Exploring factors affecting students’ oral presentation skills in Tanzania higher education: The case of the Tanzania Institute of Accountancy

Masau Rugembe Malyango

doi:10.51867/scimundi.6.1.20

Authors

Masau Rugembe Malyango
malyangomasau@gmail.com
Tanzania Institute of Accountancy, Tanzania https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1334-5227

Keywords:

Communication Anxiety, English Proficiency, Higher Education, Oral Presentation Skills, Qualitative Research, Tanzania

Abstract

Oral presentation skills are among critical competencies in higher education and in the labour market. Despite the importance of these skills, students in many higher education institutions struggle with effective oral presentations. Social cognitive theory anchored this study. This study used a qualitative approach to explore factors that affect students’ oral presentation skills at the Tanzania Institute of Accountancy (TIA). The Institute has a total of 11,365 undergraduate students. The study used an interpretivist paradigm and a case study design to achieve the research objective. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 undergraduate students who were selected purposively. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed five major themes that influence students’ oral presentation skills. They include English language proficiency; psychological barriers, including anxiety and low self-confidence; pedagogical and assessment methods; limited exposure to structural presentation; as well as environmental and peer-related factors. The study highlights how important the interplay between linguistic competence, emotional readiness, and institutional support is. The findings inform curricular reform, pedagogical redesign, and institutional interventions aimed at strengthening communication competency of students in Tanzanian higher education.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Dimensions

REFERENCES

Andrews, J., & Higson, H. (2008). Graduate employability, 'soft skills' versus 'hard' business knowledge: A European study. Higher Education in Europe, 33(4), 411-422. https://doi.org/10.1080/03797720802522627

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.

Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university (4th ed.). Open University Press.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102

Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Multilingual Matters.

https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.27195459

https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853596773

De Grez, L., Valcke, M., & Roozen, I. (2009). The impact of an innovative instructional intervention on the acquisition of oral presentation skills in higher education. Computers & Education, 53(1), 112-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.01.005

Dewaele, J. M., Petrides, K., & Furnham, A. (2019). Effects of trait emotional intelligence and foreign language anxiety on oral performance. System, 84, 101-113.

Grieve, R., Woodley, J., Hunt, S. E., & McKay, A. (2021). Student fears of oral presentations and public speaking in higher education: A qualitative survey. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(9), 1287-1300. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1948509

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487

Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x

Husin, M. Z., & Khasim, N. Y. (2025). Prospective administrative employees' oral communication performance during interviews: Findings from a workplace. MANU Bil, 36(2), 133-150. https://doi.org/10.51200/manu.v36i2.7087

Ireland, C. (2016). Student oral presentations: Developing the skills and reducing the apprehension. In Proceedings of the 10th International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED2016) (pp. 1474-1483). IATED.

https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2016.1317

Jackson, D. (2015). Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and best practice. Studies in Higher Education, 40(2), 350-367. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2013.842221

McCroskey, J. C. (1977). Oral communication apprehension: A summary of recent theory and research. Human Communication Research, 4(1), 78-96. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1977.tb00599.x

Mwita, K. M., Kinunda, S., Obwolo, S., & Mwilongo, N. (2023). Soft skills development in higher education institutions: Students' perceived role of universities and students' self-initiatives in bridging the soft skills gap. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 12(3), 505-513. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v12i3.2435

Mwita, K., & Mwilongo, N. (2025). Thematic analysis of qualitative research data: A seven-step guide. Eminent Journal of Business and Management, 1(1), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.70582/4ajw7k14

Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231.

https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x

Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101832

Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1834-1847.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420

Topping, K. (1998). Peer assessment between students in colleges and universities. Review of Educational Research, 68(3), 249-276. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543068003249

van Ginkel, S., Gulikers, J., Biemans, H., Noroozi, O., Roozen, M., Bos, T., van Tilborg, R., van Halteren, M., & Mulder, M. (2019). Fostering oral presentation competence through a virtual reality-based task for delivering feedback. Computers & Education, 134, 78-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.02.006

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Waluyo, B., & Rofiah, N. (2021). Developing students' English oral presentation skills: The role of confidence and feedback. MEXTESOL Journal, 45(3), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.61871/mj.v45n4-17