EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURE TEACHERS’ PREPAREDNESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION IN PUBLIC JUNIOR SCHOOLS IN TIGANIA ZONE, MERU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The global trends and increasing demand for twenty-first-century skills have prompted countries like Kenya to adopt a Competency-Based Education. Despite its implementation, the experiential needs of Agriculture Teachers, who are pivotal on executing agriculture education at the junior school level, have not been adequately addressed, hence calling for an investigation. The current study was guided by three objectives: digital literacy on CBE implementation, instructional materials availability on CBE implementation, and instructional methodologies on CBE Implementation among Agriculture Teachers. Experiential Learning Theory and Diffusion of Innovations Theory were employed. The study employed a descriptive survey research method. The target population was 295 respondents, and the sampling procedure was done through a multistage process at different levels: The stratified approach sampled Tigania West, Tigania Central, and Tigania East sub-counties, which constituted the Tigania Zone of Meru County. Simple random sampling was applied to choose the junior schools and, purposive sampling for Agriculture Teachers to participate in the study. The sample size was 169, comprising Agriculture Teachers. Data collection involved self-administered questionnaires for the Agriculture Teachers. The reliability was approximated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient at 0.81 for the questionnaire. Data was collected and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Quantitative data were presented using frequency distribution tables and pie chart figures. Pearson’s correlation and simple linear regression analysis conducted to show a significant relationship between various study variables with CBE implementation. Stakeholders may benefit from improved resource allocation decisions and enhanced instructional practices. Ultimately, this may enhance the learning outcomes of students in Agriculture Education in Tigania Zone in Meru County. The study found that Agriculture Teachers need professional development and CBE-aligned education. Agriculture Teachers need ongoing capacity-building in digital literacy, modern instruction, and classroom management. Improved instructional approaches will promote interactive and student-centred learning and skill development in Agriculture Education in Tigania Zone, Meru County.