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Albert Paulo Tarmo
Biography
Dr. Albert Paulo Tarmo is a Senior Lecturer in Science and Technology Education at the University of Dar es Salaam, with over a decade of experience in teaching, research, and consultancy. His research focuses on the intersection of scientific literacy and educational technology, particularly how teacher education and professional development can strengthen educators’ ability to integrate ICT into science and mathematics teaching. He has published widely on pedagogy, curriculum reform, assessment, and teacher beliefs, contributing to international scholarship on competence‑based education and digital learning innovations. Dr. Tarmo has led and collaborated on projects supported by the African Population and Health Research Center and the World Bank, addressing critical issues such as postgraduate STEM mentorship frameworks and enhancing women’s participation in science and technology education. He currently serves as Head of the Department of Educational Psychology and Curriculum Studies and has held key leadership roles including Coordinator for Postgraduate Studies and Programme Coordinator for the Master of Arts in Education. Through his work on virtual laboratories, ICT‑mediated teaching, and curriculum relevance, Dr. Tarmo continues to advance innovative approaches to science education in Tanzania and across Africa. His expertise, leadership, and collaborative vision make him a valuable partner for institutions and researchers seeking to strengthen educational practice and policy globally.
Research Interest
My research centres around the intersectionality between scientific literacy and educational technology at basic and secondary levels of education. In particular, I am interested in ways in which teacher education and development may be designed to enhance teachers’ competence in creating a synergy between their teaching skills and the ICT tools available at their disposal to enhance teaching and learning. Central to this is the role played by curriculum and policy contexts, classroom conditions and teachers’ own experiences and dispositions. I publish in the areas of pedagogy, teacher education and professional development, curriculum, teaching and assessment.
Contacts
Email:
Projects
- Principal investigator for project “Piloting the supervision and mentorship framework for postgraduate STEM supervisors in Tanzania” by African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi (2024-2025).
Country Team Leader for the project “Enhancing Participation and Quality of Experiences of Women in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Postgraduate Training Programs and Careers in East Africa” by African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi (2021-2022).
- World Bank’s Teach Secondary Technical Advisory Board member (2020-2022).
Publications
Paskali, J. & Tarmo, A. (2025). The relationship between students’ mathematical abilities in algebraic equations and their physics examination performance. International Journal of Educational Reform, https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879251316210
Boki, E. Dahl, B., Tarmo, A., & Rugeihyamu, S. (2025). Improving Students’ Attitudes in Mathematics Subjects Through Digital Mathematics Instructional Materials as a Coping Strategy in Addressing Teacher Shortages in Tanzania Secondary Schools. Southern Africa Mathematical Sciences Association (SAMSA) Annual Conference in Zambia https://vbn.aau.dk/en/publications/improving-students-attitudes-in-mathematics-subjects-through-digi/
Byukusenge, C., Nsanganwimana, F., Tarmo, A. & Shyaka, E. (2025). Student Performance Dataset from a Quasi-experimental Study on the Use of Virtual Labs in Teaching Biology. Second Data, 1(1), 1-3 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?oi=bibs&cluster=9677811833471759880&btnI=1&hl=en
Rimba, C. & Tarmo, A. (2025). Teachers’ Beliefs and their Effects on the Use of ICT in Teaching Science and Mathematics in Tanzania, Papers in Education and Development, 42(2), 1-21. https://dx.doi.org/10.56279/ped.v42i2.special.1
Chalale, G., Maro,W. & Tarmo, A. (2025). Relevance of Curriculum Content for Learning ICT-Mediated Teaching: Perspectives from Tanzanian Computer Science Student Teachers and Tutors. Papers in Education and Development, 42(2), 203-224. https://dx.doi.org/10.56279/ped.v42i2.special.10
Rwabunywenge, W. & Tarmo, A. (2024). Strategies Used by Primary School Teachers to Identify Pupils with Non-Academic Talents in Tanzania. Papers in Education and Development, 42(2), 102-122. https://dx.doi.org/10.56279/ped.v42i2.6
Mwaluko, F. Z., Musamas, J. & Tarmo, A. (2023). Integration of Information and Communication Technology in Instruction of Geography: A Study of Public Secondary Schools in Manyoni District, Tanzania. The Educator: Journal of the School of Education, Moi University, 3(1), 65-80. https://journals.mu.ac.ke/index.php/edj/article/download/109/96
Byukusenge, C., Nsanganwimana, F. & Tarmo, A. P. (2023). Investigating the effect of virtual laboratories on students’ academic performance and attitudes towards learning biology. Education and Information Technologies https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12351-x
Byukusenge, C., Nsanganwimana, F. & Tarmo, A. P. (2023). Exploring students’ perceptions of virtual and physical laboratory activities and usage in secondary schools. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(5), 437-456 https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.5.22
Byukusenge, C., Nsanganwimana, F. & Tarmo, A. P. (2022). Effectiveness of virtual laboratories in teaching and learning Biology: A review of literature. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 21(6), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.21.6.1
Byukusenge, C., Nsanganwimana, F. & Tarmo, A. P. (2022). Enhancing students’ understanding of Nerve Cells’ structures and their symbiotic functioning by using technology-enhanced instruction incorporating Virtual Labs and Animations. Journal of Science Education and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-022-10002-3
Byukusenge, C., Nsanganwimana, F. & Tarmo, A. P. (2022). Difficult topics in the revised biology curriculum for advanced level secondary schools in Rwanda: teachers’ perceptions of causes and remedies. Journal of Biological Education, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2021.2012225.
Mwinuka, E. J. & Tarmo, A. P. (2021). Influence of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching on students’ academic achievement in secondary Mathematics in Tanzania. Papers in Education and Development, 38(2), 178-199. https://journals.udsm.ac.tz/index.php/ped/article/view/4341
Tarmo, A. P. (2021). Integrating assessment for learning into the teaching and learning of secondary school biology in Tanzania. Centre for Educational Policy Studies Journal: doi: 10.26529/cepsj.958
Tarmo, A. P. & Kimaro, A. R. (2021). The Teacher Education Curriculum and its Competency-Based Education Attributes. The Journal of Competency-Based Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbe2.1255
Tarmo, A. P. (2019). Science Teachers’ Beliefs and the Epistemological Underpinnings of the Science Curriculum for Secondary Education in Tanzania. Papers in Education and Development, 37(2). https://journals.udsm.ac.tz/index.php/ped/article/view/3502
Tarmo, A. P. (2016). Pre-service science teachers’ epistemological beliefs and teaching reforms in Tanzania. Cogent Education 3(1), 117857. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1178457