KENYA EDUCATION MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAMME

CHAPTER 2
COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM
(CBC)

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Learning outcomes
a) Demonstrate understanding of the rationale for
education reforms in Kenya
b) Demonstrate understanding of the Basic Education
Curriculum Framework and education structure
c) Enhance your know knowledge and skills on
integration of core competencies in the teaching
and learning process.

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Activity:
KNOW, WANT to LEARN (KWL) about CBC in Kenya
In preparation for undertaking study of CBC in Kenya complete the following:

Know…………Some things that I already know about CBC and core competencies in
Kenya
• Competence Based Curriculum
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
• Core competencies
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Want to Learn……Some things I would like to learn about CBC and core competencies
in Kenya
• Competence Based Curriculum
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………
Core competencies:…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Curriculum Reforms in Kenya

Activity
Let us remind ourselves of the 8 national goals of
education in Kenya. (https://www.atikaschool.org/pre-
primary-one-curriculum-with-syllabus/national-goals-of-
education-in-kenya )The goals reflect the needs and
aspirations of Kenya’s society.

• Identify goals that, in your opinion, were not fully met

by the previous education systems. Give reasons for
your answer.
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Rationale for Curriculum Reforms in Kenya
The following activities informed the change of the
curriculum.
i. Task Force Report on The Re-alignment of The
Education Sector to Vision 2030 and Constitution
2010: made the following recommendations:
– Competency based curriculum.
– Flexible education pathways (at senior school level) for
identifying and nurturing individual learner’s potential to
produce intellectually, emotionally and physically balanced
citizens.
– A national learning assessment system National cohesion
and their integration into the curriculum.
– Introduction of national values and national cohesion and
their integration into the curriculum.
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ii. Constitution of Kenya(2010)
The constitution is the overall blue print that takes charge of the
country in all aspects. The following articles are key to informing
the CBC.
• Article 53 (1) (b) states; “Every child has a right to free and
compulsory basic education”
• Article 10; National Values and Principles of Governance
• Chapters 6; Leadership and Integrity
• Promoting Kiswahili (national and official language) and
English as an official language.
• Emphasise on teaching and learning of KSL and Braille.
• Developing and promoting the use of indigenous languages.
• Emphasis on communication formats and technologies
accessible to persons with disabilities.
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iii. The Kenya Vision 2030
• Kenya Vision 2030 and Sessional Paper No. 2 of 2015
put a strong emphasis on the importance of science,
technology and innovation but the current curriculum
does not provide deliberate policies, appropriate
pedagogical approaches and sufficient resources to lay
a strong foundation for the development of these skills.
• In addition innovative, vocational and technical skills
considered important for meeting the demand for
skilled labour and the country’s goal of industrialization
are not well catered for in the mainstream curriculum.

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iv. Summative Evaluation of the 8-4-4 System of Education, 2009
• The Summative Evaluation of the Curriculum' (KIE, 2009), indicated
that the curriculum content and its implementation was academic
and examination oriented.
• In addition to curriculum overload, most schools were not
adequately provided with equipped workshops to facilitate the
learning of practical skills and teachers were not sufficiently trained.
In summary, this is what the summative evaluation of the 8-4-4
system of education, 2009 found:
– Academic and examination oriented. Very little use of formative
assessment (assessment for learning). Assessment was limited to
summative assessment (assessment of learning).
– Did not provide flexible education pathways for identifying and
nurturing aptitudes, talents and interests of learners early enough in
order to prepare them for the world of work, career progression and
sustainable development.
– Skills gaps identified - agricultural, entrepreneurial, vocational and
technical skills, innovation and creativity and ICT.
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v. Re-alignment to EAC Curriculum Harmonization
Framework
• It is important to note that the Eastern African states
drew up, ‘A Framework on Harmonization of Curricula,
Structure and Examinations in the EAC’ (EAC, 2012).
• As a member of the East African Community (EAC),
Kenya had an obligation to reform the basic Education
curricula, structure and examination system to align to
the EAC framework in order to ease mutual recognition
of certificates across the region.

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vi. Global Standards
• According to UNESCO International Bureau of
Education (IBE), a curriculum review should be
done after every 5 years.
• Sustainable Development Goal No 4 (Ensuring
quality education)
• Benchmarking With Best International
Practices
• 21st Century Learning Skills and Approaches
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What is Competency Based Curriculum?
• The concept of competency refers to the skills,
abilities and capabilities required for a person to
achieve a competency performance.
• The Competency Based Curriculum is premised on
the belief that individuals are lifelong learners who
continuously accumulate knowledge and require to
apply the knowing to doing resulting to performance
in mastery of skills.
• In a Competency Based Curriculum skills attainment
and learning are emphasized.

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Characteristics of Competency-based curriculum
i. Specific measurable competency
ii. Content based on learning outcomes
iii. Continuous learner involvement until mastery
iv. Use of a variety of instructional strategies
v. Focuses on what learners need to know
vi. Pacing instructional to learners’ needs
vii. Learners demonstrate mastery of competencies.
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How competency-based teaching approach differs from the
traditional knowledge based approach

Activity

• Click on the following link:

https://ke.opera.news/ke/en/education/b23fc54f16133ee630943fcadd8d2
39d
• Read the opinion article and respond to the questions below:
• Identify the differences between the 8-4-4 and CBC as identified by the
author in the article.
• Based on your knowledge of the two curricula under discussion, identify
other differences between them
• To what extent do you agree with the views expressed by the author of the
article

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Traditionally learner’s progress through time
based subject schedule while competency based
learners gain proficiency in their own rate and in
their own way, guided by clear standards.

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The Basic Education Curriculum Framework
Activity

Click on the link https://kicd.ac.ke/wp-

content/uploads/2019/07/SERIES-1-F-
CURRICULUM-REFORMS.pdf
Read on why we need curriculum reforms in Kenya
and respond to the following question;
• Why do you understand by “the big shift”?

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Basic Education Curriculum Framework Pillars

The basic education

curriculum framework
vision and mission are
supported by three
important pillars;
• values,
• theoretical approaches
• guiding principles.

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Values
• Values are defined as standards that guide an
individual on how to respond or behave in a given
circumstance.
• Our values influence how we feel, act and make
choices in life.
• The teaching of values will facilitate the achievement
of the curriculum reforms' vision, particularly with
respect to developing ethical citizens.
• The thrust of this will be to nurture learners who do
the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
Students will be guided to learn

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Theoretical Approaches
• A theory is an abstract general explanation of observations or a subject under
study that can be relied upon to provide guidance for practice.
• It attempts to predict behaviour or reach a reasonable and general set of
explanations for an underlying issue.
• The Basic Education Curriculum Framework is underpinned by several theories:
i. Vygotsky’s social-cultural development theory, the primary focus of which
is on supporting students through scaffolding the learning experiences.
ii. Piaget’s cognitive development theory, which will mainly provide the
alignment between the maturational development of the child and how
learning should be organized.
iii. Bruner’s cognitive development theory, which emphasises the
importance of organizing learning in a meaningful way to build from the
known to the unknown.
iv. John Hattie’s Visible Learning that emphasises the role of the teacher in
terms of the impact the approaches adopted may have on students’ learning.
v. Dewey’s social constructivism that focuses on the need to adopt learner-
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centred approaches in curriculum design and delivery.
Guiding Principles:
The Framework is based on the following
guiding principles:
i. Opportunity
ii. Excellence
iii. Diversity and Inclusion
iv. Differentiated Curriculum and Learning
v. Parental Empowerment and Engagement
vi. Community Service Learning

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Vision Statement

• The vision of the basic education

curriculum reforms is to enable
every Kenyan to become an
engaged, empowered and ethical
citizen.
• This will be achieved by providing
every Kenyan learner with world
class standards in the skills and
knowledge that they deserve, and
which they need in order to thrive
in the 21st century.
• This shall be accomplished through
the provision of excellent teaching,
school environments and resources
and a sustainable visionary
curriculum

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Mission
• The mission of the basic education
curriculum reforms is ‘nurturing
every learner’s potential’.
• The curriculum is designed to
ensure that it provides
opportunities to identify the
potential that every learner brings
to school and nurture this
potential through the learning
pathways and tracks that will be
provided at Senior School.
• The mission will ensure that no
child is labelled a failure at the end
of basic education

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Core Competencies of
Basic Education
• A competency is the ability to apply
appropriate knowledge and skills to
successfully perform a function.
• Within the context of CBC, the curriculum is
designed to emphasize the importance of not
only developing skills and knowledge but also
applying these to real life situations

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• Observe the picture above and identify core competencies that the
learners can acquire for the tasks being undertake.
• Identify a learning experience/ task in one of your subject area
where you can incorporate the core competencies who have
mentioned above.
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Based on the Needs Assessment Study carried out by KICD, and the vision and mission
of the BECF, the following are seven core competencies to be achieved by every
learner in basic education:
The seven competencies are:

i. Communication and Collaboration

Communication:
– Exchange of ideas in class (teacher to learners, learner to teacher and learner to learner)
– Learners answering or asking questions
– Learners discussing in pairs or groups
– Expressing thoughts and ideas
– Learners writing on the blackboard or in their books
– Debates
Collaboration:
– Working together
– Group work
– Team work
– Cooperation
– Partnership
– Sharing
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ii. Critical thinking and problem solving

• An important outcome of quality education is teaching learners

how to think critically. The
• British Council (2015) identifies three types of thinking: reasoning,
making judgment, and problem solving.
• When learners are empowered with critical thinking, they avoid
being subjective, and use logic and evidence to arrive at
conclusions.
• Critical thinking also facilitates exploring new ways of doing things
and learner autonomy.
• Learners learn that for every issue there are multiple perspectives
that they can explore, rather than a rigid recall and regurgitation of
information.
• For example, at pre-primary school level learners can be asked to
come up with the best ways of using and keeping their books,
stationery and other personal items safe.
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iii. Creativity and imagination
• Creativity and imagination refers to the ability to form new
images and sensations in the mind, and to turn them into
reality (British Council, 2016).
• Creativity and imagination is characterized by the ability to
perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to
make connections between seemingly unrelated
phenomena, and to generate solutions.
• It is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable
is formed.
• Learners who are imaginative and creative are able to make
life interesting for themselves and others around them.

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iv. Citizenship
Good citizenship includes: -
• Doing your best in school making responsible decision,
caring about others ,contributing to society
• Developing social and personal skills such as reflective
problem solving, accepting a variety of perspectives, setting
and attaining goals.
In class, good citizenship may include but not limited to:
i. Communicating with other people with respect for their
opinions and feelings.
ii. Collaborating with others without discrimination.
iii. Contributing to the general progress of others

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v. Self-efficacy
• Self-efficacy is the ability of a learner to define a goal,
persevere, and see oneself as capable.
• It is the belief that you have skills that you can rely on
to help you navigate life and reach your goals (National
Association of School Psychologists, 2010).
• Learners are expected to become self-aware and self-
directed who set and pursue goals.
• They make thoughtful decisions, regarding their health
and well-being, finance and career pathway.
• They are committed, confident, goal-oriented, healthy
self-aware, self-reliant individuals
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vi. Digital literacy
• Digital literacy is the set of competencies required for full participation in
a knowledge society.
• It includes knowledge, skills, and behaviors involving the effective use of
digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs for
purposes of communication, expression, collaboration.
• Using an interactive whiteboard in the classroom for lessons and allowing
learners to use the interactive whiteboard on a daily basis.
• Encouraging learners to use technology to showcase their learning.
• Using the web ( web sites video, music) to enhance the learning of your
pupils.
• Learners and teachers creating online content to be utilized both in and
out of the classroom.
• Learners are expected to use and apply technology to collaborate,
communicate, be analytical, creative, create, innovate, and solve
problems.
• They use technology in a legal, safe, and ethically responsible manner to
support and enhance learning.
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vii. Learning to learn
• Learning to learn is the ability to organize one’s own
learning including through effective management of
time and information both individually and in groups
(Hoskins & Fredriksson, 2008).
• This basically involves applying what has been learnt to
new situations.
• In classroom situation, it may involve:
i. Planning time to get information from written materials,
media, peers, and knowledgeable people and using it.
ii. Discussing ideas with peers

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Reflections
• Think of what you have learnt about the Competence
Based Curriculum and filled in the blank spaces using your
reflective journal

a. I learned that-------------------------------------------------------------
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b. I need to learn more about -------------------------------------------

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