Teacher Preparedness for ICT Integration in Tanzania’s Education System: A Systematic Review of Attitudes, Competencies, and Enabling Conditions

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to education is a great way to improve teaching, learning, and digital literacy. In Tanzania, even though teachers have a positive view of ICT, it is still not widely used in the classroom. Most of the time, digital tools are used instead of traditional methods without changing how they are taught. This systematic review amalgamated 39 peer-reviewed studies and reports published from 2003 to 2025, concentrating on teachers’ preparedness for ICT integration within Tanzania’s education system, particularly investigating attitudes, competencies, and facilitating conditions. The results show that while the majority of the teachers have the basic skills to engage in ICT and have recognized the pedagogical value of technology, it is evident that many hurdles still exist. These hurdles include a lack of training, poor infrastructure, rigid policy frameworks, and a lack of good quality digital competence from school leaders. In fact, most professional development opportunities only cover basic tool usage and the pedagogy to use technology learned was not significantly advanced. Additionally, policies are primarily focused on hardware acquisition as opposed to embedding technology in meaningful, sustainable ways, while donor-driven initiatives fail to prioritize sustainability and are not long term. The success of integration in other contexts illustrates the significance of good infrastructure, funding, and ongoing professional development. In light of the findings, the review proposed a national ICT policy that recognizes teaching and learning as the main priority among ICT practices, supports mandatory development for their CPD related to ICT, builds on the infrastructure, and develops leadership-level digital competence. Further, establishing locally relevant digital resources and ultimately building a lasting partnership between the public and private sector will allow technology to play a significant role in learning. If these initiatives are not adopted, there is a risk that students learning in classrooms in Tanzania will have technology-supported learning opportunities that do not develop any tech-related skills relevant for the 21st century. Moving forward, this holistic and context-led approach is essential to addressing the disconnection between ICT awareness and transformative practice to support teachers to use technology toward improving learning.