- Education writer Hillary Muhalya explores why many university graduate teachers continue to face challenges adapting to Competency-Based Education (CBE).
- He argues that the curriculum requires a fundamental shift from traditional content-based teaching to learner-centred, competency-driven instruction.
- The article calls for sustained teacher retooling, improved learning resources and continuous professional support to bridge the gap between teacher preparation and classroom practice.
By Hillary Muhalya
The introduction of Competency-Based Education (CBE) marked a decisive shift in the philosophy and practice of schooling. It moved learning away from memorisation and examination performance towards the development of competencies, values, creativity and practical problem-solving skills.
Ideally, CBE is designed to produce learners who can apply knowledge in real-life situations rather than simply reproduce information. In practice, however, many university graduate teachers continue to grapple with its advanced demands, learner-centred expectations and the need for continuous retooling in unfamiliar pedagogical terrain.
At the core of this struggle is a fundamental reality: CBE is significantly different from the way most teachers were trained.
From Content Delivery to Learning Facilitation
Traditional teacher education was largely content-based, lecture-driven and examination-oriented. Teachers were prepared to master subject content and deliver it through structured lessons where explanation, note-giving and teacher-led instruction dominated classroom practice.
Learners were largely passive, and success was measured by syllabus coverage and performance in final examinations.
CBE disrupts this model. It is competency-based and learner-centred, focusing on what learners can do with knowledge rather than what they can recall.
The classroom is redefined as an active learning space where learners explore, inquire, collaborate and solve problems. Teachers are repositioned as facilitators who guide learning rather than dominate instruction.
The Challenge of Learner-Centred Approaches
This shift has introduced a range of learner-centred approaches that replace the traditional lecture method. These include group discussions, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, experiments, simulations, role play, case studies, fieldwork, peer teaching and collaborative tasks.
Through these approaches, learners construct knowledge through experience, interaction and reflection. The teacher’s role becomes one of designing activities, guiding engagement, observing progress and assessing competencies.
For many university graduate teachers, this represents a steep professional transition. Their training emphasised structured content delivery, yet CBE demands flexible, interactive and activity-driven lessons.
As a result, retooling has become a continuous necessity.
Beyond Workshops: A Professional Transformation
Retooling under CBE is not limited to attending workshops. It involves a deeper professional transformation.
Teachers are expected to shift from content delivery to learning facilitation, from teacher explanation to learner discovery, and from examination preparation to competency development.
This requires continuous adaptation in pedagogy, assessment and classroom management.
Teaching Across Disciplines
A further challenge lies in teaching unfamiliar and integrated content.
CBE breaks traditional subject boundaries and promotes interdisciplinary learning. Teachers are expected to integrate areas such as STEM education, digital literacy, environmental sustainability, financial literacy, values education and career awareness into their lessons.
A single lesson may require blending multiple disciplines, pushing teachers beyond their original areas of specialisation.
In addition, CBE embeds core competencies such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and citizenship across all learning experiences.
Teachers must ensure these competencies are infused within every lesson rather than treated as separate topics.
Increased Planning Demands
Lesson planning has become more intricate due to the curriculum structure based on strands, sub-strands, learning outcomes and competencies.
Teachers must carefully align objectives, learning activities and assessment strategies to ensure meaningful competency development.
This makes preparation more time-consuming and intellectually demanding than in traditional systems.
The Burden of Continuous Assessment
Assessment under CBE represents another major shift.
Instead of relying primarily on end-of-term examinations, teachers are required to engage in continuous and performance-based assessment. Learners are evaluated through observation, portfolios, rubrics, projects, presentations and practical demonstrations.
Each learner’s progress must be tracked, documented and reported over time. In large classes, this creates a significant workload burden.
Technology and Inclusion Challenges
The integration of digital tools further deepens the demands placed on teachers.
They are expected to use ICT for lesson delivery, assessment, reporting and learner engagement. Digital portfolios, online grading systems and electronic reporting platforms are increasingly becoming part of everyday teaching.
However, uneven ICT training and limited infrastructure in some schools make this transition difficult.
CBE also emphasises inclusive and differentiated instruction, requiring teachers to address diverse learner abilities, learning speeds and special educational needs.
While progressive, this approach demands specialised skills and additional preparation that many teachers are still developing.
Constraints in Implementation
Despite its learner-centred philosophy, implementation is often constrained by large class sizes, sometimes exceeding 40 to 60 learners per class.
This makes it difficult to facilitate group activities effectively, provide individualised feedback and manage continuous assessment as intended.
Resource limitations further widen the gap between policy and practice. CBE assumes the availability of teaching aids, manipulatives, digital tools and experiential learning environments.
In many schools, teachers are forced to improvise, reducing the depth and quality of learning experiences.
Time management remains another persistent challenge. Teachers must balance lesson preparation, facilitation, assessment, documentation, remediation and co-curricular responsibilities within limited working hours.
This often extends into personal time, contributing to fatigue and burnout.
Managing Expectations
Parental expectations also influence implementation.
Many parents still associate academic success with examinations and grades. The shift towards projects, portfolios and competency tracking sometimes creates misunderstanding, requiring teachers to continuously explain the purpose and value of CBE.
The Need for Continuous Support
At the centre of these challenges is the need for sustained professional development and structured retooling systems.
Teachers require ongoing mentoring, practical training and school-based support to fully adapt to the demands of the curriculum.
Without continuous support, the gap between curriculum design and classroom reality remains significant.
Despite these difficulties, many university graduate teachers are gradually adapting. They are embracing learner-centred methodologies, strengthening their ICT skills and redefining their roles as facilitators of learning.
Their resilience reflects a gradual but important professional transformation.
Conclusion
Competency-Based Education represents a major departure from traditional teacher training and classroom practice. It shifts education from lecture-based, content-heavy instruction to learner-centred, competency-driven learning.
This transformation demands retooling, interdisciplinary teaching, continuous assessment and advanced pedagogical skills.
Bridging the gap between training and practice requires sustained investment in teacher development, improved resources, reduced workload pressures and continuous professional support.
READ ALSO: CS Ruku unveils plan to harmonise NYS and TVET training
Only through such deliberate support can CBE fully achieve its goal of producing competent, innovative and future-ready learners capable of thriving in a rapidly changing world.
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
