From Rhetoric to Reality: A Critical Analysis of Pedagogical Skill Acquisition and Support Systems for Competence Based Curriculum in Zambia's Rural Periphery

Primary education is one of the key aspects of foundational learning hence its cardinal role in personal, social and economic development. This withstanding, teacher preparedness by means of pedagogical know-how is central. During the initial stages of the implementation of Zambia’s 2023 Competence Based Curriculum (CBC), teething issues arose necessitating a study. The research explored teacher pedagogical preparedness in the implementation of the CBC in rural primary schools in the ambit of government rhetoric. The focus was on primary schools in Chongwe District, a District in the Periphery of Lusaka the capital city of Zambia. The primary school teachers teaching grade one learners were informants while school administrators and District standards officers were some of the main targets. All three groups were purposively sampled on the bases of their key roles in curriculum implementation. The research used an explorative case study design and data were collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) with teachers, in-depth interviews with standards officers, school administrators and a lesson observation. Thematic analysis, related literature and the theoretical framework were used to analyse data. The study found that some teachers were confident of their teaching methods based on pre and in-service backgrounds while others were not confident due to inadequate orientation during the transition from the Out Come Based Curriculum (CBC) to the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC). This lack of confidence in some teachers has potential to derail effective CBC implementation. For the effective implementation of the CBC, the study recommends robust continuous professional development (CPD) and refresher or more in-service training in the initial stages of the curriculum implementation.