Determinants of Competence-Based Curriculum Implementation in Selected Public Primary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The new Competence Based Curriculum in the Kenyan education system received support and criticism in equal measures. Being a new system, all aspects of CBC implementation must be interrogated. This study intended to evaluate the determinants of CBC adoption in public primary schools in Starehe District, Nairobi County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of teacher education, learning materials, parental involvement, and school leadership on the implementation of CBC. This research is based on constructivism theory. A descriptive research design was used and the target group included 35 public primary schools in Starehe District. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to assess quantitative data. Major themes were generated and presented in narratives as a result of the thematic analysis of qualitative data. The study found that the implementation of CBC in public primary schools in Nairobi County was positively impacted by teachers' training in CBC, learning materials, parental involvement, and school leadership style. The positive impact was reflected in increased participation of learners in extra co-curricular activities such as sports, better communication, and collaboration among learners, improvement in learners’ ability to read with comprehension, and learners’ participation in community service activities such as street cleaning. The findings suggested that teachers should receive CBC training more frequently. The teachers would have ample time to comprehend the idea of CBC pedagogy thanks to this. The report also suggests that the government, through the Ministry of Education, set aside sufficient funds to buy all the necessary instructional materials for the students in all public elementary schools.