Responsive Curriculum Development for the 21st Century Education, Innovations and Development in Kenya

Jacob Lolelea Natade, Jaluo William Murunga

Abstract


The 21st century education triggers the expectation that institutions of learning should teach technical skills with emphasis on life skills, learning new things and the development of the abilities to deal with global changes and challenges emerging from the real situations in the world. In order to cope up with the world in the 21st century, curriculum developers through their collaboration with other stakeholders are required to design and develop a responsive curriculum that focuses on the needs of the learner and the society with clear aim, goals and objectives in education. This paper addresses the need for a responsive curriculum as a projection for the 21st century education for innovation and development in Kenya. This paper employs the exploratory research design to delve into the existing literature to examine the various levels, components, designs, types, curriculum responsiveness, factors prompting/causing responsive curriculum and the process of developing a responsive curriculum. This is in line with the new changes under the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) and Competency Education (CE) that envision a curriculum that enables every learner to become empowered through excellent teaching, good learning environment and provisions of teaching and learning resources towards effective and efficient education that promotes the achievement of the desired skills, knowledge and values for the 21st Century development agenda.

Key Words: Responsive Curriculum, Curriculum Design and Development, 21st Century Education, Competency Based Curriculum, Effective and Efficient Education, Innovations and Development.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ameyaw, J., Esther Turnhout, E., Arts, B. & Wals, A. (2019). Creating A Responsive Curriculum for Postgraduates: Lessons from a Case in Ghana, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43:4, 573-588, DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2017.1386285 Retrieved from https://www.doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2017.1386285.

Cheptoo, R. & Ramadas V. (2019), The ‘Africanized’ Competency Based Curriculum: The Twenty-First Century Strides.” Shanlax International Journal of Education, vol. 7, no. 4, 2019, pp. 46-51.

Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (1991). What work requires of schools. Retrieved from http/wdr.doleta/gov./scan./what work/what ork.html.

Driscoll, M. (2022). Education in the 21st Century. Thinking Strategic & Think Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.thinkstrategicforschools.com.

East African Community, (EAC). (2012). Regional Report on the Harmonization of the East African Education Systems and Training Curricula. Arusha, EAC

Felstiner, S. (1993). What is a Responsive Curriculum? Retrieved from https://www.responsivecurriculum.org/curriculum.

Fomunyam, G. K. &Teferra, D. (2017). Curriculum Responsiveness Within the Context of Decolonization in South African Higher Education. Article in Perspectives in Education (Research Gate). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication.

Global Partnership for Education (GPE, 2023). Kenya: Investing in Education for a Better Future. Working together to Boost the Education System. https://www.globalpartnership.org/results/stories-of-change/kenya-investing-education-better-future.

Human-Hendricks, E. N & Meier, C. (2020). A Critical Review of the Role of Responsive Curricula in Optimizing Learning in Higher Education. South African Journal of Higher Education. Research Gate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication.

IBE-UNESCO. (2015). Repositioning and Re-conceptualizing the Curriculum for the Effective Realization of SDG4, for Holistic Development and Sustainable Ways of Living. Geneva, Switzerland, IBE-UNESCO.

IBE-UNESCO. (2015). What Makes a Good Quality Curriculum? In-Progress Reflections No 2. Geneva, Switzerland, IBE-UNESCO.

Iheonunekwu, S. (2007). Changing demands of learning in the 21st Century. Abia state college of education Journal. Arochukwu. P. 29-35.

Inyega, O. J, Naseem , A. M., Mahaya , W. E, Elsayed, D, Mahaya, E.W. (2021). Post-Independence Basic Education in Kenya: An Historical Analysis of Curriculum Reforms. FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education. Vol. 7, Iss. 1, 2021, pp. 1-23

Kamer, L. (2022). GDP growth rate from the education sector in Kenya 2019-2022. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1283838/gdp-growth-rate-from-the-education-sector-in-kenya.

Kenya Innovation Outlook Study (2022). Kenya Economic Outlook African Development Bank; Retrieved from https://www.geodata.arin-africa.org/documents.

Mahabeer, P. (2020). Decolonising the school curriculum in South Africa: black women teachers’ perspectives. Decolonizing Curricula and Pedagogy in Higher Education. Taylor & Francis Online Journal, Third World Thematics. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs.

McCowan, T. (2019). The Role of Education in Development. Higher Education for and beyond the Sustainable Development Goals, 2019. Retrieved From https:/www.link.springer.com/chapter/10.

Okeyo, D. A. & Kanake, L. K. (2021). A Competency-Based Curriculum for Kenyan Primary Schools: Learning From Theory. Editon Cons. J. Curr. Educ. Stud.,3(1), 315-324.

Okorafor, P. N. & Uchechi, O. U. (2011), The Responsive Curriculum: A Tool for Functional & Self- Reliant Education in Nigeria: Journal of Qualitative Education, Volume 7 No. 2 May, 2011; (P 1 – 7)

Omondi, S. (2010). The Effects of Education on Economic Growth in Kenya. Nairobi; University of Nairobi. Retrieved from http://www.erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/95492/Omondi.

Ondimu, S. M. (2018). Teacher Preparedness for the Implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum in Private Pre-Schools in North Dagoretti Sub-County, Nairobi County, Nairobi.

Republic of Kenya (2005). Kenya Education Sector Support Programme 2005-2010. Nairobi: Ministry of Education Science and Technology.

Republic of Kenya (2007). Economic Survey Kenya national Bureau of Statistics. Nairobi: Ministry of Planning and Development.

Republic of Kenya (2007). Kenya Vision 2030: A Competitive and Prosperous Kenya. Nairobi: Government Printer- Kenya.

Republic of Kenya (2017). The Basic Education Curriculum Framework; Nairobi: Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.

Republic of Kenya (2019). Kenya National Education Sector Strategic Plan 2018 – 2022. Nairobi: The Ministry of Education.

Sifuna, D., & Obonyo, M. (2019). Competency-based curriculum in primary schools in Kenya: Prospects and challenges of implementation, Journal of Popular Education in Africa, 3(7). 39-50.

UNESCO-IBE (2023). Education at the Heart of Geneva. Retrieved from http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/news/education-heart-geneva.

The World Bank (2022). Kenya Economic Update: Lessons from Kenya’s Education Reforms: Report Published on June 7th, 2022. Retrieved From https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/kenya/publication/lessons-from-kenya-s-education-reforms.

Ukwungwu, J. (2009). Rationale or Justification for diversification. Curriculum diversification in Nigeria. CON’s Publication. P. 33-45.

Vivekananda, R. (2019). Integrating 21st Century Skills into Education Systems: From Rhetoric to Reality. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development.

Vreuls, J., Koeslag-Kreunen, M., Klink, M. ; Nieuwenhuis, L.& Boshuizen, H. (2022). Responsive Curriculum Development for Professional Education: Different Teams, Different Tales. Curriculum Journal, v33 n4 p636-659 Nov 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

SEREK publication https://serek.or.ke

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License