http://41.59.91.195:9090/handle/123456789/33 2026-05-08T13:24:27Z 2026-05-08T13:24:27Z Badi, Lwidiko Ishengoma, Esther http://41.59.91.195:9090/handle/123456789/299 2025-10-01T09:07:05Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Financial Linkages as an Antecedent of Access to Debt Finance for Small and Medium Enterprises Badi, Lwidiko; Ishengoma, Esther The study examined the effectiveness of financial linkage on SMEs' access to debt finance. The study was motivated by the importance of SMEs in economic development and employment creation in the country; therefore, access to debt finance from formal financial institutions is vital for SMEs to play their roles effectively. Information asymmetry theory was used to guide the study. Data for the study were collected from the SMEs served by Private Agriculture Sector Support (PASS). The organization provided a list of 1000 SMEs and obtained a sample size of 278 SMEs using the Sample determination formula by Cochran (1963). Questionnaires were distributed to 278 SME managers, and 262 questionnaires were returned filled out. Data were coded into SPSS, checked for outliers and model fit, and analysed using a linear regression model. The correlation matrix indicated that financial linkage variables were correlated with access to debt finance variables, and the regression results showed that 2% of the change in access to debt finance was contributed by financial linkage. It also implied that financial linkages play a pivotal role in SME development through their connection to financial institutions. Therefore, the study recommends that the BDS providers extend and enhance financial linkage services to ease SMEs' access to debt finance. Conferernce Proceeding

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Badi, Lwidiko Ishengoma, Esther http://41.59.91.195:9090/handle/123456789/244 2024-09-10T08:58:46Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Conundrum of Business Development Services (BDS) on Access to Finance for SMEs in Tanzania Badi, Lwidiko; Ishengoma, Esther The study examined the influence of Business Development Services on access to finance for Small and Medium Enterprises in Tanzania. The study was conducted on private agricultural sector support (PASS) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to access debt finance from formal financial institutions. Out of the 1000 SMEs listed from PASS, a sample of 278 SMEs were selected using the sample determination formula. Two hundred seventy-eight (278) questionnaires were distributed to SMEs, and only two hundred sixty-two (262) were returned and filled out. Data was coded in SPSS and analysed using Standard multiple linear regression. The results indicated that BDS explained 8.0 per cent of change in access to finance. The beta coefficients of all independent variables were positive, which implied that a unit increase in training leads to an increase in access to finance by 0.102, and one unit increase in financial linkage leads to a 0.039 increase in access to debt finance and a one unit increase in guarantee lead to 0.167 increase in access to finance. The study concludes that guarantee contributes more to access to debt finance than financial linkages and training. The study recommends that BDS be provided conveniently and affordable to enable SMEs to access debt finance easily from formal financial institutions. JOURNAL

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Juma, Hamis Patel, G. S. Nderego, Edgar Fidel http://41.59.91.195:9090/handle/123456789/230 2024-09-10T08:56:22Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Assessment and Feedback Practices in Higher Education: Bridging the Gap for 21st-Century Learners. Juma, Hamis; Patel, G. S.; Nderego, Edgar Fidel In the 21st century, the educational landscape has witnessed a transformative shift towards learner-centricity, emphasizing active learner participation throughout the learning and assessment processes. However, the role of assessment, as a vital component of education, has often overlooked the active involvement of learners, leading to untimely and inadequate feedback. This study explored the perspectives of students across diverse academic programs to investigate the relationship between assessment practices, learner engagement, and feedback utility. The survey questionnaire was employed to gather insights among 110 international students enrolled in Higher Education and explore their perspectives on assessment feedback and their engagement in the assessment procedures across their courses. Additionally, the study explored students' insights into the relevance of the feedback they receive to their real-world career prospects. The findings uncover that, despite the shift towards learner-centric education, students across various disciplines often do not actively participate in shaping assessment processes, with engineering students exhibiting even lower engagement levels. Additionally, a significant proportion of engineering students question the practicality of the feedback they receive. While the majority still encounter traditional assessment methods, the study highlights the need for innovative approaches aligned with modern education paradigms to enhance student engagement and meaningful learning experiences. This research underscores the importance of feedback and engagement in preparing 21st century graduates and provides recommendations for improving assessment practices. jOURNAL

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Badi, Lwidiko Maliganya, Willy http://41.59.91.195:9090/handle/123456789/229 2024-09-10T08:56:14Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

An Analysis of Competence-Based Assessment in Tanzanian Primary and Secondary Schools: Current Situation, Challenges, and Future Directions Badi, Lwidiko; Maliganya, Willy An empirical review was carried out to explore competency-based assessment in Tanzania's primary and secondary schools. The study was guided by constructivism and social theory. It was a desk review whereby several empirical studies relating to competency-based assessment were reviewed to assess types, effectiveness, challenges, and strategies adopted to design improved competency-based assessment in primary and secondary schools in Tanzania. The study revealed that formative and summative assessments are the main assessments used in primary and secondary schools. Although diagnostic, evaluative, and placement assessments were important, they were rarely used. The study also found that the competency-based assessment is effective because it allows the assessor to discover the learner's talents, design tailor made lessons to fit them and lead the individual learner to meet predetermined goals. The challenges for competency-based were achieving excellence, large class size, infrastructure for learning, assessment standards, and broad recognition and understanding. The study explored the strategies for competency-based assessment criteria and determined that they should be clear, specific, measurable, and based on the expected performance levels for the job role and the organization. The study concludes that competency-based assessment is reasonable, provided that the implementers know the goals and get appropriate in-service training to fit the goals. The study recommends that assessors should apply all assessment types to identify talents and position the learners to where they fit, and also, several learners per class should adhere to enable a conducive learning environment. journal

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z