EVALUATING THE CHALLENGES FACING PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN COMPETENCE-BASED CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION IN PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

Monicah Wanjiku Kang’ara, Margaret Mwangi

Abstract


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the challenges faced in parental involvement during the CBC implementation in pre-primary schools. This study was anchored on Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism. The research adopted a descriptive research design, employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect data. The study targeted a population of 736 individuals and sampled 20% of this population, comprising 63 pre-primary school teachers and 84 parents, totalling 147 participants. The teachers and parents were sampled using basic random sampling techniques. To gather information, the study used parent interview schedules and teacher surveys. Expert judgement was used to guarantee the validity of the research instruments, and the test-retest procedure was used to ascertain their dependability. SPSS version 23 was used to code and input quantitative data. Frequencies, percentages, and means were used to analyze the data, and tables, graphs, and figures were used to display the findings. Further, qualitative data were coded and categorized into themes. Findings revealed that the most significant challenge, reported by 63.49% of parents, was low literacy levels, which limited their ability to understand and support the CBC framework. Closely related to this was a lack of awareness about the CBC itself, reported by 57.14% of respondents, highlighting a persistent information gap between schools and families. Time constraints due to work and farming responsibilities (60.32%) were another major barrier, reflecting the rural and semi-rural context of Kiambu, where parents juggle multiple responsibilities. Financial challenges (42.86%) further impeded participation, with some parents unable to afford learning materials or transport to attend meetings. Qualitative findings added rich insights, with parents citing exclusion from key school communications, feeling uninformed, and a lack of flexible meeting schedules as reasons for disengagement. The study concluded that parental participation in the implementation of CBC in Kiambu County's pre-primary schools is hindered by multiple complex challenges, primarily stemming from low literacy levels, lack of CBC awareness, economic hardship, and time constraints. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education should also formulate and enforce a national policy framework that formally integrates early identification, assessment, and intervention of behavioural disorders into the basic education curriculum. Schools, in partnership with educational stakeholders, should organize regular community-based workshops and visual training sessions to simplify the CBC structure for parents, especially those with low literacy levels. These should be scheduled at convenient times (evenings/weekends) and held in familiar community spaces (churches, chief’s barazas) to ensure accessibility.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


challenges; competence-based curriculum implementation; parental involvement; pre-primary schools; teaching and learning

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alemayehu, S. & Admassu, K. (2023). The role of parental involvement in educational outcomes in Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Science, 18(1), 45-60.

Ali, A. C., Mligo, I. R., & Nsolezi, F. S. (2022). Challenges experienced by teachers in implementing the pre-primary education in Zanzibar. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences (EAJESS), 3(5), 104-110. Retrieved from https://eajess.ac.tz/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/EAJESS-3-5-0224.pdf

Bianchi, F. & Giannini, T. (2022). The impact of parental involvement on early childhood education in Italy. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 20(2), 133-150.

Brown, K. N. (2023). Strategies for Strengthening and Encouraging Parent Involvement to Support Academic Achievement (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University). Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?q=strengthening&pg=4&id=ED640346

Chacha, M. (2023). Bridging the gap: Parental engagement in pre-primary education in Tanzania. Tanzanian Journal of Education Research, 12(4), 78-90.

Creswell, J. W. (2021). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications. Retrieved from https://www.ucg.ac.me/skladiste/blog_609332/objava_105202/fajlovi/Creswell.pdf

Cruchinho, P., López-Franco, M. D., Capelas, M. L., Almeida, S., Bennett, P. M., Miranda da Silva, M., ... & Gaspar, F. (2024). Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of Measurement Instruments: A Practical Guideline for Novice Researchers. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 2701-2728. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S419714

El-Masri, A. & Mounir, H. (2023). Parental involvement and learner performance in Egypt: An empirical study. Egyptian Journal of Educational Studies, 15(2), 99-114.

Farag, H. (2021). Socio-cultural barriers to parental involvement in education: An Egyptian perspective. Middle East Journal of Educational Research, 11(1), 23-38.

Field, A. (2018). Discovering Statistics Using SPSS. SAGE Publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Discovering_Statistics_Using_IBM_SPSS_St.html?id=Nf3TEAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

Goyes, D. R., & Sandberg, S. (2024). Trust, nuance, and care: Advantages and challenges of repeat qualitative interviews. Qualitative Research 25(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941241246159

Hailu, Y. & Tesfaye, S. (2021). Community education initiatives and parental involvement in Ethiopian pre-primary schools. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 2(3), 88-97.

Hasnat, M. A., & Kabir, S. A. (2024). Rural Parents' Engagement in Secondary Schools: Current Practices, Problems and Prospects. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 10(1), 83-99. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3331

Kamau, G., Njoroge, P., & Muriuki, J. (2023). Challenges of parental involvement in competency-based education in Kenya. Kenya Journal of Education, 8(1), 55-71.

Kugler, A. & Sprott, K. (2023). Cultural responsiveness in parental involvement: Insights from Canada. Canadian Journal of Education Administration and Policy, 2023(2), 12-29.

Lindgren, A. & Rönnerman, K. (2020). Parents’ perceptions of involvement in early childhood education in Sweden. International Journal of Early Years Education, 28(3), 217-230.

Lunga, P. (2024). Parent-teacher partnerships to enhance education for sustainable development: Early childhood development education learning centres in Zimbabwe. Journal of Education, (95), 91-111. https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i95a05

Ministry of Education. (2020). Annual Report on Educational Statistics.

Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2020). Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. African Centre for Technology Studies Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Research_Methods.html?id=4WyrAAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Mwenje, M., Githui, P., & Mwarari, C. (2020). Assessment of parental involvement in home-based learning activities in public primary schools: A case of children in early years of learning in Nyeri and Nairobi counties, Kenya. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343041647_Assessment_of_Parental_Involvement_in_Home-Based_Learning_Activities_in_Public_Primary_Schools_A_Case_of_Children_in_early_Years_of_Learning_in_Nyeri_and_Nairobi_Counties_Kenya_International_Journal_o

Ogembo, P. O. (2024). Implementation of Competency Based Education (CBC) In Kenya: Challenges and Opportunities. International Journal of Teaching and Learning, 2(9), 2507-2526. Retrieved from https://injotel.org/index.php/12/article/view/224

Orodho, J. A. (2020). Techniques of Writing Research Proposals and Reports in Education and Social Sciences. Kanezja Publishers.

Otani, M. (2020). Parental involvement and academic achievement among elementary and middle school learners. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09614-z

Otieno, R., Karanja, M., & Ngugi, W. (2021). Socio-economic factors affecting parental involvement in Kenya. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 3(2), 45-58.

Reed, M., Park, E., & Moore, L. (2021). The role of parental involvement in learner success: A U.S. perspective. American Educational Research Journal, 58(4), 778-803.

Ribeiro, L. M., Cunha, R. S., Silva, M. C. A. E., Carvalho, M., & Vital, M. L. (2021). Parental involvement during pandemic times: Challenges and opportunities. Education Sciences, 11(6), 302. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060302

Ruggeri, C., Bianchi, F., & Giannini, T. (2023). Parental involvement in education: The Italian experience. Journal of Educational Research, 16(1), 22-37.

Shukia, R., & Marobo, S. (2024). Parental Engagement in Children’s Pre-Primary Education in Marginalized Communities in Tanzania Before and During the COVID-19 Era. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 38(sup1), S61-S76. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2023.2281556

Smith, W. M., Funk, R., Voigt, M., & Uhing, K. (2021). Research design and methodology. Transformational Change Efforts: Learner Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning, 19-34.

Stoecker, R., & Avila, E. (2021). From mixed methods to strategic research design. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 24(6), 627-640. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2020.1799639

Swila, M. J., Seni, A. J., & Machumu, H. (2024). Parents’ Awareness, Forms, and Extent of Participation in Supporting Pre-Primary Schools' Feeding Programmes in Tanzania. Artha Journal of Social Sciences, 23(3), 25-47. https://doi.org/10.12724/ajss.70.2

Syomwene, A. (2022). Parental involvement strategies and challenges in development of pupils’ literacy skills in the implementation of competency based curriculum in early year’s education in Kenya. European Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 3(2), 53-59. Retrieved from https://www.ej-edu.org/index.php/ejedu/article/view/273

Tanaka, H. (2021). Cultural influences on parental involvement in education in Japan. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 15(2), 12-28.

Teddlie, C., & Yu, F. (2020). Mixed methods sampling: A typology with examples. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 4(2), 77-100). Retrieved from https://scispace.com/pdf/mixed-methods-sampling-a-typology-with-examples-48xef4bqib.pdf

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4

Vygotsky, L. S. (1986). Thought and language. MIT Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Thought_and_Language_revised_and_expande.html?id=B9HClB0P6d4C&redir_esc=y




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejse.v11i6.6393

Copyright © 2015 - 2026. European Journal of Special Education Research (ISSN 2501 - 2428) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms.

All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).