Amidst ongoing global concerns regarding the direction and implementation of education, East Africa is experiencing an educational transformation, with curriculum reforms at the forefront. The shift to competency-based education (CBE) has sparked a growing emphasis on nurturing life skills and values to educate learners fit for the 21st century. However, a lasting impact may become elusive if educators lack the skills to effectively teach, assess, and foster these competencies throughout the school system.
This transition requires teachers to adapt to CBE with new teaching strategies, and a deeper understanding of how to foster competencies such as: critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, among others, in their learners. Technical capacities to teach, assess, and nurture these competencies remain a real challenge in many classrooms, leading to disparities in how the competency-based curriculum (CBC) is delivered across schools. However, there is a risk is that CBC could exacerbate existing inequalities instead of bridging gaps.
With limited evidence on what works in nurturing life skills and values, there is no better time than now, for researchers and academics to collaborate in exploring promising approaches to nurturing life skills and values through rigorous and robust studies. The potential impact of this research is significant, as it will generate the evidence necessary to inform and support the implementation of CBC. Evidence on the specific needs of teachers, students, and school systems is essential for targeted school interventions, tailored professional development for teachers, and curated learning materials that ensure all schools, regardless of location, can deliver the CBC effectively.
Since May 2024, the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) initiative, in partnership with Kenyatta University (Kenya), and the University of Utrecht (Netherlands) have been exploring collaborative research opportunities uniting East Africa’s leading universities and universities in the global north for a North-South research agenda, aimed at delivering what works in nurturing life skills and values. Regional organizations have since joined the collaborative. They include United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Aflatoun International, Network of Impact Evaluation Research Africa (NIERA), and Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA), alongside regional higher institutions of learning like Strathmore University and the University of Dar-es-Salaam. Others like Kyambogo University, Makerere University, and State University of Zanzibar have also shown interest.
The first co-creation meeting organized and hosted by Kenyatta University occurred on September 23rd – 24th 2024. Different government entities, including curriculum institutes, teacher service commissions, assessment agencies, and teacher educators, participated in the workshop to co-create a research agenda, focusing on exploring promising nurturing approaches that teachers (and parents, to some extent) use to develop values and life skills.
During the workshop, participants co-developed a strategy for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to identify the most effective methods for nurturing life skills and values. The participation of key government stakeholders, including representatives from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), contributed valuable insights to ensure practical application and policy alignment.
A central theme of the workshop was the need to strengthen locally led research, remarkably increasing the involvement of women and early-career African researchers. By fostering collaboration and promoting African-driven solutions, the workshop laid a foundation for meaningful improvements in teacher education and the overall implementation of CBC in classrooms across East Africa.
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BY STELLA ROSE AKONGO
