By Ray Pollo, Senior Officer – Communications
The Pilot
On February 27, 2024, Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) piloted tools to assess life skills and values among learners aged 6–12 years old, in three counties: Kamahindu primary school in Kiambu, Westlands primary school in Nairobi and Ngurubani primary school in Kirinyaga County. Teachers from these schools conducted a pilot test for grade 4, 6 and 8 on problem solving, collaboration and respect, which had been integrated into Environmental Activities in Grade 3, Science and Social Studies in Grade 5, and Integrated Science, Social Studies, and Creative Arts and Sports in Grade 7.
The two life skills (problem solving and collaboration) and the value of respect, were assessed, using a tool that was co-created by teachers in Kenya and experts from the ALiVE Academy.
We see it that whatever is not assessed is not taught. The same way we teach and assess toward improving teaching on regular academic subjects, is the same way we should treat life skills and values. Assessing these co-competencies is a complex task but we must embrace it. Otherwise, we will not be able to know whether our education system is producing what we have promised the society.
Creating different scenarios that provoke the learner’s thoughts, rather than fixing them to a one answer question is one of the many flexible practices that can enhance the development of problem solving
Dr, John Mugo, the Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation, who is also a Principal Investigator at ALiVE
Professor Esther Care, a globally renowned expert in the measurement of core competencies and values, has been the technical lead in ALiVE assessment tool development. She underscored the need to see if learners can apply the skills they learn within the context of their curriculum studies.
“It is not just about whether they can solve problems in their lives. It is more of how they can apply a particular approach to thinking about materials in social sciences that will help them understand the material better,”
Prof. Care said.
The assessments are also expected to show teachers different techniques to ensure learners grasp what is taught in classrooms.
Learning Journeys with Teachers
In November and December of 2023, Zizi Afrique convened 18 teachers from 6 counties to learn from Prof. Esther Care, who is an expert in the measurement of core competencies and values. Over the two months, the teachers went through 7-module practical learning sessions on the development of tools to assess core competencies and values through face-to-face interactions. Through this process, the teachers have developed tools to assess problem-solving, collaboration, and respect. The tools have undergone Think-Aloud (Cognitive) laboratories with learners, where initial revisions were made based on feedback. Zizi Afrique Foundation had engaged teachers in the tools co-creation process with an understanding that teachers are critical curriculum drivers and that they spend more time with learners, therefore they understand their learning contexts better.
Competency-based curriculum provides a platform where learners can showcase their academic prowess, life skills as well as talents.
Children’s brains are like a sponge, which keeps absorbing. They exhibit so much curiosity in their formative stages of life. This is the right time to instil in them life skills and values, otherwise as they grow older, they may be harder to capture and nurture.
Mr. Kennedy Kyeva, the Principal at Westlands School
ALiVE is a collaborative that thrives in strategic partnerships. During the pilot, representatives from the Ministry of Education, Kenya National Examination Council, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, teachers, ALiVE teams from Kenya Uganda and Tanzania were involved the assessment exercise.
We salute all teachers who sacrificed their holidays to learn with us and to contribute to the ease in implementing competency-based curriculum.