the impact of hiv/aids on the education sector in tanzania

1.6.2 Study samples
Structured and unstructured interviews were conducted with six heads <strong>of</strong> departments
at MoEC headquarters. The senior <strong>of</strong>ficials were <strong>the</strong> Director <strong>of</strong> Basic Education, <strong>the</strong> Director
<strong>of</strong> Administration and Personnel, <strong>the</strong> Director <strong>of</strong> Policy and Planning, <strong>the</strong> Director <strong>of</strong>
Secondary Education, <strong>the</strong> Director <strong>of</strong> School Inspections and <strong>the</strong> Director <strong>of</strong> Cultural
Development.
Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with o<strong>the</strong>r MoEC staff. The sessions
involved mid-level staff, peer educators and low-level staff, drawn from every directorate (see
Appendix 2 for a breakdown <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> numbers). The peer educators included administrators and
technical staff only, whereas <strong>the</strong> low-level staff included messengers, cleaners and print
assistants, in order to canvas as broad a range <strong>of</strong> experience and opinion as possible.
Structured and unstructured interviews, toge<strong>the</strong>r with supplementary unstructured
information-ga<strong>the</strong>ring sessions were conducted with eight senior <strong>of</strong>ficials working with
MoEC partner institutions. The senior <strong>of</strong>ficers were <strong>the</strong> TACAIDS Director <strong>of</strong> Policy and
Planning, <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Information Education Communication (IEC) unit at <strong>the</strong> National
AIDS Control Programme (NACP), <strong>the</strong> Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Christian Social Services Commission
(CSSC), <strong>the</strong> President <strong>of</strong> Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU), <strong>the</strong> Executive Secretary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
TSC, <strong>the</strong> Education Secretary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tanzania Parents Association (TAPA), <strong>the</strong> Education
Officer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Muslim Council <strong>of</strong> Tanzania (BAKWATA) and <strong>the</strong> Education Officer with <strong>the</strong>
Agha Khan Education Foundation.
The same interview and information ga<strong>the</strong>ring techniques were used to collect data
from regional and district level <strong>of</strong>ficers. The Regional Education Officer, Iringa Urban
District Council Mayor, District Executive Director, District Education Officer, District
School Inspector, District Medical Officer and <strong>the</strong> District Teachers Union Secretary were all
questioned, along with, two directors <strong>of</strong> Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and three
NGO programme <strong>of</strong>ficers.
Four secondary schools and five primary schools were involved in institutional level
research. Headmasters, headmistresses and headteachers were interviewed separately, as were
two ward education coordinators (see Appendix 1 for more details). A total <strong>of</strong> 25 in-school
FGDs were held, involving 81 teachers, and 159 secondary school students and primary
school pupils. Male and female students and pupils were consulted separately (see Appendix
2 for a breakdown <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> groups).
1.7 Primary data collection techniques
Primary data collection was accomplished by using four different techniques.
1.7.1 Unstructured information ga<strong>the</strong>ring sessions
Unstructured sessions were conducted with all senior <strong>of</strong>ficials, for <strong>the</strong> ga<strong>the</strong>ring <strong>of</strong>
information on matters such as <strong>the</strong> organizational culture <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> institutions under
consideration. The sessions took place in a variety <strong>of</strong> settings, <strong>of</strong>ten outside <strong>the</strong> working
environment, and were subject to far less advance preparation than <strong>the</strong> more formal
interviews. This meant that <strong>the</strong>y <strong>of</strong>fered maximum flexibility to pursue information in
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