Title: Optimizing the Learning Environment for Competence-Based Curriculum Implementation in Uganda: A Multifaceted Imperative
Authors: Arinaitwe Julius, Musiimenta Nancy
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Pages: 82-89
Publication Date: 2026/03/28
Abstract:
This study examined the extent to which learning environments in selected Ugandan secondary schools were optimized for the effective implementation of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), introduced for lower secondary education in 2020 by the Ministry of Education and Sports. Anchored in a concurrent mixed-methods research design, the study was conducted across 320 teachers and 12 school administrators drawn from government-aided and private secondary schools in four purposively selected districts - Kampala, Wakiso, Mbarara, and Gulu - representing urban, peri-urban, and rural school contexts. Data were collected through a validated structured questionnaire with five-point Likert-scale items, an observation checklist, and semi-structured interview guides, and were analyzed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation and independent samples t-tests, and two-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) in MLwiN, complemented by thematic analysis of qualitative data. The study was guided by three specific objectives: to assess the adequacy of physical infrastructure and instructional resources, to evaluate teacher pedagogical preparedness, and to examine the alignment between classroom assessment practices and CBC competency outcomes. The findings revealed that all three learning environment constructs recorded composite mean scores below the scale midpoint, indicating pervasive inadequacy across physical infrastructure (M = 2.13), teacher pedagogical preparedness (M = 2.83), and assessment practice alignment (M = 2.34). Bivariate analysis demonstrated that all three constructs were significantly and positively correlated with CBC implementation effectiveness (r = .512 to .648, p < .001), and independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant and practically large mean differences in implementation effectiveness favoring private over government-aided schools (t = -6.41, p < .001, d = 0.75) and urban over rural schools (t = -9.47, p < .001, d = 1.11). The hierarchical linear model, which accounted for the nested structure of teachers within schools, established an intraclass correlation of .305, confirming substantial between-school variance, and identified teacher pedagogical preparedness (? = 0.34, p < .001) as the strongest individual-level predictor of CBC implementation effectiveness, followed by assessment practice alignment (? = 0.25, p < .001) and physical infrastructure adequacy (? = 0.18, p < .001), while school location (? = 0.44, p < .001) and school type (? = 0.31, p < .01) emerged as significant school-level contextual predictors, with the full model explaining approximately 42% of total variance. The study concluded that optimizing the learning environment for CBC implementation in Uganda constituted a multifaceted systemic imperative, and recommended accelerated equity-targeted infrastructure investment, a redesign of CBC-specific teacher professional development programs with a focus on pedagogical and assessment competence, and the institutionalization of a national CBC Assessment Alignment Framework to bridge the documented gap between curriculum policy intentions and classroom realities.