Evaluating The Effectiveness of Participatory Engagement in The Implementation of Competency-Based Education in Southeast Alego Ward, Kenya

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of participatory engagement on the implementation of Competency-Based Education (CBE) in public primary schools in South East Alego Ward, Siaya County. The specific objectives were to: (i) establish the nature of parental engagement in CBE implementation, (ii) identify the participatory communication strategies used to promote parental engagement, and (iii) determine how participatory parental engagement has influenced CBE implementation. A cross-sectional descriptive design employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques was used. Data analysis was conducted using NVivo version 22, SPSS, and Microsoft Excel. Findings indicate that parents are actively involved in planning school activities for their children. Out of 28 teachers, 26 (92.9%) reported that parents participate fully in planning both academic and extracurricular activities, primarily through Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) meetings. Regarding participatory communication strategies to promote parental engagement in CBE, 12 (43%) of the teachers indicated that face-to-face meetings are the preferred medium, followed by PTA meetings, as reported by 6 (21%) teachers, which allow for dialogue and interaction. These findings were corroborated by focus group discussions with parents, who similarly expressed a preference for face-to-face meetings with their children’s teachers, followed by phone calls. The study recommends that school administrators, including teachers, ensure that parents and guardians are meaningfully engaged in CBE activities. Schools should implement robust feedback mechanisms and adopt an open-door policy that allows parents to provide opinions and suggestions, which can be integrated into school activities where relevant.