TEACHER TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN IMPLEMENTING COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
TEACHER TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN IMPLEMENTING COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
Joy Igoki Njiru - A Doctor of Philosophy in Early Childhood Education student at the University of Nairobi, Kenya
Professor Paul Odundo - Department of education, Early Childhood Education, University of Nairobi, Kenya
ABSTRACT
The implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum has received considerable intensity of criticisms ranging from limited information on the same among parents and students, insufficient facilities for teaching and learning as well as limited trained teachers to implement it. Although success of such reforms like Competency-Based Curriculum have been documented in other jurisdictions like Zambia, the same has not been without unsuccessful experiences in countries like South Africa. Competency-Based Curriculum for early childhood being at an infant stage in Kenya means that care should be exercised with a comprehensive review on how its successful implementation can be enhanced. This study therefore sought to establish the effect of teacher training need analysis, in-service training, mentorship programs and professional development on implementation of CBC for early childhood. The human capital theory was used. The study adopted positivist paradigm guided by correlational descriptive survey design. A total of 93 officials from government charged with responsibility of implementing Competency-Based Curriculum in Kenya. Stratified random sampling helped in selecting 75 participants. First hand data was obtained from participants through questionnaire and analysis was done descriptively and inferentially. The findings were that the p-values of teacher training need analysis were 0.013, that for teacher in-service training was p=0.030, teacher mentorship has p value of 0.032 while teacher professional development had p-value as 0.000 which was less than 0.05 hence all were significant predictors of implementation of competency-based curriculum for early childhood. It was recommended that government officials should provide regular training to teachers through seminars and field workshops to deliberate on CBC issues for its successful implementation.
