The Rural Reality of Competence Based Curriculum: Exploring Teacher Knowledge and Curriculum Implementation in Chongwe Zambia

The strength of any country’s education system is based on the quality of its curriculum. While various stakeholders are involved in the formulation and implementation of the curriculum, teachers hold a conspicuous position and need to be well vested in the pedagogical aspects of delivering the curriculum. There is no doubt that teacher preparedness is a crucial determinant of effective curriculum implementation. This study sought to explore primary school teachers’ knowledge of the competence-based curriculum in rural public schools in Chongwe District, Zambia. Primary school teachers, school administration and the standards officers were sampled purposively. This was qualitative research which used an exploratory case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and lesson observation. The data were analysed using thematic analysis with reference to related literature and the theoretical framework. The study found that during orientation, the primary teachers struggled to fully understand the methods of teaching lined up for use in the new curriculum after a change from the Outcome-Based Curriculum (OBC) to Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC). The paper argues that teacher preparation is vital in the transition from one curriculum reform to another as they are key implementers. The teachers’ knowledge of any new curriculum is needed to ensure that the intended purpose of the CBC curriculum is realised. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should prioritise teacher professional development in the actualization of the competence-based curriculum.