CEMASTEA Advances Implementation of New Teaching Curriculum in Kenya

NAIROBI – The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) is leading new initiatives to effectively implement Kenya’s Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) through enhanced training and collaboration among Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers. The agency has adopted a community of practice (CoP) model aimed at fostering peer learning and shared resource use.

According to Kenya News Agency, the Program’s Coordinator at CEMASTEA, the CoP model is pivotal in bridging gaps in curriculum delivery. It facilitates mutual learning among educators, enabling them to collectively tackle curriculum challenges and improve student outcomes. “Teachers will be able to develop and implement lessons collaboratively, making use of local resources to better meet the educational needs of their students,” Kiruja explained during a training session in Kisumu for County Trainers from the Nyanza, Western, and North Rift regions.

The model promotes the establishment of teacher communities within schools or across different schools in the same locality, encouraging interactions through both face-to-face and digital mediums, including social media platforms like WhatsApp. Kiruja highlighted that this initiative would lead to the creation of regional and subject-specific clusters, which will help in applying innovative teaching strategies tailored to the CBC’s requirements.

Furthermore, the community of practice is not limited to teachers but is also being extended to students to enhance their collaborative learning experiences. This approach supports students in exploring their interests and excelling academically as they prepare for their transition to senior school levels.

Lucy Wairimu, a JSS teacher from Nakuru County, described the training as enlightening and beneficial for the transition to learner-centered teaching methods required by the CBC. Francis Wafula, a teacher from Busia County, also praised the initiative for its role in encouraging creativity and effective curriculum delivery among educators.