Preschool Teachers in Bottom-top Curriculum Change-Invigoration and Implementation

Abstract

With Kenya having rolled out the Competence-Based Curriculum effective as from 2019, anchoring in it preschool education as an integral component, there is still a level of indistinctness as to the role of the preschool teacher in the core domains of curriculum development and reform. The perspective brings to light insights of preschool teacher engagement and interlinkage in effecting the much-desired curriculum development and reform through learner growth, creating an enabling environment, the need for preschool teacher involvement in curriculum evaluations, reforms and adaptability to transformation. The perspective examination integrates documentary analysis as well as discourse analysis. Evidently, progressive implementation of the Competence-Based Curriculum in preschool education alongside any desired adaptations in a timely, expertise and pragmatic manner driven by classroom realities is considered core in ensuring seamless successive transition of learners. It is not only the basis for foundational skills of literacy and numeracy, but also life skills grounding for learners. The findings examination posits for well-anchored and dynamic policy transition considerations at the governmental level on preschool teacher capacity development. As informed by the core domains of curriculum development, it is recommended that reform thought processes and ideologies ignited by preschool teachers from the grass-root levels should encourage a bottom-top channel of curriculum adjustment recommendations rather than a top-down, unilateral and bureaucratic system.

Impact of Situational Analysis on Implementation of Educational Innovations in Kenya: The Case of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC)

“…The findings established that curriculum needs assessments towards CBC were comprehensively done in regard to curricula materials, skills and knowledge and attitudes of the curriculum implementors, infrastructural development and facilities' situation, students' readiness for CBC. The study also established that gaps were found in curricula materials, infrastructure, stakeholders and students' readiness towards the CBC (Ng'eno, 2023;Olkishoo et al, 2019). That necessary interventions such as publishing curricula materials, curriculum piloting prior to roll out, organisation of training opportunities for curriculum implementers through refreshers courses were done however with certain limitations which raises eyebrows as to the effectiveness of implementation of the program, consequently a lot of questions have been raised as to how sufficient are the practicing teachers being prepared prior to the roll out of the CBC curricula and continual support to teachers (Sarah et al, 2021;Wongthong & Nooiwong, 2023).…”

“…Previous study on a topic, in Kenya an account and progress to CBC Policy examines educational reforms and implementation, more specifically the new educational innovation in Kenya today (Olkishoo et al, 2019). On research topic, competency based learning curriculum for screening sustainable development (Ngwacho, 2019).…”

Greek Preschool Teachers’ Professional Features and Their Knowledge and Views of the Official Standards of Early Writing Teaching

“…However, although the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (2011) requires that all teachers receive systematic inservice training in support of curricular reforms (as financed by the agency) and address the conceptual complexities described in the current study, the introduction of such a comprehensive pedagogy has yet to be accompanied by corresponding innovations regarding teacher inservice training (e.g., minimizing gaps in their knowledge or motivating them to engage in change), which seems to be a key factor in the success of such reforms (Mihai et al, 2017;Olkishoo et al, 2019). This training falls to the responsibility of school advisors (teachers with a high level of qualification such as a master's or doctoral degree who have been selected by the Greek Ministry of Education), yet many times these advisors may not have proven effective, especially if they lacked specialized knowledge of the content of these inservice training seminars (Saiti & Saitis, 2006;Stamelos & Bartzaki, 2013).…”

Learner-Centered English Teaching in a Blended Learning Setting during COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The primary goal of any level of education is to effect fundamental change in the learner (Tebabal and Kahssay, 2011;Olkishoo et al, 2019;Marta et al, 2021). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the drastic shifts in new learning modalities has been evident, from traditional to online and quite recently, a mixed of both methods which is referred to as blended learning.…”