| dc.description.abstract | The function of education is to help produce informed, responsible and active citizens who
support democratic principles and human rights. Increasingly around the world, education
systems are moving away from traditional examination-based methods to competence-
based systems that focus on developing skills in critical thinking, being involved in your
community, working as a team, being ethical, and being an active citizen. In Kenya, the
new Competency Based Education (CBE) curriculum was first introduced in 2017 to
replace the previous 8-4-4 system and therefore provide for the complete development of
the learner (including citizenship, participation in a democracy, and making responsible
decisions). While the new CBE system was implemented with the above items in mind and
for the above reasons, there is little empirical data available to support the assertion that
CBE facilitates and supports the development and maintenance of democratic values by
junior secondary school-aged students in Kenya. Therefore, this study will investigate how
the following three areas of the CBE curriculum (content, how lessons are taught, and how
student learning is measured) support the development and maintenance of democratic
values in junior secondary students in Masaba South Sub-County, Kisii County, Kenya he
study was grounded in John Dewey's theory of Democratic Education and Paulo Freire's
Critical Pedagogy and adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population
comprised 162 teachers and 36 head teachers from 36 public junior secondary schools
across six educational zones, with a sample of 114 teachers and 11 head teachers selected
using stratified and simple random sampling. Questionnaires and classroom observation
checklists were used for data collection. Reliability was established using Cronbach's
Alpha, while content validity was ensured through expert review. Quantitative data were
analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The
findings revealed that CBE curriculum content integrated democratic values across subject
areas (β = 0.232, p < 0.01). Participatory teaching methods fostered democratic engagement
(β = 0.201, p < 0.05). Formative and peer assessment practices reinforced democratic
behaviours (β = 0.188, p < 0.05). Challenges identified included inadequate teacher
preparation (74.3%), cultural resistance (40.0%), insufficient resources (68.6%), and
examination-oriented systems (49.5%). The study concluded that CBE significantly
promoted democratic values when effectively implemented through intentional curriculum
design, participatory teaching methods, and reflective assessment practices (R2 = 0.8934, F
= 57.236, p < 0.001). The findings may inform the Kenya Institute of Curriculum
Development in revising curriculum frameworks, guide the Ministry of Education in
formulating policies and teacher development programs, and assist teacher training
institutions in strengthening value-based education. Overall, this study contributes to
educational reforms by identifying strategies and gaps in fostering responsible, ethical, and
participatory citizenship among junior secondary learners The study recommends that
teachers receive more extensive training, schools have sufficient resources available and
the government establishes effective monitoring systems to evaluate the use of these
teaching approaches. | en_US |
