Not Everyone with a PhD Has Teaching Skills

 

Adeladius Makwega-MBAGALA

At the beginning of February 2026, Mwanakwetu prepared an article on economic issues, specifically on gold reserves.In that article, Mwanakwetu mentioned two professors: Honest Ngowi and Professor Mafwenga, clearly stating that Professor Honest Ngowi was a good lecturer—he knew how to teach, had effective teaching methods, and his subject was very well understood by his students.

In Tanzania, a major problem in higher education—from certificates, diplomas, and bachelor’s degrees, to master’s and even doctoral degrees—is that these levels are often taught by people who performed very well academically but lack teaching methodology. In other words, they have no pedagogical skills at all. This is why higher education attracts more complaints than primary and secondary education in Tanzania. The problem is the lack of teaching methods, especially among many lecturers.

Relief only comes when a lecturer happens to have studied education at any level—certificate, diploma, or degree. When such a person teaches at university level, there is an advantage because they understand many aspects of classroom pedagogy.

Mwanakwetu does not deny one hundred percent that there are lecturers without formal education training who still have good teaching skills—no, they do exist, but they are very few. Perhaps out of ten lecturers, only one fits this category. Some lecturers are simply gifted by God, because God bestows talents upon whomever He/she wills.

On this matter, Mwanakwetu offers the following advice:

“When higher learning institutions advertise for lecturing positions, if among three applicants there is one who has training in education—whether a certificate, diploma, or degree—and also holds a PhD, that person with teaching qualifications at a lower level is extremely important in supervising academic practice. Such a person should be given priority, because in the end, within the classroom context, they are unlikely to create problems.”

An example of the weaknesses of many lecturers is the lack of knowledge in assessment—that is, how to properly design and interpret students’ results. They assume that if a student performs poorly, it is solely the student’s fault.

Therefore, Mwanakwetu advises universities and the authorities responsible for this matter to be very careful. Education today is an investment: parents pay tuition fees, and education has become a business. This education must be managed carefully, and assessment criteria must be taken seriously.

“Because whether students’ results are good or bad, they reflect the image of the institution, the image of the teacher, the image of the student, and even the image of the country in which that institution is located.”

What does Mwanakwetu say today?

If you want to see that this problem is real, note that you will not find it in universities that offer teacher-training programs. The real trouble is in other institutions, for example law schools, medical schools, and other fields—there it is a serious nuisance. Not everyone with a PhD has teaching skills; there are lecturers who even take pride in having only a few students pass.

“If only a few students pass, understand that the institution has failed, the teacher has failed, and only at the end has the student failed.
Which parent would waste their money sending their child to an institution that is known for failing students?”

Even those who are university principals or vice-chancellors should have some background in education, because they would then be strict with faculty deans during the results-approval process before results are published on websites. Meanwhile, lecturers who consistently fail students in public institutions—for example, in a law school—should be assigned other duties, such as practicing as lawyers in court. Contract lecturers should not be given teaching loads, and those with permanent employment should have their conduct closely monitored.

 

Mwanakwetu, are you there?

What should this article be called?The Image of the Institution, the Image of the Teacher, and the Image of the Student?The Institution Has Failed, the Teacher Has Failed, and the Student Has Failed?Or Not Everyone with a PhD Has Teaching Skills?

Mwanakwetu likes all the titles.You, my reader, choose one title among them—but remember:

“Not Everyone with a PhD Has Teaching Skills.”

I wish you a good day.

makwadeladius@gmail.com
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