Leadership Practices of School Heads in Fostering Creativity for Competency-Based Education Implementation in Kisii County, Kenya

Abstract

The continuous reform of curriculum is critical in ensuring educational systems address the demands of society, the economy, and technology. The major educational shift aimed at fostering the acquisition of competencies, creativity, and innovation through learner-centred approaches is the implementation of Competency-Based Education (CBE) in public junior schools in Kenya. However, the significant investment made by the government in teacher training, instructional materials, and infrastructure development has seen the sustainability of CBE face challenges of leadership preparedness, resistance to change, and lack of supportive innovative teaching practices among School Heads (SHs). This formed the focus of the study. The study, examined Leadership Practices of School Heads in Fostering Creativity for Competency-Based Education Implementation in Kisii County, Kenya. The study utilized the mixed methods research design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data was collected through questionnaires and interview guides. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively, while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The results revealed that fostering creativity by (SHs) was moderate. The mean score and standard deviation for fostering creativity was (M = 3.87, Std Dev = 0.62). The study established that the leadership practices of (SHs) are significant in fostering creativity and sustaining CBE implementation in public junior schools. The study proposed continuous building of leadership capacity, enhancement of supportive instructional systems, establishment of collaborative cultures in schools, and enhancement of innovation focused leadership practices among (SHs) to improve the sustainability of CBE.