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CONSTRAINTS FACING SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM IN MACHAKOS COUNTY,

KENYA

MUASYA ELIUD WAMBUA

E55/10518/2006

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF

EDUCATION IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE AWARD OF MASTER OF EDUCATION DEGREE OF

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

NOVEMBER, 2019
DECLARATION

I declare that this research project is my original work and has not been presented

for an award of a degree in any university or institution for consideration. This

research project therefore has been completed by referenced sources duly

acknowledged, where text, data (including spoken words), graphics, pictures or

tables have been borrowed from other sources, including internet these are

specifically accredited and references’ cited in accordance in line with anti-

plagiarism regulations.

Signature Date

Muasya Eliud Wambua

E55/10518/2006

This project has been submitted with my approval as University Supervisor

Signature Date

Dr. Samuel N. Waweru

Senior Lecturer

Department of Educational Management,

Policy and Curriculum Studies,

Kenyatta University

ii
DEDICATION

This research work is dedicated to my children

iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge a number of people who have contributed to the development

of this research project. Sincere thanks to my supervisor Dr. Waweru Samuel N. for

his professional guidance, support and positive criticism in the study. I would also

like to thank all my lecturers who taught me course work in the department of

Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies.

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION...................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION......................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................................v
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................ viii
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ ix
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .................................................................x
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .....................................................................1


1.1 Background to the Study.................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................8
1.3 Purpose of the Study .......................................................................................9
1.4 Objectives of the Study ...................................................................................9
1.5 Research Questions .......................................................................................10
1.6 Significance of the Study ..............................................................................10
1.7 Limitations of the Study................................................................................11
1.8 Delimitations of the Study ............................................................................12
1.9 Theoretical Framework .................................................................................12
1.10 Conceptual Framework .................................................................................14
1.11 Definition of Terms.......................................................................................17

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ...........................19


2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................19
2.2 Educational Outcomes of a Competency-Based Curriculum .......................19
2.3 Challenges facing the Implementation of Competency Based Curriculum .22
2.4 Strategies for Effective Implementation of Competency Based Curriculum25
2.5 Summary of Literature Review .....................................................................30

v
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 31

3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................31


3.2 Research Design............................................................................................31
3.3 Study Localé .................................................................................................32
3.4 Target Population ..........................................................................................32
3.5 Sample Size and Sampling Procedure ..........................................................32
3.6 Data Collection Instruments .........................................................................34
3.6.1 Questionnaires...................................................................................34
3.6.2 Interview Schedule............................................................................35
3.6.3 Document Analysis Guide ................................................................35
3.6.4 Observation Checklist .......................................................................36
3.7 Pilot Study.....................................................................................................36
3.7.1 Reliability..........................................................................................36
3.7.2 Validity .............................................................................................37
3.8 Data Collection Procedure ............................................................................37
3.9 Data Analysis ................................................................................................38
3.10 Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................38

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND


DISCUSSION ..........................................................................................................40
4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................40
4.2 Questionnaire Return Rate ............................................................................40
4.3 Background Information of the Study Respondents .....................................41
4.4 Teacher Factors Affecting the Implementation of the Competency Based
Curriculum ....................................................................................................43
4.5 Effects of available infrastructure on the implementation of the competency
based curriculum ...........................................................................................51
4.6 Government Support in the Implementation of Competency-Based
Curriculum ....................................................................................................54
4.7 Measures to Facilitate Implementation of Competency Based Curriculum 57

vi
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................61
5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................61
5.2 Summary of the Findings ..............................................................................61
5.2.1 Teacher Factors Affecting the Implementation of the Competency
Based Curriculum .............................................................................61
5.2.2 Effects of available infrastructure on the implementation of the
competency based curriculum...........................................................62
5.2.3 Effects of government support on the implementation of the
competency based curriculum...........................................................62
5.3 Conclusion ....................................................................................................63
5.4 Recommendations of the Study ....................................................................64
5.5 Areas for Further Research ...........................................................................65

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................66

APPENDICE ...........................................................................................................72
Appendix A: Introductory Letter ............................................................................72
Appendix B: Questionnaire for Headteachers ........................................................73
Appendix C: Questionnaire for Teachers ...............................................................77
Appendix D: Interview Schedule for Education Officers.......................................81
Appendix E: Document Analysis ...........................................................................82
Appendix F: Observation Checklist .......................................................................83
Appendix G: Sample Size Determination Table ....................................................84
Appendix H: Research Approval from Kenyatta University ..................................85
Appendix I: Research Authorization from Kenyatta University...........................86
Appendix J: Research Authorization from Nacosti...............................................87
Appendix K: Research Permit ................................................................................88

vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1: Population and sample distribution of schools, headteachers and
teachers ................................................................................................34
Table 4.1: Respondents’ gender ............................................................................41
Table 4.2: Respondents’ education qualifications ................................................42
Table 4.3: Number of streams ...............................................................................43
Table 4.4: Headteachers’ responses on teachers’ knowledge on CBC .................44
Table 4.5: Teachers’ responses on their knowledge on CBC ...............................46
Table 4.6: Teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards competency based
curriculum ............................................................................................49
Table 4.7: Infrastructure for effective Implementation of CBC ...........................52
Table 4.8: Effects of government support on the implementation of CBC ..........55
Table 4.9: Measures for enhancing effective implementation of CBC .................57
Table 4.10: Measures to be put in place by the community and government for
enhancing effective implementation of CBC .......................................59

viii
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1: Organisation of Basic Education under CBC ........................................7


Figure 1.2: Conceptual framework on challenges facing implementation of
CBC......................................................................................................15
Figure 4.1: Duration served as the school head ......................................................42

ix
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

C2C - Curriculum into the Classroom

CBC - Competency-Based Curriculum

CBE - Competency-Based Education

CSEE - Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations

KICD - Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development

NACOSTI - National Council for Science and Technology

PISA - Program for International Student Assessment

SPSS - Statistical Package for Social Sciences

TSC - Teachers Service Commission

x
ABSTRACT

Kenya is in the process of shifting from content-based to competency-based system


of education. Teachers are likely to face challenges when implementing a new
curriculum especially in relation to the content and subject demarcations, the
underlying assumptions, goals, teaching approaches and assessment methods. With
this regard, this study sought to investigate the constraints facing successful
implementation of the competency based curriculum in Machakos County, Kenya.
The specific objectives of the study were to: establish the teacher factors affecting
the implementation of the competency based curriculum; determine the effects of
available infrastructure on the implementation of the competency based curriculum;
find out the effects of government support on the implementation of the competency
based curriculum; and determine the intervention measures necessary for ensuring
prudence in the implementation of the educational reforms. The study findings are of
significance to the Ministry of Education, school administrators, teachers and the
community as it shows the areas that may hinder effective implementation of
competency based curriculum in Kenya. The study was based on Dewey’s Social
Constructivism Theory, which emphasizes the nature of human experience as
informed by the principles of interaction and experience. The study adopted a
descriptive survey design targeting all the 828 headteachers and 8,320 teachers in all
the 828 public primary schools in Machakos County. Stratified random sampling
was used to select 83 headteachers and 367 Grades one to three teachers where
competency based curriculum was being implemented. Purposive sampling was
used to select three sub-county directors of education. A questionnaire, an interview
schedule, document analysis guide and an observation checklist were used as tools
for data collection. Data collected from the field was both quantitative and
qualitative in nature. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such
as frequency counts and percentages while qualitative data was analyzed
thematically in line with research objectives. The results of the analysis were
presented using frequency tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The study established
that: teachers were not fully prepared for the implementation of new curriculum;
infrastructure available in schools were not adequate for successful implementation
of competency based curriculum; the government hurriedly implemented CBC in
schools without first addressing challenges such as understaffing, inadequacy of
teaching and learning material and unfriendly teaching and learning environment.
The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should invest more on teacher
training and involve teachers in curriculum change process to create a positive
attitude among them for successful implementation of Competency Based
Curriculum.

xi
CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Curriculum is the medium through which nations around the world empower the

general public with the values, knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary for

them to be economically and socially engaged, in order to attain national and

personal development (Kabita & Ji, (2017). The term curriculum refers to all the

learning that is designed and directed by schools, whether such learning takes place

at individual or group situations, and whether outside or inside the school (Kelly,

1983). This definition implies that a curriculum encompasses learning programs

such as the subjects offered, intramural and interscholastic programs, career

guidance among others (Azuka & Kurumeh, 2015). The development and

implementation of a curriculum entails planning of learning programs with the aim

of deriving change in learners as well as assessing how much of the desired change

has been achieved.

Curriculum development is usually necessitated by the desire to respond to change,

and as such any quality curriculum development is a continuous and on-going

process. A good curriculum needs to align with global trends of rapid expansion of

knowledge, broadening information and communication technologies, and the

resultant constant change in the skills needed by learners to fit in the job market

(Stabback, 2016). Currently, the world is experiencing a shift to competency-based

education (Gardner, 2017). In the United States of America (USA), the competence

based education movement has been around since 1980. The origin of competency-

1
based education, however, can be traced to the ideas of educational reform linked to

business models specifying outcomes in objectives back in the 1920s (Williamson,

2000). Currently in the USA, schools implement a competency-based education

system whereby learners proceed to higher educational levels once they have

mastered preceding concepts and skills without regard to time, place or pace. The

working definition of competency-based education system in the USA is guided by

five principles of curriculum design: i) learners progress to a higher level once they

master current skills and concepts; ii) the competencies comprise clear, quantifiable,

and transferable learning objectives that empower learners; iii) there is a meaningful

assessment process that provides learners with positive learning experience; iv)

learners are provided with differentiated and timely support, which is in line with

individual learning needs; and v) the outcomes of the learning process places

emphasis on competencies such as knowledge creation and application, and

development of critical skills and dispositions (Sturgis, 2016). There is a substantial

difference between traditional systems of education and competency-based

education, since in traditional systems learners are expected to spend a given amount

of time on certain curricular subjects and progress to higher levels at predetermined

intervals, even if they have not mastered the skills and concepts.

Finland’s education system is highly respected as among the best around the world,

with Finnish schools regularly emerging top in evaluations administered by the

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which regularly appraises

education systems in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

(OECD) countries. Finland’s education system is considered a model of excellence

2
by proponents of competency-based education in Europe (Bristow & Patrick, 2014).

The success of the Finnish education system is credited to reforms initiated in the

country since 1970s. The reforms saw the localization of the national curriculum of

Finland, which was before then highly centralized (Darling-Hammond &

McCloskey, 2008). Finnish teachers were then empowered with skills in

psychology, curricular theory, and research skills, to a level where they now are in

charge of designing their own curricula guided by the national standards. School

administrators and teachers in the country assume the responsibility of defining the

overall goals of education for their schools, the assessment process for learners in

their schools, as well as self-assessment of school improvement goals (Sahlberg,

2012). The society has a strong trust that the teachers and administrators will do a

good job fulfilling these responsibilities. One of the main reasons for the success of

Finland’s education system is that the state invests heavily in teacher training.

Teachers are chosen from among the top ten per cent of high school graduates and

trained free by the government up to masters’ degree level (Bristow & Patrick,

2014).

In Sweden, a group of schools known as Kunskapsskolan (knowledge schools)

operate under a competency-based education model. The Knowledge Schools, which

were launched in 1999, operate a model of learning that is grounded on personalized

learning pathways. Students are guided to identify and set their own personal goals

by trained coaches and tutors. When learners are in 8th grade, they start being

encouraged to independently set goals. The Kunskapsskolan schools are consistent

high performers when compared to the national average. Learners who attend the

3
Knowledge Schools are more likely to progress to universities than their peers who

attend other schools in the country (Eiken, 2011).

New Zealand, another high performer in PISA assessments, is among the countries

considered to have highly devolved school systems. New Zealand accords great

individual autonomy to her schools in terms of the teaching and learning process.

The country has a National Curriculum and National Education Standards

framework, which help to set clear national education goals. National education

performance expectations are set through Teacher Standards and the New Zealand

Qualifications Framework, among other school review indicators (Nusche, Laveault,

MacBeath & Santiago, 2011). Similar to Finland, the community in New Zealand

has high level of trust in schools and educators to conduct effective learner

assessment and school evaluation. The country does not run full-cohort national

tests; instead, full autonomy is given to teachers for development of a standards-

based curriculum and the assessment of learning. This is a distinguishing culture of a

competency-based education system, whereby various measures of accountability

are established. The schools in New Zealand are characterized by a tradition of

teamwork among teachers, which could be a result of the high degree of autonomy

accorded to teachers and their commitment to meeting school performance goals that

they have participated in setting (Bristow & Patrick, 2014).

Tanzania introduced a competency based curriculum in 2005 to replace the content

based curriculum that was in place since independence in 1961. This culminated in

the development of competency-based education curriculum for secondary schools

(Kafyulilo, Rugambuka & Moses, 2012). Curriculum review in Tanzania was


4
initiated as a response to the economic, cultural and political changes that were

taking place in the country. There was a general feeling in Tanzania that the old

content-based curriculum was not effective since learners who graduated under the

curriculum could not demonstrate the competences and skills necessary to address

national and global job market demands (Komba & Kira, 2013). The experience of

Tanzania with competency-based education did not, however, register instant

positive outcomes. For instance, research work by HakiElimu (2012) established

that learners were performing poorly in Tanzania’s national examinations mainly

because teachers had not conceptualized the competency-based curriculum, and its

implementation was poor in terms of curriculum implementation environment,

teaching and learning methods, assessment methods, alignment of curriculum

implementation and assessment, and professional development opportunities for

teachers. HakiElimu (2012) recommended continuous teacher professional

development in order to be conversant with the new curriculum and its

implementation.

In Kenya, a major curriculum reform was experienced in 1985, when the 8-4-4

system of education was introduced as a response to recommendations by the

Presidential Working Party on the Establishment of the Second University in Kenya

(Republic of Kenya, 1981). The 8-4-4 system was mainly guided by a philosophy of

self-reliance. Since then, various formative and summative reviews and task-force

reports gave rise to reviews of the national curriculum in 1992, 1995 and 2002

(Republic of Kenya, 2017). The culmination of this curriculum review process was

5
the adoption by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) of a

competence based curriculum approach in the reforms.

Competency was conceptualized by KICD as learners’ capacity for adequate

application of learning resources and outcomes (attitudes, knowledge, skills, and

values) in a defined context, either in school, personal, work, or professional

development (Republic of Kenya, 2017). In the Kenyan context, competence-based

education is considered as one where emphasis is placed on what a learner is

expected to do as opposed to what the learner is expected to know. Competency-

based curriculum is therefore learner-centred, with a lot of emphasis on the changing

needs of learners, educators, and the society at large. The implication of this is that

the curriculum accords learners an opportunity for acquisition and application of

knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to day-to-day problem solving while placing

emphasis on 21st century skills (Republic of Kenya, 2017).

With the introduction of competency-based curriculum, the country is shifting from

an 8-4-4 structure to a 2-6-3-3-3 structure – pre-primary (2 years); primary (6 years);

and secondary education (6 years). This newly introduced Competency-Based

Curriculum puts emphasis on seven core competences, namely: i) Communication

and collaboration, ii) Creativity and imagination, iii) Critical thinking and problem

solving, iv) Digital literacy, v) Citizenship; vi) Learning to learn, and vii) Self-

efficacy. Figure 1 shows the organisation of Kenya’s basic education under

competency-based curriculum.

6
Senior School
Focus on specialization within a pathway Senior school

Middle School Education Junior school


Focus on broad-based
curriculum, exploration and
selection of pathway
Upper Primary

Early Years Lower Primary


Education
Focus on
foundation skills Pre-Primary

Figure 1.1: Organisation of Basic Education under CBC


Source: Kabita and Ji (2017)

The implementation of competency-based curriculum is being done in phases

beginning with pre-primary and lower primary classes, which started

implementation in January 2018. When a new curriculum is being implemented,

there is need for regular evaluations as a process of gathering and using information

to detect problems and modify implementation strategies (Oluoch, 2011). The

documented experiences from other countries that have adopted CBC show that the

implementation of the new curriculum was faced with initial challenges (HakiElimu,

2012; Komba & Kira, 2013). In Tanzania, Kavindi (2014) identified such challenges

to include shortage of teacher educators, overcrowded classes, inadequate teaching

and learning resources and short time for teaching practice. As pointed out by

Shiundu and Omulando (1992, p. 160), curriculum development is a process that


7
follows a number of stages, including conducting a situational analysis, formulating

the objectives, setting up of the curriculum project, building the program, piloting

the new programme in selected schools, improving the new programme,

implementation, evaluation, and maintenance.

Indicators of successful implementation of CBC include the classrooms and the

learning experience being learner focused, teachers focusing on the competencies

that learners are expected to demonstrate, schools creating opportunities for local

decision making, teachers establishing a balance between formative and summative

assessment, availability of resources to support digital-based learning, the use of

collaborative and co-development models in the teaching/learning process, and

synchronous development, whereby teachers and community (parents) are involved

in the learning process of the pupils. This study sought to establish the constraints

experienced during the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum in

Kenya, with specific focus on Machakos County, which is one of the Counties

where CBC was implemented at the piloting phase.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Kenya is in the process of shifting from content-based to competency-based system

of education, with an aim of aligning basic education with children’s career

interests, aptitudes, and abilities. Going by the experiences of other countries,

notably Tanzania, which implemented CBC before Kenya, the process of

introducing the new curriculum is expected to pose a range of challenges. Countries

that have succeeded in the implementation of CBC, such as Finland and New

Zealand, have placed a lot of emphasis on teacher training and placement of


8
adequate staff to schools. The countries have also invested in school infrastructure

such that all public schools are fully equipped.

Teachers, as the key agents of successful curriculum implementation, are likely to be

faced with challenges when implementing a new curriculum, such as the

competency based curriculum being introduced in Kenya. Unless the challenges are

identified early enough during the piloting stage, the problems can be carried

forward to a national level when the new programme is being implemented on full

scale. The study therefore sought to establish the constraints facing implementation

of the competency based curriculum in Machakos County, Kenya.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the constraints facing successful

implementation of the competency based curriculum in Machakos County, Kenya.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were:

(i) To establish the teacher factors affecting the implementation of the

competency based curriculum in Machakos County;

(ii) To determine the effects of available infrastructure on the implementation of

the competency based curriculum in Machakos County;

(iii) To find out the effects of government support on the implementation of the

competency based curriculum in Machakos County.

(iv) To determine the intervention measures necessary for ensuring prudence in the

implementation of the educational reforms.


9
1.5 Research Questions

The research questions of this study were:

(i) What are the teacher-factors affecting the implementation of the competency

based curriculum in Machakos County?

(ii) What are the effects of available infrastructure on the implementation of the

competency based curriculum in Machakos County?

(iii) What are the effects of government support on the implementation of the

competency based curriculum in Machakos County?

(iv) Which intervention measures are necessary for ensuring prudence in the

implementation of the educational reforms?

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study was necessitated by a growing concern by education stakeholders in the

country over the delayed implementation of the competency based curriculum. The

curriculum is anchored on the national goals of education and is designed to ensure

provision of opportunities for the identification of talents and the potential brought

by learners to schools and nurture such talents and potential through pathways and

provided tracks. Findings of the study may be of significance to the Ministry of

education, school headteachers and teachers, as well as the community in the

following ways:

The Ministry of Education and the Kenyan Institute of Curriculum Development

could find the study useful as it highlights the constraints that could hinder effective

implementation of the competency-based curriculum in Kenyan schools. Such

10
information is important for the Ministry to address the challenges early enough to

ensure success of the new curriculum.

The study could be of significance to school headteachers and teachers, who are the

main agents of the curriculum change process. By studying how the change process

is influenced by the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of teachers, the study comes up

with crucial recommendations that could make teachers better prepared to

successfully implement the new curriculum. The study findings also add to the

existing body of knowledge on curriculum change implementation and competency-

based education.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

i) The competency-based education system is being implemented in Kenya for

the first time. This means that the researcher did not have adequate local

empirical literature on the new system of education. This limitation was

addressed by comparing the issues and challenges experienced in other

countries that implemented the competency-based education system before

Kenya.

ii) The issue under investigation was sensitive in nature and this led to

restriction of information by some respondents. This limitation was

addressed by assuring the respondents of confidentiality of the information

given that it would be classified.

11
1.8 Delimitations of the Study

The study was restricted to Machakos County. The study involved teachers,

headteachers and Education Officers in selected sub-counties to enable the

researcher to have a wider view of the responses on the problem under study. This

study addressed itself to the constraints facing the implementation of the

competency based curriculum.

1.9 Theoretical Framework

The study was based on Dewey’s (1938; cited in Ültanır, 2012) Social

Constructivism Theory, which emphasizes the nature of human experience as

informed by the principles of interaction and experience. Dewey believed learning

should be organized around learners’ prior experiences and the society. Dewey

suggested that learners be provided with opportunity to engage in real world

experiences, practical learning through creativity, and innovation to fully participate

in the society. Social constructivism theory places emphasis on lifelong learning,

experiential learning and participatory learning. The term constructivism connotes

the idea of students constructing knowledge for themselves, that is, each learner

independently (as well as socially) creates meaning, as s/he learns. This view has

two implications: 1) teachers are urged to focus on each student individually and

guide them to think about learning (as opposed to the subject or lesson being

taught), and 2) knowledge is not independent of the meaning ascribed to experiences

that are constructed by the student or the community of students. This supports the

main focus of CBC, which emphasizes on what the learner is supposed to do as

opposed to what the learner is supposed to know.

12
Social Constructivists argue that the learner should have the responsibility of

learning. In other words, there is a lot of emphasis by social constructivists on active

involvement of the student in the learning process. This is a marked difference from

earlier educational perspectives, in which responsibility of learning solely rested

with the teacher, and the student only played a passive role. For Dewey, learners do

not simply mirror and reflect what the teacher teachers or what they read; rather,

they actively construct their own understanding. Students actively seek meaning as

they try the role of facilitators as opposed to teachers (Bauersfeld, 1995). Facilitators

assist learners to make their own meaning from the content, which is different from

a teacher whose role is to give didactic lectures to cover the subject matter. In

competency based curriculum, the teacher plays the role of a facilitator, which

promotes active participation of learners in the learning process.

When approached from the viewpoint of a teacher, the students’ role in the learning

process becomes passive; while on the other hand, a student who learns under the

guidance of a facilitator plays an active learning role. Social constructivism theory

therefore advocates for a major paradigm shift, with emphasis turning away from the

content and the instructor towards the student (Gamoran, Secada, & Marrett, 1998).

Brownstein (2001) points out that, the dramatic role shift from teacher to facilitator

calls for the facilitator to possess and exhibit an entirely different set of skills. While

the teacher tells, the facilitator is expected to ask; while the teacher conducts lectures

from the front of the classroom, the facilitator offers support from the back; while

the teacher provides answers, the facilitator offers guidelines while creating an

environment for students to arrive at their own conclusions; while the teacher spends

13
most of the time giving monologues, the facilitator is often engaged in dialogue with

the students (Rhodes & Bellamy, 1999). The shift to CBC in Kenya is characterized

by a major change in the role of the teacher – from that of an instructor to a

facilitator.

The social constructivist approach to learning is directly related to the concept of

competency-based education, which in reality is the same thing but in another

language of explanation. The idea concurs with that of Kimaro (2012) who states

that competency based education practice is intended to build knowledge, skills,

attitudes and competencies to the learner so that the learner can use them to solve

problems in daily life. Just like in Dewey’s Social Constructivism theory, CBC is all

about what the learner can do practically and important but not the quantity of

theoretical knowledge that the learners memorize.

1.10 Conceptual Framework

The study investigated the constraints facing the implementation of the competency

based curriculum in Machakos County, Kenya. Figure 2 presents the conceptual

framework of the study. The study focused on four factors that could affect the

implementation of the competency-based curriculum. The first of these is teacher

factors, specifically their knowledge, ICT training, beliefs and attitudes. Researchers

such as Shriner, Schlee and Libler (2010) have shown that the perceptions, attitudes

and beliefs of teachers towards curriculum change determine the support that they

give to its implementation.

14
Constraints

Teacher factors
Successful
 Knowledge & ICT
implementation of CBC
 Beliefs
 Competency of
 Attitudes
teachers in
Infrastructure implementing CBC
 Adequacy of textbooks  Teaching  Learner competency in
 Availability of physical experience
application of
facilities knowledge, values,
 Adequacy of learning attitudes and skills
resources
Government support
 Communication with
schools Indicators of successful

 Monitoring of implementation of CBC:

implementation process  Learner focused


 Focus on competencies
 Opportunities for local decision
making
 Balance between formative and
summative assessment
 Digital-based learning
 Collaborative and co-development
models
 Synchronous development

Independent variables Intervening variables Dependent variable

Figure 1.2: Conceptual framework on challenges facing implementation of


CBC
Source: Researcher (2019)

15
Teachers must also be trained on the new curriculum in order to implement it

effectively. The second component is infrastructural resources such as textbooks,

physical facilities and other learning resources that are required for the competency-

based curriculum to be implemented. Schools lacking such resources would find it

difficult to effectively implement the new curriculum. Implementation of the CBC

could also be influenced by government support factors such as communication with

schools, monitoring and evaluation of implementation process, and the amount of

government support to schools in terms of finances and other resources. These four

factors were the independent variables of the study.

The dependent variable of the study was the effectiveness with which competency-

based curriculum was being implemented in Machakos County, as reflected through

the competency of teachers in implementing CBC and learner competency in

application of knowledge, values, attitudes and skills. The intervening variables of

the study included teacher preparation for CBC and their years of teaching

experience. It was expected that the extent to which teachers had been trained on the

implementation of curriculum-based education would influence their attitudes

towards CBC and their effectiveness in implementing the new curriculum. The

indicators of successful implementation of CBC included the following: a) Learner

focused – curriculum focuses more on education and learning and less on the school

and the system; b) Focus on competencies – more focus is directed to competencies.

Ultimately the goal should be on the appropriate application of knowledge, and not

just knowledge acquisition; c) Opportunities for local decision making and greater

depth of study – greater flexibility for the teacher is emphasised; d) Balance between

16
formative and summative assessment – a range of assessment that focuses on the

development of learning outcomes, cross-curricular competencies, literacy and

numeracy are adopted; e) Digital-based learning: The design of the curriculum

within a collaborative digital application enables it to be improved continuously and

supports learning with flexible timing and pacing through a range of learning

environments; f) Collaborative and co-development models – co-creation of the

curriculum with partners and stakeholders taps into local expertise to enhance its

design and development; and g) Synchronous development – an integrated approach

to develop programmes of study, assessment, learning and teaching resources

supports a common approach that encourages interdisciplinary learning.

1.11 Definition of Terms

Competency: Refers to the capabilities needed to act in particular contexts,

including cognitive skills, knowledge, attitudes, values, and

practical skills and motivation needed to perform a given task.

Competency-based curriculum: Refers to a program of study which places

emphasis on equipping learners with knowledge, skills and attitudes

to be applied by learners and not merely what students are expected

to learn about.

Competency-based education: Refers to a system of teaching, assessment, and

grading whose main focus is ensuring learners demonstrate that

they have gained the intended knowledge and skills in the course of

their interaction with the schooling process.

17
Constraints: Refers to any factors that limit or restrict the success of schools in

implementing the competency based curriculum.

Curriculum: Refers to all the learning which is planned and guided by the

school, whether such learning takes place in group or individual

settings, and whether the learning takes place outside or inside the

school.

Curriculum implementation: Refers to the phase of the curriculum process in

which the student, under the guidance of a teacher, engages in

learning activities that maximize learning with a view to develop, in

the learner, new behaviour or new approach to issues.

18
CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction

This chapter provides the review of literature related to the constraints facing the

implementation of the competency based curriculum. The chapter covers

educational outcomes of a competency- based curriculum, challenges facing the

implementation of competency based curriculum and strategies for effective

implementation of competence-based curriculum. Finally the chapter gives the

summary of the literature reviewed.

2.2 Educational Outcomes of a Competency-Based Curriculum

Curriculum has been defined as the totality of all school experiences, the materials

expected to be learned, the behaviours expected to be nurtured, the nature of the

processes, techniques and approaches or methods employed, as well as all the

relevant facilities and equipment needed to accomplish this. Curriculum

development and implementation is a dynamic process as it responds to changes in

the society which it services. Changes in the curriculum take place in response to the

changing needs that the society views as necessary for the wellness of the general

population. In other words, changes in the curriculum are a result of reforms in the

existing curriculum, which arises as the old curriculum loses relevance in dealing

with the problems of the society (Igbokwe, Mezieobi & Eke, 2014).

The process of curriculum change entails changes in the content, goals, as well as

resources for the teaching and learning process, in order to address deficiencies or

19
inadequacies of the existing curriculum (Pretorius, 1999). The process of curriculum

change leads to infusion of new ideas – be it cultural, political, social, economic or

technological – leading ultimately to strengthened school processes, both internal

and external. At the heart of curriculum change is the need to align education

process with the needs of the populace and national development goals (Alibi &

Okemakinde, 2010). It is this search for quality education for Kenyans that led to a

move from the current 8-4-4 curriculum to competency-based curriculum (Republic

of Kenya, 2017).

The move by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development to shift away from the

traditional knowledge-based model to the competency-based education, is aimed at

developing in learners the habits of independence and lifelong learning; inculcating

appropriate values, skills and knowledge for application to real-life situations. This

is based on the growing realization around the world of the potential of competency-

based education to build in learners the essential capabilities and competencies

necessary for success in the knowledge-based economy of today (Darling--

Hammond, 2012).

The historical root of competency-based education (CBE) can be traced back to the

1950s in the US (Morcke, Dornan & Eika, 2013). The term Competence-based

education was derived from the notion of mastery learning and criterion-reference

assessment. Competency-based education gives a personalized approach to learning

and awards credit to learners based on their demonstration of mastery of

competencies, without considering the length of time taken for that learning to take

place (Surr & Rasmussen, 2015). According to Le, Wolfe and Steinberg (2014),
20
there is a high level of learning expectation for students in a competence-based

model, with each learner taking responsibility for reaching the established learning

goals (competencies). In a competency-based education model, educators seek to

ensure success for all learners in meeting learning targets by providing highly

personalized opportunities for learning and supporting and allowing learners to

study at different times and places. Learners are assessed when ready, and they

progress at their own pace.

One benefit of competency based programmes is flexibility since the structure of

CBE is dependent on the individual learner (Surr & Redding, 2017). Competency-

based education does not have rigid schedules, and there no set classes or semesters.

Instead, learners have the freedom to direct their learning and determine when they

will complete programmes or take assessments. The flexibility of competency-based

education can also be seen in the fact that it allows learners to join a programme at

any level at what point they are awarded credit for previous experiences. Another

key benefit of competency-based education is that learning under this model

revolves around real-life skills and the development of competencies (Bral &

Cunningham, 2016). When designating CBE programs, the educator puts in mind

the competencies needed by learners to succeed in a particular career and making

sure that the all materials are relevant. This ensures that learners graduate from the

programme when they are workplace-ready and have gained expertise in their

chosen careers.

In competency-based model, the main is the final outcome as opposed to the

journey. Focusing on the final outcome allows each learner to control his or her
21
pacing because the learner is not confined by a set learning process. Learners take an

assessment when they feel that they are ready and can prove mastery, after which

they are given credit and they commence on the next material. Learners move as fast

or as slow as they wish, and they complete a given level only when ready.

Competency-based education is also credited with increasing learner engagement

because students have ownership over their learning (Gardner, 2017). Under CBE,

students become empowered since they have control over how, where and when

they study. The CBE model is considered a truly personalized experience as it

encourages individualized learning and promotes the use of diverse learning styles.

The CBE model leads to increased student engagement since content is more

relevant and is tailored to each learner.

2.3 Challenges facing the Implementation of Competency Based

Curriculum

Researchers from different parts of the world have investigated on the challenges

faced in the process of curriculum implementation. In Tanzania for instance,

Makunja (2016) carried out a research to find out the challenges facing teachers in

the implementation of the competency-based curriculum in secondary schools. The

study, which was a case study that utilized a qualitative research approach, had a

sample of 102 teachers, six school principals and six academic masters/mistresses

drawn from six public secondary schools in Tanzania’s Morogoro Municipality. The

study used questionnaires and interview schedules to collect data, which were

analyzed using content analysis. The study found out that teachers faced a number of

constraints which negatively affected the effectiveness of implementation of the

22
competency-based curriculum. The challenges faced included inadequate in-service

training of teachers on issues related to CBC, overcrowded classrooms, lack of

teaching and learning resources, and lack of readiness by learners to accept learner-

centred approach. Makunja (2016) recommended that, for effective implementation

of CBC to be possible, teachers as the primary agents of curriculum implementation

ought to be afforded the opportunity to actively participate in the process of

curriculum review and formulation. Makunja (2016) further recommended that the

Ministry of Education ensure that schools are provided with all the relevant teaching

and learning resources. This study sought to find out whether similar challenges to

those reported by Makunja (2016) in Tanzania are being experienced in Kenya.

Dzimiri and Marimo (2015) assessed the problems associated with in the

implementation of a localised Advanced Level Geography syllabus in Zimbabwe.

The study used a mixed methods research design following a post-positivist

framework. Data for the study was gathered using questionnaires and interview

schedules. The research participants were teachers, students, and education officers

from 12 schools, which were sampled using stratified random sampling from among

low-density high schools, rural day schools, high-density high schools and mission

schools. The results of the study showed that most of the teachers used teacher-

centred teaching approach, the schools had inadequate instructional resources, most

teachers faced syllabus interpretation challenges, while the learners showed negative

attitudes toward some topics in the syllabus. In this study, the focus was on

competency-based curriculum to find out whether teachers were facing any

constraints related to the use of learner-centred approach.

23
Chand (2015) conducted a study to determine the challenges experienced by

curriculum developers in the process of implementation of multilingual education in

Fiji. The study employed a qualitative research approach using the

phenomenological method of study. The study utilized interview schedules as the

primary data collection instruments. Findings of the study revealed that the process

of Curriculum development and implementation was highly influenced by

administrative and political factors. The staff members charged with the

responsibility of curriculum development suffered lack of autonomy to do their job

effectively, they did not have the requisite skills, the staff members were hired

irregularly, high staff turnover, and there was inadequacy of resources. These factors

made it difficult for the multilingual education program to be effectively

implementation in Fiji. This study aimed at finding out whether similar challenges

as those experienced in Fiji are being faced as the competency based curriculum ins

being implemented in Kenya.

In Nigeria, Odey and Opoh (2015) investigated on the perceptions of teachers

regarding the challenges faced in implementation of the curriculum in tertiary

colleges. The study sample comprised of 480 purposively selected teachers of

tertiary institutions in Cross River State. Data was collected using a validated

questionnaire. The data were subjected to statistical analysis using frequencies,

means and ranking. The findings revealed that the most frequently occurring

problems in curriculum implementation included lack of a curriculum

implementation monitoring strategy, government failure to offer training to teachers

on curriculum implementation strategies, learners craving for success in

24
examinations at all costs even without working hard, lack of motivation among

tutors, and failure by tutors to focus on teaching responsibilities as they spend more

time on scholarly research. Odey and Opoh (2015) recommended that the faculty

deans and departmental heads take seriously the role of monitoring tutors, and that

the curriculum be reviewed to align with the contemporary needs of the society.

In Kenya, a study by Kahera (2010) sought to find out the factors influencing the

implementation of the curriculum in secondary schools in Kakamega South District.

The study sample was drawn from thirteen schools which were sampled using

stratified random sampling. Respondents for the study included 13 principals, 174

students and 75 teachers who were randomly sampled from the selected schools; and

3 education officers from Kakamega South District Education office. Data was

gathered using questionnaires and interview guides. The main factors identified to

be affecting curriculum implementation included under-staffing in the schools, lack

of in-service training for teachers, uneven distribution of teachers in the schools,

lack of support from parents and the local community on issues related to curriculum

implementation, inadequate teaching and learning facilities and infrastructure, and

drug and substance/alcohol abuse. The researcher made a recommendation that the

TSC should post more staff to schools and ensure regular in-service training for the

teachers.

2.4 Strategies for Effective Implementation of Competency Based

Curriculum

Teachers, like any other professionals, face change regularly in the course of their

professional lives (Lovat & Smith, 2003). Education is said to be in a constant state
25
of flux, and the changes taking place in the sector place considerable pressure on

teachers (Barton, Garvis & Ryan, 2014). The introduction of a new curriculum, such

as the competency-based curriculum in Kenya, is a change that is clearly going to

place pressure on teachers. The effectiveness with which a new curriculum is

implemented is dependent on the way its implementers – the teachers – interpret it.

Yet, in many cases the teacher is largely ignored when it comes to curriculum

review and design, being expected to implement the end product without

questioning (Kasapoglu, 2010). This is despite the fact that teacher attitudes are a

vital component of successful curriculum change (Igbokwe, Mezieobi & Eke, 2014).

In this study, one of the research aims was to find out the attitudes of teachers and

their beliefs about competency based curriculum.

When teachers feel that they were neglected during curriculum review and design,

they may end up resisting the implemented changes, thereby compromising the

effectiveness of curriculum implementation in terms of goals, the content, teaching-

learning process, assessment and resource utilization. Change in any organisation

has been associated with feelings of suspicion, fear of the unknown and

dissatisfaction. Therefore, for a curriculum to be changed successfully there is need

to change the teachers who are the primary agents of change (Kasapoglu, 2010).

Curriculum changes bring a lot of concerns to the teachers which might influence

their attitudes regarding the curriculum change implementation. One of such

concerns pertains to the teachers’ perception about their ability to successfully

implement the demands of the new change as well as the pressure related to their

daily duties and lack of resources to adequately implement the change


26
(Charalambous & Philippou, 2010). This fear of the unknown may obviously

increase the teachers’ resistance to the change or inform their negative attitude to the

change. The teachers’ attitudes to curriculum change may also be informed by their

concern about the influence of the new curriculum on their school culture (Ibrahim,

Al-Kaabi & El-Zaatari 2013). This usually occurs when the teachers are not sure

whether the norms and values represented by change are in agreement with their

school culture, otherwise it will be resisted.

In Australia, Barton, Garvis and Ryan (2014) note that the Australian national

curriculum was implemented using a staggered rollout approach, with certain

curricular areas being introduced in different phases. The education departments of

different states are given the responsibility for curriculum implementation, and the

departments develop their unique curriculum implementation approaches and

strategies. For example, in Queensland the education department prepared their own

curriculum implementation materials referred to as Curriculum into the Classroom

(C2C) for use by all schools under their jurisdiction. Barton et al. (2014) carried out

a study of the views of various education stakeholders in Queensland regarding how

the C2C materials were being implemented in the state. The researchers showed that

in most cases there were contradictions regarding how the C2C curriculum materials

were being used in different schools. Barton et al. (2014) blamed this on the

assumption by the curriculum designers that there is a one-size-fits-all approach that

can be used in all schools. The researchers argued that this is erroneous, proposing

instead that teachers be given a voice in the way in which curriculum

implementation takes place.

27
Teachers are the critical agents of change during the implementation of a new

curriculum (Gerrard & Farrell, 2014). The knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of

teachers play significant roles in the effective implementation of a new curriculum

(Briant & Doherty, 2012). Tong (2010), in a research carried out in Hong Kong,

established that other than the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of teachers, the

tension experienced by teachers between their personal beliefs and the orientation of

the curriculum change, as well as their ability to understand the curriculum

documents are also some of the barriers to effective curriculum change

implementation.

The teachers’ inadequate content knowledge and classroom practices are most often

blamed for the failures in curriculum change implementation (Gerrard & Farrell,

2014), but the failures encountered in curriculum change implementation cannot be

attributed to the lack of content knowledge needed to implement the curriculum

change alone, rather it can also be attributed to factors relating to the teachers

formulating their own meanings and attitudes when the reform documents are

introduced to them, which may lead to their ignoring or resisting the change (Park &

Sung 2013). Some teachers view curriculum change as merely intensifying their

workload without providing any change benefit. It is therefore important that

understanding what the teachers perceive as the purpose of the curriculum change is

crucial to successful curriculum change implementation.

Based on a review of research, Ryder and Banner (2013) found that a significant

number of researches have revealed that even when teachers have the pedagogical

expertise and appropriate knowledge, this may not be a guarantee that curriculum
28
change will be successfully implemented., but external factors relating to the

curriculum reform, personal factors relating to teacher identity; who they see

themselves as and their teaching goals, as well as internal factors relating to work

environment, all play significant roles in the successful curriculum change

implementation.

Another factor which may contribute to curriculum change implementation success

or failures are the teachers’ attitudes towards the change and how they implement

the change in their classroom practices (Ha, Wong, Sum & Chan, 2008). Although

implementation of curriculum change has been shown to be highly related to the

teachers’ changing their attitudes towards the curriculum change, few studies have

suggested that how the teachers receive the change and their capacity to implement

the change is crucial (Ha et al, 2008). As curriculum change implementers, teachers

are expected to develop a new set of capacities and skills necessary for curriculum

change implementation (Qian & Walker, 2013). Teacher professional development

therefore becomes necessary for curriculum change implementation. Many scholars

argue that although professional development in itself is not the sole reason for the

failures of curriculum change implementation, it does play an important role because

it ensures an up-to-date knowledge of the curriculum materials and also provides

new skills needed to ensure appropriate implementation (Spillane, Healey & Parise,

2009).

29
2.5 Summary of Literature Review

This chapter presented a review of literature related to the study on the constraints

facing the implementation of the competency based curriculum. The reviewed

literature shows that the move from the traditional subject/content-based education

to competency-based education is informed by the need to expand the competences

and capabilities that are considered essential to success not only in academia but also

in the modern knowledge-based economy. The literature review covered the

challenges facing the implementation of competency based curriculum, which

include teacher factors (their knowledge, beliefs and attitudes), infrastructural

resources (textbooks, physical facilities and other learning resources), community

factors (community involvement and support, parental monitoring of learner

progress), and government support (communication with schools, monitoring of

implementation process, and government support to schools). Also discussed in the

chapter are the strategies that can be employed for effective implementation of

competency-based curriculum. Probably because competency-based curriculum

started being implemented recently in Kenya, there were few, if any studies on the

constraints facing principals and teachers while implementing this curriculum. Yet,

such research is needed in order to advise the Ministry of Education and schools on

how to address the challenges when they occur. For this reason, the current study

sought to investigate on the constraints facing the implementation of the competency

based curriculum in Kenya, and specifically Machakos County.

30
CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter explains the methods that were used in conducting the research.

Specifically, the chapter describes the research design to be used for the study,

targeted population, sample size and the sampling techniques, data collection

instruments, methods of confirming validity and reliability of the instruments,

procedures for data collection, data analysis procedure and finally ethical

considerations of the study.

3.2 Research Design

Research design refers to an outline that shows how solutions to a problem of study

are to be arrived at (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). In this study, the descriptive survey

design was used. According to Orodho (2012), the term descriptive survey design

refers to a strategy of gathering data by observing and describing the behaviour of a

subject without influencing it in any way. Descriptive survey design is employed

when collecting data regarding the attitudes, opinions, habits among other social

issues prevalent in a given population. The descriptive survey design is normally

used to gather information that is considered useful for evaluation of current

practices to serve as a basis for making decisions. Descriptive design was considered

relevant to this study since the researcher only reported the situation facing the

implementation of the competency-based curriculum in Machakos County without

active manipulation of study variables.

31
3.3 Study Localé

This study was carried out in Machakos County. The County is among the eight

counties forming the Eastern region of Kenya. The county is bordered to the North

by Kiambu, Murang’a, and Embu counties; to the West by Kajiado and Nairobi city

counties; to the South by Makueni County, to the East by Kitui County. At the time

the study was conducted, Machakos County had 1,736 Early Childhood

Development (ECD) centres, 828 primary schools and 351 secondary schools.

Machakos County was chosen for the study because it is one of the Counties where

competency-based curriculum was piloted. Machakos County has a balanced

distribution of schools, with some in urban settings with well developed

infrastructure such as roads and electricity while others are in rural areas

characterized by poverty and poor infrastructure.

3.4 Target Population

The term population is defined as a group of individuals who possess the same

characteristics (Creswell, 2012). In this study the target population comprised of all

the 8,320 teachers and 828 headteachers in the 828 public primary schools in

Machakos County. The study also targeted the eight (8) sub-County Directors of

Education in Machakos County. The study was conducted in public primary schools

because CBC was piloted in public primary schools of different categories – day,

day and boarding, boarding, single sex and mixed gender schools.

3.5 Sample Size and Sampling Procedure

According to Orodho (2010), a sample is defined as a small portion of a given

population which contains characteristics that are representative of the larger


32
population. Sampling technique refers to a definite plan for obtaining a sample from

a given population (Kothari, 2004). From the targeted population of 8,320 teachers,

the researcher used the sample estimation table developed by Kathuri and Pals

(1993) showing suitable sample sizes for given finite populations such that the

sample will be within plus or minus 0.05 of the population proportion with a 95

percent level of confidence. From the table by Kathuri and Pals (1993) (Appendix

G), a minimum sample of 367 should be selected from a target population of 8,320

teachers.

A sample of 367 teachers was drawn from grades one to three where CBC was being

implemented. The study used proportionate stratified random sampling to sample the

367 teachers, with stratification done relative to the 8 sub-counties. In this method of

sample selection, the sample size from each stratum is proportionate with the

stratum size (the 8 sub-counties in this study) in such a way that each sampling unit

represents the same number of units in the target population (Lohr, 2010). Due to the

large number of primary schools in Machakos County, the researcher sampled ten

percent of the schools in line with Gay and Airasian (2003), who recommend that a

sample of 10 to 20% is sufficient for educational research. This means that 10% of

the 828 schools were sampled, giving a total of 83 schools, as recommended by Gay

and Airasian (2003). Stratified random sampling was used to select the schools from

each of the 8 sub-Counties in Machakos County. All the 83 headteachers from the

sampled schools were purposively selected to take part in the study. In addition,

purposive sampling was used to select three education officials from Machakos

County Education office. As such, the sample size comprised of 83 headteachers,

33
367 teachers, and 3 education officers, making a total of 453 respondents. Table 1

shows the sample distribution for the study.

Table 3.1: Population and sample distribution of schools, headteachers and


teachers
Sub- Primary No. of Sample 10% of Sample of
County schools teachers (4.4%) schools headteachers
teachers
Mwala 110 1,560 69 11 11
Machakos 198 1,130 50 20 20
Yatta 86 979 43 9 9
Masinga 94 956 42 9 9
Matungulu 79 941 42 8 8
Kangundo 95 930 41 9 9
Kathiani 90 914 40 9 9
Athi-River 76 910 40 8 8
Total 828 8,320 367 83 83

3.6 Data Collection Instruments

Four instruments were used for data collection: a questionnaire, an interview

schedule, a document analysis guide, and an observation checklist.

3.6.1 Questionnaires

The questionnaire was utilised to collect data from headteachers and teachers.

According to Kothari (2004), the questionnaire is the most common tool used for

purposes of data collection. The extensive use of questionnaires for data collection is

because by using this instrument, it is possible to gather large amounts of data

within a considerably short amount of time. The questionnaire used in this study

34
consisted of both close ended and open ended questions and it was divided into four

sections. Section A of the questionnaire captured background information of the

study respondents. Section B captured the constraints facing the implementation of

the competency based curriculum. Section C covered measures that can be put in

place to facilitate implementation of the competency based curriculum while section

D captured recommendations on the way forward on the implementation of the

competency based curriculum.

3.6.2 Interview Schedule

The interview schedule was employed to conduct face-to-face interviews with the

sub-County Directors of Education on matters regarding implementation of the

competency based curriculum in Kenya. The interview schedules were used because

of their advantages when data is being collected from a small number of

respondents; interview schedules are useful to obtain detailed information about

personal feelings, perceptions and opinions; they allow more detailed questions to be

asked; they usually achieve a high response rate; and respondents’ own words are

recorded. The researcher used interviews to get in-depth information on the subject

under study.

3.6.3 Document Analysis Guide

Document analysis guide was used to observe the various professional documents

used by teachers in curriculum implementation such as lesson plans and schemes of

work. This enabled the researcher to determine whether the teachers were effectively

implementing the competency-based curriculum.

35
3.6.4 Observation Checklist

The study also used an observation checklist to assess the adequacy of teaching and

learning resources and physical facilities in the primary schools. An observation

checklist is a set of questions used to evaluate the adequacy of resources available in

an educational institution. Observation checklists assist an observer to identify

resource gaps and problem areas to further improve the provision of teaching and

learning resources such as classrooms, desks, textbooks, latrines, playgrounds and

offices.

3.7 Pilot Study

Before carrying out the actual study, a pilot study was carried out in 5 primary

schools in with similar characteristics to the targeted population, but which were not

involved in the final study. The pilot study respondents were 5 headteachers and 10

teachers, a total of 15 respondents. The aim of the pilot study was to assist the

researcher determine and make improvements on the reliability and validity of the

data collection instruments, as well as become familiar with the process of data

collection.

3.7.1 Reliability

According to Mugenda and Mugenda (2003), the term reliability is used to refer to

the assessment of the extent to which a research tool gives results that are consistent

after a number of trials. In this study, the researcher employed test-retest method of

testing reliability. In test-retest procedure, the data collection instrument was given

twice to the pilot study participants, with an interval of about one week. After the

two administrations of the questionnaire, the two sets of responses were correlated
36
using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation formula. The researcher obtained a

reliability coefficient of 0.814, which was an indication that the study instrument

was reliable.

3.7.2 Validity

Validity according to Wong, Ong and Kuek (2012) refers to the extent to which an

instrument measures the constructs it purports to measure. According to Kimberlin

and Winterstein (2008) validity is established by expert judgement. Thus, the

questionnaires and interview schedules were constructed in close consultation with

the university supervisors, whose expert guidance helped to improve validity of the

instruments.

3.8 Data Collection Procedure

The researcher obtained an introduction letter from the Department of Education in

Kenyatta University. Thereafter, a research permit was obtained from the National

Council of Science and Technology (NACOSTI). Once the permit was granted, the

researcher sought consent from the County Education Officer, Machakos County to

enable him access the public primary schools within Machakos County. The

researcher then booked appointment with the respondents through the school

headteachers. The researcher personally administered questionnaires to the teachers

and headteachers and gave them time frame within which they were required to

respond to the questionnaires. Upon completion, the researcher collected the filled in

questionnaires for data analysis.

37
3.9 Data Analysis

Once all the data are collected from the field, the data was cleaned in order to

improve on accuracy and completeness of the data set. The next step was data

coding, which was done prior to computer data entry for analysis using the

Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20. The study used both

quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. The quantitative data was

analysed using various descriptive statistical analysis procedures such as frequency

distributions, percentages, the mean and the standard deviation. The outcomes of

data analysis were summarized for reporting by use of frequency tables, contingency

tables, pie charts and bar graphs.

The qualitative data obtained through interview guides, document analysis and

observation checklists was analysed using content analysis, discourse analysis and

framework analysis. Content analysis entailed categorization of verbal data from the

interviewees in order to classify, summarize and tabulate the data. Discourse

analysis is a method of analysis of naturally occurring talk and all types of written

text, and was used to thematically summarize the data arising from document

analysis. Framework analysis was used in order to systematically analyse all the

qualitative data, and followed a number of stages including familiarization,

identifying a thematic framework, coding, charting, mapping and interpretation.

3.10 Ethical Considerations

According to Stringer (2003), ethical issues of in research should be raised to protect

well being and interest of research participant. The research design should therefore

include procedures that ensure the safety of the participants. Before collecting data
38
from the field, an introduction letter was obtained from the University in order to

procure a research permit from NACOSTI. The County Education Officer was also

notified of the intention to conduct research in Machakos County. The researcher

informed beforehand all respondents of their freedom to accept or reject

participation in the study, and that they would not be penalized for failure to take

part. Assurances were made to respondents that the data collected would be held and

treated in confidence. Identity of the participants and their schools were not revealed

to anyone. All the data was inspected to ensure that it was entered on the computer

correctly.

39
CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Introduction

This chapter presents data analysis, interpretation and discussion of the study

findings. The main objective of the study was to investigate the constraints facing

successful implementation of the competency based curriculum in Machakos

County, Kenya. The chapter is organized into six sections. The first section presents

questionnaire return rate. The second part consists of background information of the

study respondents whereas the remaining four sections contain findings of the study

based on the following research objectives.

i. To establish the teacher factors affecting the implementation of the

competency based curriculum in Machakos County.

ii. To determine the effects of available infrastructure on the implementation of

the competency based curriculum in Machakos County.

iii. To find out the effects of government support on the implementation of the

competency based curriculum in Machakos County.

iv. To determine the intervention measures necessary for ensuring prudence in the

implementation of the educational reforms.

4.2 Questionnaire Return Rate

To get data for the study, the researcher administered questionnaires to 83

headteachers and 367 teachers from public primary schools in Machakos County.

Among them, 78 headteachers and 342 completely filled and returned their

questionnaires, giving a total of 420 study respondents. This proportion is

40
equivalent to 93.3% questionnaire return rate. According to Mugenda and Mugenda

(2003), a 50% response rate is adequate for data analysis and reporting, 60% is good

and above 70% is excellent. The researcher further conducted interviews with 3

education officers from Machakos County on matters regarding implementation of

the competency based curriculum.

4.3 Background Information of the Study Respondents

The information captured in this section includes respondents’ gender, highest

academic qualifications, working experience and the number of streams in the

sampled schools. Table 4.1 shows respondents’ gender.

Table 4.1: Respondents’ gender


Gender Headteachers Teachers

Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

Male 46 59.0 155 45.3

Female 32 41.0 187 54.7

Total 78 100.0 342 100.0

As shown in table 4.1, out of 78 headteachers, 46 (59.0%) were male and 32

(41.0%) were female. Among the teachers, 155 (45.3%) were male and 187 (54.7%)

were female. This shows that most of the headteachers who took part in the study

were male while majority of the teachers were female.

Table 4.2 depicts respondents’ education qualifications.

41
Table 4.2: Respondents’ education qualifications
Highest education Headteachers Teachers
level Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Masters 26 33.3 0 0.0
Bachelors Degree 0 0.0 22 6.4
B.Ed 31 39.7 62 18.1
Diploma 10 12.8 20 5.8
P1 11 14.1 238 69.6
Total 78 100.0 342 100.0

Data presented in Table 4.2 shows that 26 (33.3%) headteachers had attained

Masters’ qualifications, 31 (39.7%) had Bachelor in Education, 10 (12.8%) had

diploma and 11 (14.1%) had P1 qualifications. Among the teachers, 62 (18.1%) had

bachelor in Education, 20 (5.8%) had diploma and 238 (69.6%) had P1

qualifications. This shows that headteachers had attained higher education

qualifications as compared to the teachers. Majority of the headteachers had attained

masters and bachelor in education degree whereas most of the teachers had attained

P1 qualifications. Figure 4.1 depicts headteachers’ experience in headship.

Figure 4.1: Duration served as the school head

42
Results presented in Figure 4.1 indicates that majority of the headteachers (57.7%)

had worked as the school heads for a duration ranging between 9 and 18 years.

Table 4.3 shows number of streams in the sampled schools.

Table 4.3: Number of streams


Streams Headteachers Teachers

Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

One 19 24.4 79 23.1

Two 43 55.1 263 76.9

Four 16 20.5 0 0.0

Total 78 100.0 342 100.0

The findings presented in Table 4.3 illustrates that 19 (24.4%) headteachers said that

their schools had one stream, 43 (55.1%) cited two streams and 16 indicated four

streams. Among the teachers, 79 (23.1%) indicated one stream and 263 (76.9%)

teachers indicated two streams. This shows that most of the sampled schools had

two streams.

4.4 Teacher Factors Affecting the Implementation of the Competency Based

Curriculum

The first objective of the study was to establish the teacher factors affecting the

implementation of the competency based curriculum in Machakos County. To

address this objective, a 5-point Likert scale comprising of 10 items measuring

teachers’ knowledge on CBC was used. The study respondents were required to

43
indicate their level of agreement or disagreement in each item on the scale. The

scale ranged from 1 to 5 with 1 representing strongly disagree, 2 denoting disagree,

3 undecided, 4 agree and 5 strongly agree. The midpoint of the scale was a score of

3. Therefore, scores above 3 denoted that respondents agreed with the item on the

scale while score below 3 signified that respondents disagreed with the item on the

scale. Presented in Table 4.4 are the findings of the analysis.

Table 4.4: Headteachers’ responses on teachers’ knowledge on CBC

Knowledge on CBC Mean Std. Dev.


More research on CBC is needed before it can be 4.59 .495
implemented successfully
Most of my teachers are still confused by the new 4.01 .875
terminology of CBC
Teachers in my school find it difficult to adapt their teaching 3.73 .963
styles to a child's individual learning style
I will be able to judge if students have achieved the learning 3.54 .784
outcomes of CBC
My teachers were given clear guidelines as to how students 3.32 1.099
can be transformed from passive to active learners
My knowledge of CBC is good 3.29 1.415
My knowledge of the assessment techniques for CBC is 2.94 .972
good
Teachers in my school have received adequate training on 2.74 1.333
CBC
Teachers in my school do not understand the principle of 2.73 .921
continuous assessment
The teachers in my school are well prepared for CBC 2.73 1.002

44
As shown in Table 4.4, the mean scores obtained by the headteachers’ on teachers’

knowledge on CBC ranged from 2.73 to 4.59 with a standard deviation of 1.002 and

0.495 respectively. The highest ranked statements were “more research on CBC is

needed before it can be implemented successfully (4.59)” and “most of my teachers

are still confused by the new terminology of CBC (4.01)”. On the other hand, the

lowest ranked statements were “teachers in my school are well prepared for CBC

(2.73)” and teachers in my school do not understand the principle of continuous

assessment (2.73)”. From the study findings, it is clear that most teachers were not

fully equipped with skills and knowledge on CBC. Majority of the headteachers

approved that teachers in their current schools were still confused by the new

terminology of CBC; they still find it difficult to adapt their teaching styles to a

child's individual learning style, they have not yet understood the principles of

continuous assessments and they have not yet received adequate training on CBC.

In agreement with the findings, Kyafulilo, Rugambuka and Ikupa, (2012) in their

study discovered that most schools lacked well qualified and expert teachers to

implement CBET system. These researchers found out that, to a large extent

teachers still teach using traditional instructional approach and students learn

through memorization. In another study, Makunja (2016) established that teachers

faced a number of constraints which negatively affected the effectiveness of

implementation of the competency-based curriculum. The challenges faced included

inadequate in-service training of teachers on issues related to CBC, overcrowded

classrooms, lack of teaching and learning resources, and lack of readiness by

learners to accept learner-centred approach. Table 4.5 shows teachers’ responses on

their knowledge on CBC.

45
Table 4.5: Teachers’ responses on their knowledge on CBC
Knowledge on CBC Mean Std. Dev.

I am able to judge if students have achieved the learning 4.13 .750

outcomes of CBC

More research on CBC is needed before it can be implemented 4.05 .858

successfully

In the CBC teacher training I have received, clear guidelines 3.60 1.277

were given as to how students can be transformed from passive

to active learners

I am confused by the new terminology of CBC 3.50 1.024

I find it difficult to adapt my teaching style to a child's individual 3.11 1.091

learning style

I feel well prepared for CBC 2.94 1.362

My knowledge of CBC is good 2.22 .999

My knowledge of the assessment techniques for CBC is good 2.20 1.067

I have received adequate training on CBC 1.91 1.048

I do not understand the principle of continuous assessment 1.78 .894

Data presented in Table 4.5 indicates that the mean scores obtained by the teachers

on their knowledge on CBC ranged from 1.78 to 4.13 with a standard deviation of

0.894 and 0.750. The highest scored statements were “I will be able to judge if

students have achieved the learning outcomes of CBC (4.13)” and “more research on

CBC is needed before it can be implemented successfully (4.05)”. The lowest

ranked statements were “I do not understand the principle of continuous assessment

46
(1.78)” and “I have received adequate training on CBC (1.91)”. These findings

showed that majority of the teachers confirmed that they were not well prepared for

the implementation of new curriculum. A significant number of them cited that they

were still confused by the new terminology of CBC. They felt that it was still

difficult to adapt their teaching style to a child's individual learning style, and that

the training they had received, knowledge on CBC and assessment technique was

inadequate.

To verify the above findings, the researcher conducted interviews with the education

officers in Machakos County. The researcher noted that in the sampled schools, the

implementation of competency based education was on-going. However, all the

three officers said that they were faced with a number of challenges. One of the

major challenges highlighted was that teachers were not fully equipped with the

knowledge and skills on competency based curriculum and hence hindering

successful implementation of the programme. As quoted from one of the education

officers

“Teachers are moderately equipped with the necessary skills. Majority of


them felt that the training is not adequate because it is carried out hurriedly
(Education Officer 1).”

Additionally, they said that some teachers are rigid to change from content based

curriculum to competency based curriculum. As quoted from another education

officer:-

“There is need for an advocate for change of attitude among the teachers to
embrace competency based curriculum. Some teachers are very rigid to
change (Education Officer 1).”
47
Another one said that

“The delay in the national roll out made some teachers reduce „appetite‟ for
competency based curriculum (Education Officer3).”

These findings agrees with those of Nyoni (2018), which revealed that that most of

teachers were not provided with in-service training as a strategy to improve their

teaching-learning techniques and hence most of them were still employing old

approaches or traditional-learning-methods. In another study, Komba and

Mwandanji (2015) established that majority (86%) of the teachers did not have a

proper understanding of the Competence- Based nor were they knowledgeable about

the objectives of the program. These results were further supported by Hakielimu

(2012) who established that the paradigm shift program in schools had always been

poorly implemented, as the majority of teachers did not understand the requirements

of the program.

Table 4.6 shows means and standard deviations obtained by the study respondents

on teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards CBC.

48
Table 4.6: Teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards competency based
curriculum
Attitudes and beliefs Head teachers Teachers
Mean Std. Dev Mean Std. Dev

It is necessary to monitor the impact that CBC 4.63 .486 4.55 .548
will have on Kenyan education
A common cultural background between 4.50 .734 4.42 .495
learners and teachers is important for CBC to
be successful
CBC will provide all students with equal 4.03 .644 3.53 1.165
educational opportunities
CBC will encourage independent learners 3.99 1.087 4.01 .830
CBC will help to improve the economic 3.97 1.173 3.87 .763
performance of Kenya
CBC is more likely than the former education 3.92 1.125 3.99 1.120
system to develop fulfilled human beings
CBC will encourage lifelong learners 3.87 1.390 3.61 .986
Highly competent teachers are needed in 3.67 1.374 4.60 .491
order to make a change from content based to
CBC possible
The transition from content based education 3.42 1.212 3.06 1.142
to CBC will be easy for teachers to achieve
Learners use a variety of different strategies in 3.31 1.132 3.54 1.482
their performance so that it becomes difficult
in determining the particular competencies
used in such performance
CBC will mean more work for teachers as 3.10 1.420 4.01 1.302
they will have to design programs which are
appropriate to the individual learning needs of
their students
CBC will lower the standards of academic 2.64 1.081 1.37 .731
achievement in our education system
There is no need to transform Kenya's 1.69 .690 2.05 1.245
education system from content based
education to CBC
49
As shown in Table 4.6, the mean scores obtained by the headteachers on aspects

measuring teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards CBC ranged from 1.69 to 4.63.

The highest ranked aspects were “It is necessary to monitor the impact that CBC

will have on Kenyan education (4.63)” and “a common cultural background between

learners and teachers is important for CBC to be successful (4.50)”. On the other

hand, the lowest ranked statements were “there is no need to transform Kenya's

education system from content based education to CBC (1.69)” and “CBC will

lower the standards of academic achievement in our education system (2.64)”.

Results in the table further showed that the mean scores obtained by the teachers

ranged between 1.37 and 4.60. The highly ranked aspects by the teachers were

“highly competent teachers are needed in order to make a change from content based

to CBC possible (4.60)” and “it is necessary to monitor the impact that CBC will

have on Kenyan education (4.55)”. The lowly ranked statements were “CBC will

lower the standards of academic achievement in our education system (1.37)” and

“there is no need to transform Kenya's education system from content based

education to CBC (2.05)”. It was established from the study findings that majority of

the headteachers and teachers had a positive attitudes towards the CBC. However, a

significant number of them perceived that with the implementation of the CBC

program, teachers will have more work for designing programs that will be

appropriate to the individual learning needs of the students. Contrary with the

findings, Otara, Uworwabayeho, Nzabalirwa and Kayisenga (2019) in their study

established that primary school teachers had a negative attitude towards Learner-

Centered Pedagogy (LCP). The major factors influencing teachers’ attitudes were

50
both institutional and individual factors. Institutional factors included lack of clear

indicators on LCP, shortage of school facilities and resources, big class size, heavy

workload and barrier in language of instruction. Individual factors included lack of

prior experience on LCP among colleges and university tutors during pre-service

training, lack of self-confidence and lack of positive attitude among the teachers.

4.5 Effects of available infrastructure on the implementation of the

competency based curriculum

The second objective of the study was to determine the effect of available

infrastructure on the implementation of the competency based curriculum in

Machakos County. To meet this objective, the study respondents were asked to

indicate their level of agreement or disagreement in a 5-point likert scale. The scale

ranged from 1 to 5 with 1 representing strongly disagree, 2 denoting disagree, 3

undecided, 4 agree and 5 strongly agree. The midpoint of the scale was a score of 3.

Therefore, scores above 3 denoted that respondents agreed with the item on the scale

while score below 3 signified that respondents disagreed with the item on the scale.

Table 4.7 illustrates means and standard deviations obtained.

51
Table 4.7: Infrastructure for effective Implementation of CBC
School infrastructures Headteachers Teachers
Mean Std Dev. Mean Std Dev.
The provision of resources is essential if 4.69 0.465 4.59 .493
CBC is to succeed
The large classes in the Kenyan schools 4.19 1.020 4.12 .818
will hinder a successful implementation of
CBC
The implementation of CBC will fail if 4.13 .945 4.59 .492
more teachers are not posted to Kenyan
schools
My school is yet to receive all the 4.01 1.087 4.39 .488
necessary learning resources for CBC
The textbooks available in my school are 2.40 1.241 1.43 .496
adequate to effectively implement CBC
The textbooks provided for CBC are of low 2.29 1.046 2.25 .927
quality
The school has adequate computer labs for 0.00 0.000 1.15 .360
effective implementation of CBC

Table 4.7 illustrates the mean scores obtained by the headteachers and teachers on a

likert scale measuring the effects of infrastructure for effective implementation of

competency based curriculum. The mean scores by headteachers ranged from 2.29

to 4.69 with standard deviations of 1.046 and 0.465 respectively. The highest scored

statements by the headteachers were “The provision of resources is essential if CBC

is to succeed (4.69)” and “large classes in the Kenyan schools will hinder a

successful implementation of CBC (4.19).” On the other hand, the lowest ranked

statements were “textbooks provided for CBC are of low quality (2.29)” and

“textbooks available in my school are adequate to effectively implement CBC


52
(2.40).” Among the teachers, the mean scores they obtained ranged from 1.15 to

4.59 with a standard deviation of 0.360 and 0.493. The highly ranked statements by

the teachers were “provision of resources is essential if CBC is to succeed (4.59)”

and “implementation of CBC will fail if more teachers are not posted to Kenyan

schools (4.59).” The lowest ranked statements were “school has adequate

laboratories for effective implementation of CBC (1.15)” and “textbooks available in

my school are adequate to effectively implement CBC (1.43)”. From the study

findings, it emerged that most of the sampled schools lacked adequate school

infrastructures needed for successful implementation of competency based

curriculum. The major challenges experienced in most schools were large classes of

pupils, inadequate teachers, inadequate textbooks, laboratories and other learning

materials. In agreement with the findings, the researcher noted through interviews

with the education officers that the major challenges facing implementation of CBC

were lack of enough teachers, lack of teaching and learning materials and large

classes. The following is an excerpt from one of the education officers who

participated in the study.

“Most of the schools have inadequate number of teachers as compared to the


number of pupils enrolled and also teaching and learning materials are not
enough (Education Officer 1).”

The researcher further carried out an observation method to assess the adequacy of

facilities and resources in the sampled schools. The researcher noted that in most

schools, textbooks, teachers, desks and sanitation facilities were not adequate as

compared to the number of pupils. These results agrees with Kavindi (2014) who

revealed that the major challenges facing implementation of CBE included; shortage
53
of teacher educators, overcrowded classes, inadequate teaching and learning

resources and short time for teaching practice. Similarly, Kahera (2010) established

that under-staffing in the schools, lack of in-service training for teachers, uneven

distribution of teachers in the schools, lack of support from parents and the local

community on issues related to curriculum implementation, inadequate teaching and

learning facilities and infrastructure were the major factors affecting curriculum

implementation. In another study, Nyoni (2018) found out that lack of teaching and

learning materials was one of the major challenges facing teachers during the

implementation of competence based curriculum.

4.6 Government Support in the Implementation of Competency-Based

Curriculum

The third objective of the study was to find out the effects of government support on

the implementation of the competency based curriculum in Machakos County. To

achieve this goal, a five point likert scale with four items was used. The scale ranged

from 1 to 5 with 1 representing strongly disagree, 2 denoting disagree, 3 undecided,

4 agree and 5 strongly agree. The midpoint of the scale was a score of 3. Therefore,

scores above 3 denoted that respondents agreed with the item on the scale while

score below 3 signified that respondents disagreed with the item on the scale.

Results of this analysis are presented in Table 4.8.

54
Table 4.8: Effects of government support on the implementation of CBC
Government support Headteachers Teachers
Mean Std Mean Std
Dev. Dev.
For CBC to succeed, the ministry of education 4.59 .495 4.29 .663
should create effective communication system
with schools to aid smooth implementation of
the new curriculum
Government should post more teachers to 4.32 .693 4.85 .354
schools for CBC to be successful
CBC was hurriedly implemented by the 4.24 .432 4.58 .494
government before the necessary resources
were put in schools
The ministry of education does not have a 2.14 .801 3.09 1.343
monitoring and evaluation framework to track
the progress in implementation of CBC
The amount of money disbursed by government 1.56 .499 1.71 .719
to schools is enough to facilitate effective
implementation of CBC

Results presented in Table 4.8 shows that mean scores and standard deviations

obtained by headteachers and teachers on aspects measuring effects of government

support on the implementation of CBC. The means obtained by headteachers ranged

from 1.56 to 4.59 while those obtained by teachers ranged from 1.71 to 4.85. The

highly scored statement by the headteachers was “for CBC to succeed, government

should create a school communication system to aid smooth implementation of the

new curriculum (4.59)” whereas teachers highly ranked “Government should post

more teachers to schools for CBC to be successful (4.85).” On the other hand,

majority of the headteachers and teachers lowly ranked that statement that “amount

of money disbursed by government to schools is enough to facilitate effective

implementation of CBC (headteachers M=1.56 and teachers M=1.71).” Based on the


55
analysis of the findings, it emerged that the money disbursed in the schools by the

government was not enough for the implementation of CBC, the programme was

hurriedly implemented, there were no enough teachers in schools to ensure

successful implementation of CBC and there were no established channels of

communication in school to aid in the implementation of new curriculum. Through

interviews, the researcher noted that one of the education officer said that there were

no clear policy guidelines to the school stakeholders on the implementation of the

CBC. The officer further said that in most sampled schools, the school environment

were not friendly for the implementation of the programme. This is because most of

the schools did not have adequate resources such as teachers, teaching and learning

materials, sanitation facilities, electricity connections, among others. As quoted

from one of the education officer:-

“In some schools, the environment is very unfriendly for the implementation
of competency based curriculum. There is inadequacy of teaching and
learning resources, sanitation facilities are not enough compared with the
number of pupils, there is no water and also no electricity. Additionally,
inaccessibility to some schools is another challenge due to poor road
network. This negatively affected the implementation of competency based
curriculum in those schools (Education Officer 3).”

Another interviewer lamented that

“The process of implementation of CBC by the government is very slow in


most public schools (Education officer 2).”

Contrary with the findings, Odey and Opoh (2015) found out that the main

challenges facing curriculum implementation included lack of a curriculum

implementation monitoring strategy, government failure to offer training to teachers


56
on curriculum implementation strategies, learners craving for success in

examinations at all costs even without working hard, lack of motivation among

tutors, and failure by tutors to focus on teaching responsibilities as they spend more

time on scholarly research.

4.7 Measures to Facilitate Implementation of Competency Based

Curriculum

The fourth objective was to determine the intervention measures necessary for

ensuring prudence in the implementation of the educational reforms. To address this

objective, the study respondents were asked to propose measures that can be put in

place to ensure effective implementation of competency based curriculum in

primary schools. Table 4.9 shows results obtained.

Table 4.9: Measures for enhancing effective implementation of CBC

Measures Headteachers Teachers


School management f % f %
Undergo training on CBC 66 84.6 270 78.9
Organize meetings to sensitize parents on 60 76.9 317 92.7
their roles in education
Support teachers workshops, seminars 58 74.4 244 71.3
Ensuring proper composition of the PTA and 53 67.9 301 88.0
BOM members with the good merits
PTA and BOM should undergo training on 45 57.7 170 49.7
school management
Build more classrooms to minimize 32 41.0 187 54.7
overcrowding
Teachers Headteachers Teachers
Attend more training sessions on CBC 73 93.6 342 100.0
Develop a positive attitude towards CBC 60 76.2 331 96.8
Support the MOE in realizing CBC objectives 57 73.1 286 83.6
57
Table 4.9 shows head teachers’ and teachers’ responses on measures for enhancing

effective implementation of CBC. Over 70.0% of the respondents suggested that the

school management should undergo training on CBC, organize meetings to sensitize

parents on their roles in education and also support teachers’ workshops and

seminars. Through interviews, the education officers recommended that parents and

other stakeholders should be sensitized on their roles in ensuring proper and

successful implementation of CBC.

Findings in the table further all the teachers (100.0%) and over 90.0% of the

headteachers recommended that teachers should attend in service training on

competency based curriculum to ensure that they are well conversant with the new

programme. Majority of them further suggested that teachers should develop a

positive attitude towards CBC and they should also support the MOE in realizing

CBC objectives. This was further supported by the education officers, who reported

that teachers should undergo more training on CBC and change their attitude to

embrace the new curriculum. The results concurred with the findings of the study by

Patrick & Sturgis (2015) which discovered that teachers as the key implementers of

competency based curriculum are required to have continuous training and

professional development. Igbokwe, Mezieobi & Eke (2014) in their research further

added that teacher attitudes are a vital component of successful curriculum change.

When teachers feel that they are neglected during curriculum review and design,

they may end up resisting the implemented changes, thereby compromising the

effectiveness of curriculum implementation in terms of goals, the content, teaching-

learning process, assessment and resource utilization. Change in any organisation

58
has been associated with feelings of suspicion, fear of the unknown and

dissatisfaction. Therefore, for a curriculum to be changed successfully there is need

to change the teachers who are the primary agents of change (Kasapoglu, 2010).

Table 4.10 illustrates headteachers and teachers opinions on the measures that can be

put in place by the community members and government for enhancing effective

implementation of CBC.

Table 4.10: Measures to be put in place by the community and government for
enhancing effective implementation of CBC

Community/parents Headteachers Teachers


Fully involved in children learning 52 66.7 245 71.6
Regular sensitization to ensure their support after 44 56.4 172 50.3
shifting from content based to competency based
curriculum
Support schools through provision of teaching and 32 41.0 199 58.2
learning materials
Government Headteachers Teachers
Employ more teachers to address understaffing 78 100.0 342 100.0
Ensure timely disbursement of the funds in the 75 96.2 310 90.6
schools
Review progress of CBC periodically 72 92.3 301 88.0
Should provide appropriate and relevant policy 66 84.6 297 86.8
guidelines on CBC
Ensure proper monitoring and evaluation of the 63 80.8 275 80.4
CBC programme
Ensure proper induction of the school stakeholders 61 78.2 319 93.3
on CBC
Provide enough teaching and learning materials in 59 75.6 315 92.1
schools
Provide better infrastructure 55 70.5 246 71.9
Motivate teachers through promotions and salary 54 69.2 313 91.5
increment
59
Regarding community members/ parents, at least 50.0% of the study respondents

suggested that community members and parents should be fully involved in their

children learning and they should be sensitized about the competency based

curriculum. In relation to Government, all the headteachers and teachers suggested

that the government should employ more teachers to address the problem of

understaffing in most public primary schools. Over 80.0% of them also

recommended that the government should ensure timely disbursement of the funds

in the schools, review progress of CBC periodically and also provide appropriate

and relevant policy guidelines on CBC. Moreover, most of the respondents

suggested that the government should ensure that all the schools have adequate

teaching and learning materials. The above recommendations were also supported

by the three education officers who participated in the study. In his study on

challenges facing teachers in implementing competence-based curriculum in

Tanzania, Makunja (2016) suggested that the Ministry of Education should ensure

that schools are provided with all the relevant teaching and learning resources. In yet

another study, Odey and Opoh (2015) recommended that the faculty deans and

departmental heads take seriously the role of monitoring tutors, and that the

curriculum be reviewed to align with the contemporary needs of the society.

60
CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

In this chapter, summary of the findings, conclusions and recommendations are

made. The chapter also gives areas for further research.

5.2 Summary of the Findings

The main goal of the study was to find out the constraints facing successful

implementation of the competency based curriculum in Machakos County, Kenya.

The study respondents included 78 headteachers, 342 teachers and 3 education

officers. Among the respondents, 59% of the headteachers were male and 41% were

female. Of the teachers who took part in the study, 45.3% were male and 187

(54.7%) were female. This shows that most of the headteachers were male while

majority of the teachers were female. The researcher did not identify the gender of

the 3 education officers. In terms of academic qualifications, the study found out

that headteachers had attained higher education qualifications as compared to the

teachers. Majority of the headteachers had attained masters and bachelor in

education degree whereas most of the teachers had attained P1 qualifications. The

following are the main study findings.

5.2.1 Teacher Factors Affecting the Implementation of the Competency Based

Curriculum

In relation to this objective, the study established that majority of the teachers were

not well prepared for the implementation of new curriculum. A significant number

61
of them stated that despite the training sessions attended, they still did not

understand some of the new terminologies of CBC. They felt that it was still

difficult to adapt their teaching style to a child's individual learning style and also

they felt that the training they had received, knowledge on CBC and assessment

technique were not adequate. These results were verified by the education officers

who reported that teachers were not fully equipped with the knowledge and skills on

competency based curriculum and also some teachers were rigid to change from

content based curriculum to competency based curriculum.

5.2.2 Effects of available infrastructure on the implementation of the

competency based curriculum

The study found out that most of the sampled schools lacked adequate school

infrastructure needed for successful implementation of competency based

curriculum. The major challenges experienced in most schools were large classes of

pupils, inadequate teachers, inadequate textbooks, laboratories and other learning

materials. These findings were supported by the education officers who reported

that most schools had a problem of understaffing despite having large classes of

pupils. They further added that the teaching and learning materials available in the

schools were not adequate as compared to the number of pupils.

5.2.3 Effects of government support on the implementation of the competency

based curriculum

Regarding this objective, the findings of the analysis revealed that money disbursed

in the schools by the government was not enough for the implementation of CBC,

the programme was hurriedly implemented, there were no enough teachers in


62
schools to ensure successful implementation of CBC and there were no established

channels of communication in school to aid in the implementation of new

curriculum. Additionally, one of the education officer cited that there were no clear

policy guidelines to the school stakeholders on the implementation of the CBC. The

officer further said that in most sampled schools, the school environment were not

friendly for the implementation of the programme. This is because most of the

schools did not have adequate resources such as teachers, teaching and learning

materials, sanitation facilities, electricity connections, among others.

5.3 Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were made.

i. Teachers as one of the key curriculum implementers were not fully prepared

for the implementation of new curriculum. Some teachers felt that it was still

difficult to adapt their teaching style to a child's individual learning style. This

means that some teachers were rigid to change from content based curriculum

to competency based curriculum.

ii. Infrastructure available in schools was not adequate for successful

implementation of competency based curriculum. Teaching and learning

materials available in the schools were not adequate as compared to the

number of pupils, there were no laboratories, among others.

iii. Most schools had a problem of understaffing despite having large classes of

pupils.

iv. The government hurriedly implemented CBC in schools without first

addressing challenges such as understaffing, inadequacy of teaching and

63
learning material and unfriendly teaching and learning environment. Also, the

government did not first establish effective channels of communication. These

as a consequence have a negative impact on the implementation of CBC in

public schools in Machakos County.

5.4 Recommendations of the Study

From the conclusions presented above, the following recommendations are made.

i. Teachers should be fully prepared for the implementation of competency based

curriculum by enhancing their capacity in ICT through in-service training,

seminars and workshops.

ii. The Kenya Institute for the Curriculum Development should highly involve

teachers in curriculum change process to create a positive attitude among them

for successful implementation of Competency Based Curriculum.

iii. The government through ministry of education should ensure timely

disbursement of the funds in the schools and also fully activate NEMIS

programme to attain effective channels of communication through networking.

iv. The government through ministry of education should ensure that the

education officers are frequently reviewing and monitoring progress of CBC in

all schools.

v. The government through the ministry of education should ensure that all

schools have adequate infrastructures, that is employ more teachers, provide

adequate teaching and learning materials, support schools in construction of

more classrooms, laboratories; among others.

64
vi. The Ministry of education should organize campaigns to sensitize parents and

other schools stakeholders on their roles in ensuring proper and successful

implementation of CBC.

5.5 Areas for Further Research

A similar study should be conducted in other parts of the country to find out whether

the same findings would be obtained.

65
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71
APPENDICE

APPENDIX A: INTRODUCTORY LETTER

Department of Educational Management,


Policy and Curriculum Studies
Kenyatta University,
P O Box 43844,
NAIROBI

Thro’
The Chairman,
Department of Educational Management,
Policy and Curriculum Studies
Kenyatta University

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a Master of Education student at Kenyatta University in the Department of


Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies. Having followed all the
due procedures, I have been authorised to carry out a research study on “constraints
facing the implementation of the competency based curriculum in Kenya”.

Your institution has been selected as part of the study and you have been identified

as one of the respondents. This study is confidential and the responses provided will

be thus treated. They will be used exclusively for the purposes of this study. I

therefore request you to be elaborate in your responses.

Thank you.

Sincerely

……………………………………

Muasya Eliud Wambua

72
APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HEADTEACHERS

The purpose of this questionnaire is to collect data on “constraints facing the


implementation of the competency based curriculum in Kenya”. The researcher
assures you that the information gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality
and for academic purposes only. Please tick (√) where appropriate or fill in the
required information.

Section 1: Background Information


1. Your gender
Male [ ] Female [ ]

2. Level of education
Masters [ ] Bachelors Degree [ ]
B. Ed [ ] Diploma [ ]
Others (Specify)

3. Years of experience in school headship years

4. Number of streams in your school

5. How many teachers are there in your school?


TSC teachers
BoM teachers
Total

6. How many pupils are there in your school


Boys
Girls
Total

73
Section 2: Challenges facing Implementation of the Competency-Based
Curriculum
The table below presents a number of statements regarding Competency-Based
Curriculum (CBC). You are required to indicate the extent to which you agree or
disagree with each of the statements presented. Use the scale below to respond.
SA – Strongly Agree; A – Agree; U – Undecided; D – Disagree; SD – Strongly
Disagree
Teacher Knowledge on CBC SA A U D SD
My knowledge of CBC is good
Teachers in my school have received adequate training
on CBE
Most of my teachers are still confused by the new
terminology of CBC
More research on CBC is needed before it can be
implemented successfully
Teachers in my school find it difficult to adapt their
teaching styles to a child's individual learning style
I will be able to judge if students have achieved the
learning outcomes of CBC
My knowledge of the assessment techniques for CBC
is good
Teachers in my school do not understand the principle
of continuous assessment
My teachers were given clear guidelines as to how
students can be transformed from passive to active
learners
The teachers in my school are well prepared for CBC
Attitudes and Beliefs about CBC SA A U D SD
The transition from content based education to CBE
will be easy for teachers to achieve
Learners use a variety of different strategies in their

74
performance so that it becomes difficult in
determining the particular competencies used in such
performance
There is no need to transform Kenya's education
system from content based education to CBC
CBC will help to improve the economic performance
of Kenya
CBC will provide all students with equal educational
opportunities
CBC will encourage independent learners
CBC will encourage lifelong learners
CBC will mean more work for teachers as they will
have to design programs which are appropriate to the
individual learning needs of their students
A common cultural background between learners and
teachers is important for CBC to be successful
Highly competent teachers are needed in order to
make a change from content based to CBC possible
It is necessary to monitor the impact that CBE will
have on Kenyan education
CBC will lower the standards of academic
achievement in our education system
CBE is more likely than the former education system
to develop fulfilled human beings
Infrastructure for effective Implementation of SA A U D SD
CBC
The provision of resources is essential if CBE is to
succeed
The large classes in the Kenyan schools will hinder a
successful implementation of CBC
The implementation of CBC will fail if more teachers

75
are not posted to Kenyan schools
The textbooks available in my school are adequate to
effectively implement CBC
My school is yet to receive all the necessary learning
resources for CBC
The textbooks provided for CBC are of low quality
Government Support SA A U D SD
For CBC to succeed, government should create a
school communication system to aid smooth
implementation of the new curriculum
CBC was hurriedly implemented by the government
before the necessary resources were put in schools
The amount of money disbursed by government to
schools is enough to facilitate effective
implementation of CBC
The ministry of education does not have a monitoring
and evaluation framework to track the progress in
implementation of CBC
Government should post more teachers to schools for
CBC to be successful

Section 3: Measures to Facilitate Implementation of Competency-Based


Curriculum
1. What measures do you propose that can be taken to facilitate effective
implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum in primary schools? Give
your suggestions for each of the stakeholders listed below:
a. School Management

b. Teachers

c. The Government/Ministry of education


76
APPENDIX C: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS

The purpose of this questionnaire is to collect data on “constraints facing the


implementation of the competency based curriculum in Kenya”. The researcher
assures you that the information gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality
and for academic purposes only. Please tick (√) where appropriate or fill in the
required information.

Section 1: Background Information


1. Your gender
Male [ ] Female [ ]

2. Level of education
Masters [ ] Bachelors Degree [ ]
B. Ed [ ] Diploma [ ]
P1 [ ]
Others (Specify)

3. Years of experience as a teacher years

4. Number of streams in your school

5. How many pupils are there in your school


Boys
Girls
Total

77
Section 2: Challenges facing Implementation of the Competency-Based
Curriculum
The table below presents a number of statements regarding Competency-Based
Curriculum (CBC). You are required to indicate the extent to which you agree or
disagree with each of the statements presented. Use the scale below to respond.
SA – Strongly Agree; A – Agree; U – Undecided; D – Disagree; SD – Strongly
Disagree
Teacher Knowledge on CBC SA A U D SD
My knowledge of CBC is good
I have received adequate training on CBC
I am confused by the new terminology of CBC
More research on CBC is needed before it can be
implemented successfully
I find it difficult to adapt my teaching style to a child's
individual learning style
I will be able to judge if students have achieved the
learning outcomes of CBC
My knowledge of the assessment techniques for CBC
is good
I do not understand the principle of continuous
assessment
In the CBC teacher training I have received, clear
guidelines were given as to how students can be
transformed from passive to active learners
I feel well prepared for CBC
Teacher Attitudes and Beliefs about CBC SA A U D SD
The transition from content based education to CBC
will be easy for me to achieve
Learners use a variety of different strategies in their
performance so that it becomes difficult in determining
the particular competencies used in such performance

78
There is no need to transform Kenya's education
system from content based education to CBC
CBC will help to improve the economic performance
of Kenya
CBC will provide all students with equal educational
opportunities
CBC will encourage independent learners
CBC will encourage lifelong learners
CBC will mean more work for teachers as they will
have to design programs which are appropriate to the
individual learning needs of their students
A common cultural background between learners and
teachers is important for CBC to be successful
Highly competent teachers are needed in order to make
a change from content based to CBC possible
It is necessary to monitor the impact that CBC will
have on Kenyan education
CBC will lower the standards of academic achievement
in our education system
CBC is more likely than the former education system
to develop fulfilled human beings
Infrastructure for effective Implementation of CBC SA A U D SD
The provision of resources is essential if CBE is to
succeed
The large classes in the Kenyan schools will hinder a
successful implementation of CBC
The implementation of CBC will fail if more teachers
are not posted to Kenyan schools
The textbooks available in my school are adequate to
effectively implement CBC
Our school is yet to receive all the necessary learning

79
resources for CBC
The textbooks provided for CBC are of low quality
The school has adequate laboratories for effective
implementation of CBC
Government Support SA A U D SD
For CBC to succeed, government should create a
school communication system to aid smooth
implementation of the new curriculum
CBC was hurriedly implemented by the government
before the necessary resources were put in schools
The amount of money disbursed by government to
schools is enough to facilitate effective implementation
of CBC
The ministry of education does not have a monitoring
and evaluation framework to track the progress in
implementation of CBC
Government should post more teachers to schools for
CBC to be successful

Section 3: Measures to Facilitate Implementation of Competency-Based


Curriculum
2. What measures do you propose that can be taken to facilitate effective
implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum in primary schools? Give
your suggestions for each of the stakeholders listed below:
a. School Management

b. Teachers

c. The Government/Ministry of education

80
APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR EDUCATION

OFFICERS

1. What is the progress so far on the implementation of Competency-Based

Curriculum (CBC) in Machakos County?

2. Did teachers receive any training relating to the implementation of CBC?

3. In your view, was this training adequate given what CBC entails?

4. Did the training equip the teachers with necessary skills?

5. What are the most difficult challenges of implementing CBC?

6. How would you prepare to overcome those challenges?

7. Are there any precautionary measures in place in ensuring a smooth

implementation of CBC?

8. In terms of the environment within which CBC is being implemented, is it

enabling enough for an effective implementation?

9. If not so, what are the stumbling blocks?

10. How would you plan to deal with these stumbling blocks?

81
APPENDIX E: DOCUMENT ANALYSIS

Document Comment

Schemes of work

.................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

Lesson plans

.................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

Records of work

.................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

Pupils exercise books

.................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

Teaching aids in

classroom .................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

82
APPENDIX F: OBSERVATION CHECKLIST

Facilities and resources in schools Status/Adequacy Comments

Classrooms

Desks

Text books

Teachers

Latrines

Playground

Staffroom

83
APPENDIX G: SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION TABLE

Source: Kathuri and Pals (1993).

84
APPENDIX H: RESEARCH APPROVAL FROM KENYATTA

UNIVERSITY

85
APPENDIX I: RESEARCH AUTHORIZATION FROM

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

86
APPENDIX J: RESEARCH AUTHORIZATION FROM NACOSTI

87
APPENDIX K: RESEARCH PERMIT

88

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