PARENTS AS PARTNERS IN EDUCATION: UNDERSTANDING THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS – THE CASE OF NAKURU COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Active participation of parents as co-educators in their children’s learning and holistic development is among the guiding principles of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in primary schools in Kenya. This study examined the influence of parental engagement on the implementation of the CBC in public primary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. Guided by Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Parental Involvement, the study investigated how three dimensions of parental engagement—participatory decision-making, resourcing, volunteering and linkages, and school-home-based learning and development processes—affect CBC implementation. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Data were collected from 211 parents, 13 teachers, and 10 PTA representatives through questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions, respectively. The questionnaire's face and content validity were established through expert judgment, and its reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Trustworthiness was ensured during the qualitative data generation procedures: transferability, confirmability, credibility, and dependability. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. The findings revealed a moderate positive correlation (r = .423, p < 0.05) between parental engagement and CBC implementation, with these engagement dimensions explaining 17.9% of the variation in implementation success. Specifically, parental involvement in participatory decision-making (β=.241, p<0.05) and school-home-based learning strategies (β=.244, p<0.05) had statistically significant positive effects on CBC implementation, while resourcing, volunteering, and linkages showed no significant impact (β=.006, p>0.05). Qualitative data highlighted persistent challenges, including limited awareness of parental roles, socioeconomic constraints, and communication gaps between schools and families. The study concludes that meaningful parental engagement, particularly in school governance and home-based learning support, significantly enhances CBC implementation. It recommends that educational stakeholders develop targeted national strategies to increase parental awareness, revise teacher training programs to emphasize family-school partnerships, and create structured platforms for active parental participation in school-level decision-making processes.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i8.6101
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