The Relationship between Teacher Training and Implementation of a Competency-Based Curriculum in Public Primary Schools

Abstract

A competency-based curriculum is a curriculum that allows students to develop prescribed competencies. In Kenya, the Competence-Based Curriculum implementation of 2-6-6-3 was adopted in January 2017. This education system replaced the 8-4-4 system of education and it aimed to nurture the learners’ talents. School preparedness for the new curriculum change in Kenyan public primary schools is very important in the education policy framework. When curriculum change takes place in education, teachers as instructors and implementers should be prepared to be competent in their work. Educators have a responsibility to ensure that today’s learning content meets tomorrow’s global demands for every learner. However, in Kenya, various stakeholders have expressed concerns regarding school and teachers’ preparedness for the Competence-Based Curriculum. This aim of this study was to find out whether there is a relationship between teacher training and the implementation of a competency-based curriculum in public primary schools. Dewey’s Social Constructivism theory guided the study. A descriptive survey design was used in this study. The target population of the study included 24 Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs’), 524 head teachers, and 610 Grade 1 teachers. The sample size was 6 CSOs, 52 Headteachers, and 61 Grade 1 teachers. A saturated sampling technique was used to select all the 52 head teachers from 52 schools. Simple random sampling was used to select the schools and CSOs. A purposive sampling technique was used to select Grade 1 teachers in Kericho County. Data was collected using interview schedules, questionnaires and observation technique. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in form of percentages, means, and standard deviation, while inferential statistics were correlated using Pearson product-moment correlation. Qualitative data was analysed using themes and sub-themes. The findings established the teachers had a correlation of 0.369 with a calculated value of 0.005 and were significant to the study. For teachers, it was 0.500 with a calculated value of 0.00. The calculated p-values of 0.00 and 0.004 were significant. The study recommended that the government should fast-track more teachers’ training and employ upgraded teachers who were already CBC compliant to meet the gap of insufficient teachers due to high population of learners. The results of this study were important for the successful adoption of the CBC and for educational stakeholders.