Relationship between Teachers’ Perception and Implementation of Competency Based Curriculum in Junior Schools in Sankuri Sub County; Garissa County, Kenya

Abstract

Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Kenya was introduced in 2017 to promote learner-centered and skill-based education, replacing the 8-4-4 system. Its effective implementation depends largely on teachers’ perceptions and readiness, especially in resource-limited areas such as Sankuri Sub-County. This study sought to determine the relationship between teachers' perception and implementation of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) in junior schools in Sankuri Sub-County, Garissa County, Kenya. CBC was selected as the focus of this study because it represents Kenya's national curriculum framework, adopted in 2017 to replace the examination-focused 8-4-4 system, making it distinct from other frameworks such as Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in its emphasis on holistic learner development and contextualized skill application. A census was conducted of all 75 teachers and 15 Heads of Institutions (HOIs) from 15 public junior schools Sankuri Sub-County. A mixed methods approach was used with structured questionnaires for teachers and interview guides for HOIs. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and thematic analysis were used for data analysis. The overall mean score of 2.92 (SD = 0.74) indicated a neutral to negative teacher perception of CBC implementation with moderate variability in responses, indicating both uncertainty and emerging challenges in the adoption process. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong and significant positive association (r = 0.778, p = 0.000) between teacher perception and CBC implementation resulting in rejection of the null hypothesis. Teacher confidence in delivering content, workload and change management were found to be critical aspects of implementation. Qualitative results were consistent with the quantitative analysis confirming that teachers with targeted training had greater confidence and improved implementation. The research suggests increasing continuous professional development opportunities for teachers, reducing workload and providing mentorship to improve teachers' perception and support CBC delivery in disadvantaged settings.