Teachers’ social concerns on Competency Based Education learners’ outcomes in early childhood education in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Competency Based Education (CBE) is a system of education that has increasingly become popular as the preferred mode of delivering education and training locally and globally. However, in spite of the fact that CBE implementation has been initiated in both developing and developed countries, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding ECDE teachers social concerns in implementing CBE at the pre-primary level in Kenya, particularly in Bungoma County. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ social concerns on competency-based education learners’ outcomes in early childhood education in Bungoma County. The study objectives were: to investigate ECDE teachers’ social concerns on the administrative support in Competency Based Education; to determine ECDE teachers’ social concerns on parental involvement in the Competency Based Education; to examine ECDE teachers’ views on learner classroom socialization in Competency Based Education in Bungoma County and to establish strategies that can be used to address social concerns among ECDE teachers in CBE in Bungoma County. The study was carried out in ECDE centres in Bungoma County. The study was anchored on Symbolic Interactionism and Social Exchange Theory. Descriptive survey research design was used. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The research population included the County Director of Education and ECDE teachers. The study targeted and drew samples from the 802 ECDE centers in Bungoma County which has eleven Sub Counties. The sample size included 80 ECDE centres that were picked following cluster sampling while 201 ECDE teachers were identified through simple random sampling and County director of education was purposively sampled. Data was collected through questionnaires for ECDE teachers, interview schedule for the County director of education. Focus group discussions, for pre-primary one (PP1) and Pre-primary two (PP2) parents, document analysis guide and an observation schedule were used to triangulate the findings. Qualitative data was scored manually then organized and analyzed systematically as per thematic areas in a narrative form. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 26). Among the major findings 159 (83%), revealed that there were inadequate teaching and learning facilities. The teacher pupil ratio for pre-primary education was 1:43 far above the recommended ratio of 1:25 learners, 17 (9%) did not have any training on CBE while 164 (86%) lacked adequate training on CBE and there was a near absence of digital technology in all ECDE institutions, 142 (74.34%) of the sampled teachers revealed that the parents are not supportive in CBE implementation. Based on findings of the study, the study recommended provision of adequate teaching and learning facilities, provision of digital technology, training of ECDE teachers and improving the teacher pupil ratio in pre-primary education. Further research on enhancing access, equity and inclusion of CBE in pre-primary education is desirable.