Teacher Support and Availability in School Guidance for Personal Goal Pursuit among Primary School Pupils in Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

School guidance is expected to help primary pupils navigate pressure, wellbeing concerns, and aspirations, yet Tanzanian provision remains constrained by classes, teacher workload, and limited specialist personnel. This study explored school guidance and personal goal pursuit in Kinondoni Municipality. Its main objective was to describe how teacher support and availability influence pupils’ pursuit of personal goals. A qualitative approach and case-study design were used. Purposive sampling selected 18 participants—16 Standard Six and Seven pupils and two teachers—from two public primary schools. Semi-structured interviews and pupil focus-group discussions generated the data. Following permission, the researcher scheduled visits, explained voluntary participation, conducted interviews and two focus groups, and recorded notes. Data were analysed thematically through familiarisation, coding, categorisation, theme development, and interpretive comparison across participant groups. Credibility and dependability were strengthened through source and method triangulation, consistent guides, records, contextual description, and reflexive documentation; these strategies supported transferability and confirmability. Ethical safeguards included approval and administrative permissions, informed participation, anonymity, confidentiality, respectful treatment, and secure records. Findings showed that teachers offered valued academic, career, moral, and motivational guidance, often restoring confidence and linking present effort to future aspirations. However, heavy workloads, crowded classes, absent counselling rooms, and no protected guidance time made access informal and uneven, especially for quieter pupils. The study concludes that relationally strong but structurally fragile guidance supports goal pursuit without guaranteeing equitable access. It recommends protected guidance time, trained designated personnel, appropriate space, early identification procedures, manageable workloads, and professional development in mentoring, child support, goal-setting, and referral.