Mapambano, Hezron2024-06-042024-06-042019APAhttps://scholar.mzumbe.ac.tz/handle/123456789/899A dissertation submitted to the faculty of social science in partial fulfilment for the requirements of the Degree of Masters of Arts in Education (MA-ED) of Mzumbe UniversityThe study explored institutional factors contributing to ineffective development of leadership skills among students’ political leaders in Tanzania’s public universities from 1993 to 2018. It was guided by three specific objectives; firstly, to identify the extent to which public universities have played a role in developing leadership skills of students for national development; secondly to find out the leading institutional factor among regulative, cognitive and normative factors of the university that constraint the process of developing leadership skills of students for national development and; thirdly to assess the institutional measures for improving development of leadership skills of students leaders for national development. The study adopted a descriptive-case study research design. It also employed mixed research approach due to the nature of questions used. The sample size was drawn through the use of simple random and purposive sampling techniques whereas 225 study participants were involved in the study. Data was collected using questionnaire and face to face interviews. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively using a computer software known as SPSS and qualitative data was analysed using content analysis by a tool known as Atlas Ti. Basing on the specific objectives, the study revealed that universities in Tanzania had played very little role in the development of the student leadership skills through training and mentoring on university values and ethos. Because of the failure of the universities to develop young leadership to their full potential, students have in turn placed their trust on politicians rather than the academic community, and have ipso facto, become vehicles of the political contestations of national politics which often times are violent in character. In the same vein, lack of regulative framework to steer leadership incubation programmes at the university level was found to constrain the process of developing student leadership skills for national development between 1993 to 2018. The study concludes that HEIs are meant to be training grounds for future leaders with the right ethos, pedigree and mental independence to take on the challenge of national state development. As such, they need to re-define their roles especially in the contemporary era of democratic transition, in a bid to prepare potential leaders with a domestic, regional and global outlook. The study offers several recommendations to policy makers, student community, Student Representative Council (SRC), University management and stakeholders of an education industryenLeadership skillsFaculty Development and SupportCurriculum Design and DeliveryCultural and Social NormsThesis