Social-emotional learning (SEL) is increasingly seen as important for children's academic success-in a review of studies largely from the United States (Durlak et al., 2011) as well as in Tanzania (Mulcahy-Dunn et al., 2018)-and social adjustment. However, little scholarship has been devoted to SEL outside of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) contexts (Henrich et al., 2010). This narrow perspective leads to concerns-common in the field of psychological science as a whole (Arnett, 2016;Rad et al., 2018)-that the current understanding of SEL is not representative

This paper reports findings from the development of Language Supportive Biology Textbook (LSBT) for Form I students in Tanzanian secondary schools to address the challenge of language barrier to learning. The LSBT was thus developed to facilitate smooth transition from Kiswahili to English language medium of instruction in learning Biology. The study used a participatory action research design that involved 2 experts from Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), 2 Biology specialists from universities, 1 language specialist from UDOM, a total of 12 Biology teachers and Form I students from 12 rural secondary schools located in Dodoma, Lindi and Morogoro Regions in Tanzania. Accordingly, we designed and prototyped a Biology textbook that is language accessible, supportive and relevant to Tanzanian context. We presented Biology content using a variety of illustrations and Original Research Articlehands-on activities. The language features included English-Kiswahili glossary on each page and bilingual activities within which Kiswahili is used as a resource to learn English. Besides, the material has learning activities filled with examples drawn from the students' context. The study used classroom observations during prototyping process, analysis of experts' reviews, and the interviews with teachers and students to gather data to document the development and effectiveness of the LSBT. The overall findings indicated that students' interaction in learning through talking, negotiating meaning, forming sentences, and presenting biological facts increased than it was before. The paper recommends that it is necessary to use of action research that involves educational stakeholders to develop potential features of a language and pedagogical supportive textbooks for quality education.

Background Safe and healthy learning environment in pre-schools has received increased attention in promoting the well-being of pre-school children. However, pediatric injuries have remained one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality around the globe. Empowering pre-school teachers with first aid competencies have been identified as being of potential strategy against pediatric health burdens of problem. This study tested the effect of established pediatric first aid training on pre-school teachers’ knowledge, attitude, and intention to practice first aid management to pre-school children in Zanzibar.  Methods Uncontrolled quasi-experimental design with a quantitative research approach was conducted in Teachers’ Resource Centers among 120 preschool teachers at Pemba Island, Zanzibar. First aid training was facilitated based on the prescribed guidelines and standards of materials adapted from the American Academy of Pediatrics and implemented. The intervention was preceded by a baseline assessment using structured questionnaires adopted from previous studies that served as the main data collection tool. Results Participants’ mean age was 32 years ± 6.2 with 84.2% of the sample being females. Given the training, post-test findings demonstrated a significant increase (p < 0.01) in participants’ first aid management scores with mean differences of M = 15.08 ± 5.34 (Knowledge), M = 26.99 ± 6.587 (Attitude), and (M = 4.76 ± 0.648 (Intentional practice). Conclusion The established pediatric first aid training can enhance the spectrum of managing pediatric injuries among preschool teachers in Zanzibar. Ongoing public health services opportunities should be structured within teachers’ continuous learning against pediatric injuries in Zanzibar-Tanzania.

English is an important language in Tanzania and the world over. In Tanzania, it is a compulsory school subject in primary and lower secondary (i.e. Forms I to IV) education and a compulsory medium of instruction in secondary tertiary levels of education. However, several studies have consistently reported on low levels of English competence among students in secondary schools in Tanzania. The situation is more evident at the language transition class (Form I). This study aimed at mitigating the challenges encountered in learning English in Form I classes. The study established a School-Based Professional Development (SB-PD) program to improve competence in English among Form I students. Six (6) English teachers and thirty (30) Form I students from three secondary schools in Dodoma Region were involved in this study. The referred teachers formed a learning team and participated in a series of activities which were facilitated by researchers from the University of Dodoma (UDOM). The teachers worked together in developing short stories and other lesson materials, using them in lessons, observing and receiving feedback from colleagues. The teachers' competences developed during the program were assessed using interviews and observation of students'

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