School Management and the Tension Between Administrative Participation and Learning-Oriented Partnerships in Tanzanian Primary Schools

Abstract

School–community partnerships can support early-grade learning, yet how school management connects community participation with children’s learning remains insufficiently understood in underperforming primary schools. This study aims to examine school management practices and perceived barriers to learning-oriented partnerships in Ukerewe District, Tanzania. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological design in ten public primary schools purposively selected for persistently low Standard Two assessment performance. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 early-grade teachers and 10 head teachers and through 12 focus group discussions with 129 parents from six of the schools. Interview and discussion transcripts were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed four interconnected areas: school–parent communication, instructional resource access, community collaboration, and relational trust and proposed coaching. School personnel described meetings, book lending, and community contributions, whereas some parents reported limited communication, inconvenient schedules, and insufficient recognition of their ability to support children’s learning. These contrasting accounts highlighted a tension between mobilizing families for administration and infrastructure and developing reciprocal partnerships around home learning. The study contributes context-specific evidence of this distinction, with implications for accessible two-way communication, practical home-learning resources, and respectful school–family collaboration.