Enhancing girls’ educational opportunities in rural Tanzanian secondary schools: pedagogical facilitators and constraints presented by male teachers

Purpose Understanding the educational setting and the impact of male teachers’ pedagogical instructions in classrooms can increase the chance for knowing how girls are supported or inhibited in learning opportunities. Many girls in rural secondary schools in Tanzania continue to achieve lower grades in their examinations than boys, attend school less frequently and drop out more frequently. This paper sought to explore male teachers’ pedagogical enablers or limitations towards girls’ learning opportunities in secondary schools in Tanzania. An ethnographic approach was adopted to investigate the research problem where observation, semi-structured interviews and documentaries were complementary in the data. Three male teachers were recruited for data collection. The findings of the study showed that male teachers portray positive perceptions towards education for girls. Design/methodology/approach An ethnographic approach was adopted to investigate the research problem where observation, semi-structured interviews and documentaries were complementary in the data. Three male teachers were recruited for data collection. Findings The findings of the study showed that male teachers portray positive perceptions towards education for girls. Research limitations/implications The data collection in a case study school was hampered by a short period of time, during which the outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted the school timetable, with schools closing for four months and teachers tightening their schedules to compensate for the lost time during the lockdown. I did my research project during COVID-19, when interactions with study participants were restricted to comply with COVID-19 standards, limiting our ability to freely speak while we sat for 20–40 min to lessen the danger of contracting the virus. Practical implications The study discovered that the case study school was overburdened with policy commitment, with teachers under pressure to finish their syllabi while trying to cover the listed themes and failing to provide solutions to address concerns of equality and equal opportunity for girls. The study found that teachers lack the essential skills and professional support to implement gender-responsive pedagogical instructions, as they rely on direct instructions rather than participatory methods to facilitate collaborative and constructive learning for both girls and boys. Originality/value The study offers new insights into girls' education scholarship, showing how male teachers' pedagogical practices can facilitate or constrain girls' learning opportunities in the school setting. Understanding male teachers’ pedagogical contributions is vital to promote greater gender equity for education opportunities for both girls and boys.