In 2017, Kenya started implementing the new competence-based curriculum. Early childhood education and primary education were the first education levels to undergo the major nationwide reform. Junior secondary education – an education level that did not exist in the previous system – is next.
As part of the reform, the Ministry of Education set up a series of trainings for teachers. An initial evaluation of the reform in primary education showed a positive impact on resource distribution, learners’ attitudes and teaching methods. It also showed that the quality of teaching does not yet meet the standards, and that teachers do not feel comfortable enough yet to use the new assessment tools (Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development, 2018). School leaders have a vital role in creating the conditions for effectively implementing this curriculum reform, by providing then necessary pedagogical support to teachers in their schools. However, these crucial actors often lack instructional skills, or have limited opportunities for professional development.
School leaders in junior secondary education acquire strong instructional leadership skills and organise quality teacher professional development at school-level, thus supporting the effective implementation of the competence-based curriculum and providing learners with the necessary 21st century skills for their educational and professional futures.
The INCREASE project centres on strengthening the professional development of school leaders to effectively implement the competence-based curriculum (CBC) in junior secondary education.
The project is built around 3 pillars:
- Development and delivery of content on instructional school leadership and management for implementing the CBC reform in capacity development trajectories.
- Development, hosting and moderation of an online capacity development application for junior secondary school leaders on instructional school leadership for implementing the CBC reform.
- Gathering stories of change, lessons learnt and evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the app-based professional development trajectories, which can feed into the development of an institutionalisation strategy for blended modalities of continuous professional development (CPD) for school leaders nationwide on implementing the CBC reform.
By the end of the project:
- Junior secondary school leaders and KEMI staff have strengthened skills on instructional leadership to steer curricular reform.
- KEMI hosts and moderates the professional development app for junior secondary school leaders on instructional leadership; and redevelops it based on user experiences.
- Junior secondary school leaders provide the necessary pedagogical support to their teachers in order to foster the effective implementation of the new CBC through school-based CPD.
- The Ministry of Education has an evidence-base to institutionalise blended modalities of CPD for school leaders.
Header photo ©GPE/Kelley Lynch: Student with school materials. Nyeri Primary School, Nyeri County, Kenya. April 2017
