Teachers’ Pedagogical Preparedness to Use Project-Based Learning in the Implementation of Competency-Based Education in Junior Schools, Nyeri County, Kenya

Abstract

Despite the implementation of Competency-Based Education (CBE) in Junior secondary schools, teachers, being the main implementers, are likely to face challenges in relation to their understanding of the curriculum and in the application of instructional approaches. This study focused on the assessment of teachers’ pedagogical preparedness to use project-based learning in the implementation of CBE in public junior secondary schools in Nyeri County. The study was guided by Gross’ curriculum implementation theory and adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population was 1980 teachers and 391 head teachers in junior schools in Nyeri County. The sample comprised 39 head teachers and 198 teachers in junior schools in the study area. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect data from the teachers and headteachers respectively. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as percentages, mean, and standard deviations, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings of the study revealed that 55.1% of teachers used project- based learning, 64.7% incorporated real -world problems or community-based problems, 42.4% received support to enhance their ability to implement project- based learning, and 52.5% assessed students' learning outcomes using project- based learning. The study recommended that there should be provision of resources needed for the use of project -based learning, enhanced support to teachers to enhance their ability to use project -based learning, increased time for projects, and streamlined the evaluation process. The study will provide insights on how to improve the use of project- based learning by teachers.