The Evolution of Teaching Methods: From Rote Learning to Interactive Classrooms

Rampei Ronkei

The Colonial Era (Early 20th Century - 1963)

Missionaries led the development of formal education in Kenya, which enabled Western European teaching approaches to become available to the country. These educational institutions focused primarily on rote learning combined with memorization and strict discipline for the purpose of creating persons who would serve the colonial administration (Mackatiani et al., 2016). The educational system placed a priority on memorization instead of independent thinking and creative thought (Raymond. 2023). The colonial government entered the education system slowly, but the schools remained separate for different races. The educational system in Africa primarily delivered vocational training that strengthened existing social castes. Knowledge transmission during this period relied on authoritarian methods alongside spoon-feeding students to gain their compliance while keeping a strict focus on the teacher.

The Post-Independence Era (1963 - 1980s)

Following independence, Kenya started building a national education system designed to fulfill development and social transformation objectives. The Ominde Commission of 1964 led the development of this vision through its recommendation for ending the colonial education system (Raymond. 2023). The 7-4-2-3 system emerged following this reform by combining primary education for seven years with lower secondary for four years and upper secondary for two years, and university studies lasting three years to achieve national unity and identity and progress (Cheruiyot, 2024).

The government saw education as an essential force for national development to build citizenship identity and teach students the skills needed for meaningful country growth. The updated educational system focused on embracing all students while delivering content that corresponded to Kenya's economic and social requirements (Mackatiani et al., 2016). Despite changes in the curriculum traditional teaching methods continued without significant modification. Teacher-led instruction remained the dominant teaching method, which transformed students into information receivers in traditional classrooms.

The system continued to prioritize standardized tests, which reinforced memorization-based learning and academic grades as the primary benchmarks for school success. The instructional methods restricted students from developing their critical thinking abilities and practical skills, and creative thinking capabilities thus, they worked against the main objectives of educational reform in post-independence 

The 8-4-4 System (1985-2010s)

The Kenya 8-4-4 educational system started in Kenya during January 1985 after the Mackay Report of 1982 was published (Laichena, K.2022). The complete educational structure under this system combined primary school education for eight years with four years of secondary education and university study for four years. The system was made to deliver hands-on skills that would encourage self-employment among students who would not go on to higher education. The policy stated that educational preparation should focus on preparing young people for formal and informal job opportunities while promoting their ability to become self-employed(Laichena, K.2022).

The educational program of the 8-4-4 system put together theoretical instruction with hands-on learning. The upper primary education program included business training to teach students basic entrepreneurial skills, including record-keeping, while giving a supportive attitude across multiple subjects. But, despite that, the system came across a lot of barriers to its execution. The implementation of vocational subjects faced severe resource limitations because technical facilities were scarce, and there was a shortage of qualified teachers (Laichena, K.2022). The required infrastructure and expertise for system support exceeded the capabilities of local communities, who were supposed to help the system.

The assessment methods under the system were changed to an academic approach and exam-centered format, according to the Kenya Institute of Education's 2009 observations (Mackatiani et al., 2016) . The assessment system primarily used summative evaluations instead of formative feedback, which would help students develop their skills and learn effectively. The system caused a high rate of student abandonment and insufficient career readiness, which resulted in increasing youth joblessness. The inflexible educational framework did not provide suitable learning opportunities for individual student abilities and professional aspirations, thus helping create societal problems like criminal activities and drug misuse. The main goal of the 8-4-4 system failed to deliver self-reliance and sustainable employment for students.

The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) (2017–Present)

A revolutionary transformation occurred through the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) when it introduced a learner-centered educational model instead of a subject-based approach that focused on competencies and skills along with values. The designers intended CBC to develop active learning alongside collaboration and critical thinking abilities, which would enable students to develop 21st-century competencies for future success (Cheruiyot, 2024). The acquisition of digital literacy, together with communication abilities and problem-solving, and creative thinking, represents the learning process. The CBC faces implementation difficulties because of challenges related to teacher training, as well as resource availability and public education. The successful implementation of ongoing improvement demands fundamental changes in both ongoing educational methods and practical approaches.

Conclusion 

The progression of Kenyan teaching strategies followed the country's historical development during the last hundred years. During the colonial period rote learning techniques emerged before Kenya gained its independence and developed a national educational framework which mainly retained teacher-directed instructional methods. Vocational goals in the 8-4-4 system failed to materialize because the system evolved into an exam-focused approach that suppressed critical thinking skills. The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) represents a modern teaching approach that promotes interactive student-focused education that teaches critical skills needed for the twenty-first century. Despite facing implementation hurdles, this transformative approach ensures Kenya will equip its learners with adaptable and committed skills required for its forthcoming era. Development grows through this process toward complete learning for individual growth.

References

Cheruiyot, B. (2024). Challenges faced in the implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in junior schools in Kenya. East African Journal of Education Studies, 7(3), 260–266. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.7.3.2098

Laichena, K. (2022, October 19). HISTORY AND TRANSFORMATION OF KENYA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM TO C.B.C AND ITS ARCHITECTURE - Space Consult. Space Consult. https://spaceconsult.co.ke/transformation-of-kenyas-education-system/

Ngina, H. (2024, July 4). Assessment methods across Kenyan education curricula: A Comparative study - Kurasa Africa. Kurasa Africa. https://mykurasa.com/2024/04/assessment-methods-across-kenyan-education-curricula-a-comparative-study/

Mackatiani, C., Imbovah, M., Imbova, N., Gakungai, D. K., School of Education, University of Nairobi, PO box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya, Faculty of Education, Kisii University, P.o.box 408, Kisii, Kenya, & School of Education, University of Nairobi, PO box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya. (2016). Development of Education in Kenya: Influence of the political factor beyond 2015 MDGs. In Journal of Education and Practice: Vol. Vol.7 (Issue No.11, pp. 55–56). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1099584.pdf

Raymond. (2023, October 22). Origins And Evolution Of Kenya's Education System - Kenyan Travel & Tourism Blog. Kenyan Travel & Tourism Blog. https://livinglovingkenya.com/origins-and-evolution-of-kenyas-education-system/