Secondary School Students' Perceptions of Vocational Subjects in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A Critical Narrative Review

Abstract

Tanzania's 2023 policy reforms created a vocational stream in ordinary secondary education and linked school vocational subjects to National Vocational Awards (NVA). Whether students take up these subjects will depend partly on how they understand and value them. No review has brought together the evidence that bears on students' perceptions in Dar es Salaam, where an urban, largely informal labour market shapes what young people expect from schooling. To synthesise evidence on (1) what secondary school students know about vocational subjects and (2) the factors that shape their perceptions, and to judge how far that evidence applies to government secondary schools in Dar es Salaam. A critical narrative review guided by the SANRA criteria. Peer-reviewed studies, policy documents and sector reports published between 2020 and 2026 were eligible, with two older sector reports kept by a stated exception rule. Every record was verified against its publisher or repository page. Nineteen sources were synthesised: eleven empirical studies or reviews, two sector reports and six policy documents. Findings were charted by source type, setting and theme, and each theme was graded by the directness of its evidence to Dar es Salaam. Human Capital Theory, Social Cognitive Career Theory and Bourdieu's concepts of capital and habitus were used to interpret, not test, the patterns. Only one empirical source was set in Dar es Salaam, and it concerned a vocational training centre rather than secondary schools. Across Tanzanian studies, awareness of vocational subjects was uneven and depended on school guidance and family exposure to technical work. Perceptions were shaped by six recurring conditions: low status, practical facilities, teacher competence, curriculum relevance to work, gender norms and unclear progression routes. The evidence supports structured guidance, regular practical work and visible links to employers, but it cannot show how students in Dar es Salaam government schools currently see vocational subjects. A school-based study of students in the city is the most pressing need.