Contribution of Religious Subjects to the Development of Moral Behavior among Students in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Arusha City. Tanzania

James G. Mafie
Arusha City Council
jamesmafie44@gmail.com

Paul Raphael Kitula
Saint Augustine University of Tanzania
kitula07@gmail.com

Abstract: This study assessed the effectiveness of teaching religious subjects in developing moral behavior among students in public and private secondary schools in Arusha City. The specific objectives were to examine the practices of teaching religious subjects, assess their effect on students’ moral behavior and identify challenges experienced in teaching these subjects. The study was grounded in Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral development theory, which posits that individuals progress through different stages of moral reasoning. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with a convergent design. The population included 34,300 students, 61 heads of schools and 901 teachers from 61 secondary schools. A sample of 100 respondents, comprising 6 heads of schools, 24 teachers and 70 students was selected using stratified, simple random, and criterion purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews and analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistics for quantitative data while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Findings revealed that religious subjects are actively taught in both public and private secondary schools with greater emphasis in private schools (p=0.000). The teaching of religious subjects significantly contributes to the moral development of students thou faced by a number of challenges including lack of professionalism. The study concluded that religious education contributes to the development of moral behavior among students and recommended that parents, religious leaders, and the government to emphasize the teaching of religious subjects so as to enhance moral development among the students.