders, we aim to strengthen recognition, motivation and professional development for teachers so that they can contribute to quality and inclusive education for all.”- Rusomyo
Rusomyo says the project will also facilitate or coordinate the establishment of teacher motivation committees. These committees will play an important role in developing criteria for recognising and rewarding teachers, while taking into account priorities and standards identified by the community.
The idea is to move teacher motivation away from being an occasional activity and towards becoming a structured part of school management and community participation.
The cost of an unmotivated teacher
The need for such efforts becomes clearer when viewed against previous research on teachers’ experiences.
Research conducted by Dr. Kitila Mkumbo in 2013 found that about one-third of teachers interviewed said they would not choose the teaching profession if they were given another opportunity to make a career choice.
That finding raises questions that go beyond individual teachers, if educators do not feel valued or motivated, how does that affect the quality of education delivered to millions of children?
Mazinyungu offers one possible response.
Its experience suggests that teacher motivation does not have to begin with expensive programmes. It can begin with recognition, participation, supportive leadership and an environment that allows teachers to see the connection between their efforts and the success of their students.
