Title: Digital and Infrastructural Readiness for Competency-Based Education: A Comparative Assessment of School Resourcing in Kenya and Uganda: A Comparative Empirical Study of School Digital and Infrastructural Resourcing for Competency-Based Education
Authors: Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara, Akampulira Sarah, Dr. Mategeko Betty
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
Pages: 154-162
Publication Date: 2026/08/28
Abstract:
The transition from content-based to competency-based education (CBE) across East Africa has placed unprecedented demands on the digital and physical infrastructure of schools, yet little comparative empirical evidence exists on how differently resourced education systems are coping with these demands. This study assessed and compared the digital and infrastructural readiness of primary and secondary schools in Kenya and Uganda for the implementation of competency-based curricula, and examined the structural relationships among digital infrastructure, physical infrastructure, teacher digital competence, and overall CBE implementation readiness. A comparative cross-sectional survey design was adopted, drawing a stratified random sample of 240 schools (120 in Kenya and 120 in Uganda) across urban and rural, public and private, and primary and secondary strata. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to headteachers, deputy headteachers, and teachers, and were analysed using univariate techniques (means, standard deviations, and frequency distributions), bivariate techniques (independent samples t-tests, Pearson correlation, and Cohen's d effect sizes), and structural equation modelling (SEM) to test hypothesised direct and indirect pathways. The results indicated that Kenyan schools reported significantly higher mean scores than Ugandan schools on digital infrastructure (M = 61.28 vs 52.21, p < .001), physical infrastructure (M = 58.11 vs 54.35, p = .023), teacher digital competence (M = 49.28 vs 40.70, p < .001), and overall CBE implementation readiness (M = 52.15 vs 41.88, p < .001), with the largest effect size observed for CBE readiness (Cohen's d = 0.88). The structural equation model demonstrated good fit to the data (?²/df = 2.34, CFI = 0.958, TLI = 0.947, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.041) and showed that digital infrastructure exerted both a significant direct effect (? = 0.417, p < .001) and a significant indirect effect through teacher digital competence (? = 0.244) on CBE implementation readiness, while physical infrastructure contributed a smaller but significant direct effect (? = 0.209, p < .001). The study concluded that disparities in school resourcing between Kenya and Uganda translate into measurable disparities in readiness to implement competency-based curricula, and that teacher digital competence is a critical mediating mechanism rather than a peripheral concern. The study recommends targeted national investment in digital infrastructure, deliberate rural-focused resourcing strategies, and sustained in-service digital pedagogical training for teachers in both countries.