Needs for professional development: Perceptions of Tanzanian forestry experts

Forests are critical for Tanzania’s social, economic, and ecological well-being and sustainable development. Forests cover approximately half of Tanzania’s land cover (World Bank, 2023), and provide multiple services and benefits to the local population and economy (United Republic of Tanzania, 2020). Yet, as one-fifth of Tanzania’s forest cover, equalling a total of 116,450 square kilometres has been lost between 1990 and 2020 (World Bank, 2023), it is clear that the forestry sector requires improved management.

Forestry education plays a key role in generating new generations of forestry experts, researchers, entrepreneurs, and other forestry practitioners, who can guide towards and enable sustainable management of forest resources and development of the forestry sector. For widescale impact, dissemination of new information, up-scaling sustainable practices, and providing wider perspectives through forestry extension is crucial.

In the past decades, there has been a paradigm shift from forestry as a timber and wood management to forestry as managing complex biological systems and various stakeholders’ interests, with the inclusion of trees outside of forests on the scope of forestry (Temu & Ogweno, 2008). Yet, forestry education has not fully kept up with this change, leading to a mismatch in the knowledge, skills and attitudes expected from a forester, and in what is learnt and taught at educational institutions (Temu & Kiyiapi, 2008).

Improved forestry training and education, as well as life-long learning and continuing professional development of foresters, are recognized as an important mechanism for the forestry sector to keep up with the changing world and remain relevant within the discipline and towards the whole society (Temu & Ogweno, 2008).

In this article, we explore the working realities of forestry extension officers and tutors in the southern highlands of Tanzania, with the aim to identify the main challenges of and opportunities for professional development. This understanding is important for improving the quality of forestry education and extension, and subsequently enabling a sustainable future for the Tanzanian forestry sector.

Forestry education and development in Tanzanian southern highlands

Participatory Plantation Forestry Programme (PFP2) is a bilateral development cooperation programme between the government of Finland and the government of Tanzania. The programme is implemented in Tanzania with the objective to enhance rural income through sustainable plantation forestry, and the development of forestry value chains. This encompasses cultivating high-quality seeds, delivering top-notch products to the market, and supporting smallholder forest plantations and local wood industry enterprises in developing their businesses. The programme provides training services and business incubation to foster growth and sustainability.

Forestry and Wood Industries Training Centre (FWITC) was established in 2016 to serve as a forestry information hub and a training centre in the heart of the Tanzanian forestry industry in southern highlands. FWITC offers vocational and hands-on training – through training programs, and long and short courses – to develop competent and skilled forestry experts and employees. In addition, the training centre provides extension and consulting services to small and medium business enterprises and tree growers, capacitates government extension, and offers Integrated Fire Management (IFM) in Tanzania.

As part of the 21st Forestry-TVET-TZ project¹, a focus group discussion was held with staff members from PFP2 and FWITC. The online discussion took place on December 2022 on Zoom software. A total of nine extension officers and tutors, representing 20 percent of the staff of PFP2 and FWITC, participated in the discussion. The work experience of the participants extended from 18 months to 6 years. All participants had an educational background in forestry, and most had forestry-related work experience before their current job placement in PFP/FWITC.

Perceived challenges and needs

From the discussion, we categorized six themes relating to current challenges and needs for professional development.

Interaction with clients

Interaction with clients. Extension officers work in various kinds of environments and with various kinds of clients, all having their specific needs and customs. Officers wished for more guidance and training on how to interact with the clients, how to approach and discuss with them, and how to work in different villages. The previous and current training offered to the extension staff was not perceived to correspond to the realities faced in the field. Extension officers especially emphasized the challenges of interacting and providing extension services to illiterate clients.

Changing the mindset of clients

Extension officers reported that most of their clients expect to receive a monetary benefit from the officers. Clients mainly focus on short-term and monetary benefits, instead of long-term and more sustainable benefits. Officers wished for tools and methods that would enable them to change their clients’ mindset from gaining money to appreciating the training and advice. This would allow extension officers to provide more and better assistance and help to the clients.

Business skills

To enable and improve the sustainability of the income-generating activities of the extension, the extension officers recognized the need to provide business skills training to their clients. Many of the small- and medium-sized businesses they work with do not have any business skills on, for example, how to prepare a business plan or to keep financial records. To be able to assist the clients, the extension officers themselves should first be capacitated on business-related issues.

Pedagogical practices

The importance of pedagogical skills to transfer knowledge and skills both to clients and students was widely acknowledged. Tutors and extension officers were motivated to improve their pedagogical skills and wished for more in-depth pedagogical training, especially on the following topics: (1) teaching techniques and lesson planning; (2) assessment methods, (3) follow-up methods for evaluating the learning outcomes and implementation of learning (4) outside-of-class teaching and learning techniques, and (5) technology utilization in learning.

Entrepreneurial education

According to the tutors, most forestry students aim for official development and are not interested in entrepreneurship. Tutors are struggling to convince students of the opportunities that entrepreneurship can bring. Tutors wish to develop their skills on the psychological dimensions of pedagogy, to be able to change students’ mindset to see entrepreneurship as a desirable future plan and to train students to employ themselves.

Curricula development

To provide students with the skills demanded by the forestry sector and to be able to employ themselves, the need for revising curricula content and structure was recognized.

The way forward

The challenges faced and professional development needs identified by the forestry extension officers and tutors correspond with findings from other studies and reports (e.g. Agbogidi & Ofuoku, 2009; Temu & Kiyiapi, 2008). Teachers and trainers all around the world struggle to transfer skills and knowledge that correspond to the demands of the fast-paced labour market and society.

It is not only students or extension clients that need education and training, but also teachers and trainers need to be constantly re-educated and trained to keep up with the evolving pedagogical methods and the whole society. Sharing the best practices and success stories among teaching and extension staff, and learning from each other, can also provide tools for everyday working tasks and solutions to challenges.

The extension officers and tutors clearly understand the needs of their clients and students and are motivated to improve their own skills and services they produce. That is the best starting point for constant professional development.

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¹Active pedagogy and modernised professional skills in technical and vocational forestry education in Tanzania (21st Forestry-TVET-TZ) project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland and coordinated by Häme University of Applied Sciences. https://www.hamk.fi/projects/21st-forestry-tvet-tz/?lang=en