Examining the implementation of the competence-based curriculum in Tanzania: a case of selected secondary schools in Arumeru District

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation of the competence based curriculum in two selected secondary schools in Arumeru district, Arusha region. The objectives include examining the students’ experiences, exploring teachers’ attitudes and exploring the challenges faced during CBC implementation. This study is based on a qualitative multiple case study design, involves 40 purposively selected participants, including Head teachers, Director of studies, teachers and students. Data was collected through interviews, focus group discussion, and observation and analyzed using thematic analysis. The study established that students generally had a negative experience with CBC due limited teacher-student interaction, large class sizes, inadequate infrastructure and learning materials. Additionally, teachers exhibited a generally poor attitude towards CBC implementation, influenced by misconceptions about CBC concepts, insufficient inservice training, and instructional materials. As a recommendation, the study suggests that students should be able to use local resources for their classroom activities to make the learning experiences more relatable to the real-world. The Government of Tanzania, and TIE should organize regular professional training programmes to help teachers acquire knowledge and skills to cope up with the CBC implementation.