Challenges Experienced in the Implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum in Tanzania Public Secondary Schools

This study aims to examine challenges that hinder secondary school teachers on the implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). The study guided by social constructivism development theory. This study used mixed research approach and convergent research design where quantitative and qualitative data was collected at the same time, analyzed separately. A sample size of 152 informants was selected. Interviews, focus group discussion (FGD), documentary review and observation were used as data collection tools. In data analysis both descriptive statistics and content analysis was used. Findings show that, 41.8% strongly agree and 37.6% agree that they don't know enough about how to apply CBC. Inadequate training has made the shift from traditional teaching methods to student-centered approaches challenging. The scarcity of instructional materials is another major obstacle; 25.5% and 53.9%, respectively, concur that inadequate resources impede the successful usage of CBC. Also, teachers are unable to receive timely feedback on their teaching effectiveness due to insufficient monitoring and evaluation, as expressed by 34.8% of respondents who strongly agreed and 30.5% agreed. Also, CBC implementation hindered by overcrowded classrooms where 52.5% strongly agree big class sizes hinder to provide each student personalized attention and includes them in engaging, student-centered activities. Other challenges included, limited training, lack of administrative support and insufficient planning time. Study recommends that teachers should be given opportunities for their participation in formulation and review of curriculum. This implies that training of teachers on how to implement the curriculum, provision of instructional materials and enough classrooms are crucial for effective implementation of CBC.