Competence-Based Curriculum Implementation in Rwandan Secondary Schools: Practices, Influencing Factors, and Supporting Initiatives

In the era of the 21st century, the introduction of CBC within secondary education is essential for cultivating able and skilled students who can thrive in the knowledge-based economy and continue their studies with confidence at universities or polytechnic levels. The Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) was introduced in 2016, but little is known about how it is being implemented in secondary schools. Using a predetermined review protocol, a systematic literature review was conducted to better understand how a CBC is being implemented in secondary schools, to identify the factors that affect the implementation of the CBC in secondary schools, and explore the government and international efforts to support and enhance the implementation of the CBC in Rwanda. Findings indicate that the implementation of a CBC in secondary schools in Rwanda has a strong positive impact on students’ learning and acquisition of practical knowledge. Students are motivated and eager to develop the necessary competencies that are aligned with the 21st-century needs that require practical competencies and technological skills to meet digital society’s demands. Key challenges include (1) insufficient training and professional development of teachers, (2) overburdening of teachers due to overcrowded classrooms as a result of inadequate school infrastructure, and (3) lack of enough resources and assessment procedures that are still based on traditional ways of assessing instead of assessing students based on practical competencies. The review concludes that although the challenges remain at levels 2 and 3 of Kirkpatrick’s taxonomy, the findings highlight that CBC in Secondary education is predominantly at level 4 of Kirkpatrick’s taxonomy. Strengthening infrastructure development, training programs, and continuous professional development of teachers and providing leadership training programs for head teachers to enhance teachers’ motivation, commitment, and job satisfaction, are recommended for successful CBC implementation