Setbacks of Form One Orientation Programme in Secondary Schools: Lessons from Moshi Rural District, Tanzania

The study objective was to identify the specific setbacks of the Form One Orientation Programme in secondary schools within Moshi Rural. A mixed-methods study approach was employed, conducted in two phases: a qualitative and a quantitative phase, with an exploratory sequential design. Four secondary schools were involved, with a total of 37 participants, including 2 Heads of Schools (HOS), 1 District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO), and 2 Schools Quality Assurers (SQA) participated in phase one, and 32 teachers participated in phase two. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, unstructured observations and the closed-ended questionnaire. The study revealed key setbacks in implementing the Form One Orientation Programme, including the transfer of students during the Programme's implementation, managing overcrowded classrooms, late student reporting, and a lack of training for teachers and school heads in implementing and supervising the Programme. The study recommended future studies that could adopt a quantitative or mixed-methods approach, taking larger samples to assess the setbacks of the Form One Orientation Programme for the generalisation of findings and examine strategies for unlocking the barriers to the successful Form One Orientation Programme