Title: Competence-Based Curriculum in the Age of Algorithmic Childhood: An African Case Study for Generation Beta
Authors: Arinaitwe Julius
Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Pages: 376-383
Publication Date: 2026/03/28
Abstract:
Background: The arrival of Generation Beta - children born from 2025 onwards - into African educational systems coincides with a period of significant competence-based curriculum (CBC) reform and unprecedented algorithmic media proliferation, creating a complex and underexplored tension between curriculum design intent and the lived developmental realities of young African learners. Objective: This study examined the alignment between CBC frameworks and the educational needs of Generation Beta children in the context of algorithmic childhood across Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana, with specific focus on how algorithmic media exposure, teacher digital competency, and school infrastructure jointly influenced competency outcomes. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design was employed, involving 1,200 teachers, 2,400 learners, 480 administrators, and 2,400 caregivers sampled from urban, peri-urban, and rural schools. Data were collected through structured questionnaires, standardised competency assessments, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations. Quantitative data were analyzed using univariate descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, one-way ANOVA, chi-square tests, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) via AMOS, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti. Results: Algorithmic media exposure averaged 4.73 hours per day and was negatively associated with critical thinking (? = ?0.371), digital citizenship (? = ?0.319), and creativity (? = ?0.248). Teacher digital competency (M = 51.36/100) was the strongest predictor of CBC implementation fidelity (? = 0.512), which in turn was the most proximal predictor of all competency outcomes. Significant geographic inequalities in CBC policy alignment were identified, with rural schools disproportionately concentrated in the weak-alignment category (38.8%). The SEM model demonstrated excellent fit (CFI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.038) and explained 41.2% of variance in critical thinking, 38.9% in digital citizenship, and 34.7% in creativity.