Determining Effectiveness of Learners’ Intellectual Skills in Supporting Authentic Learning Within A Competency Based Education Model in Secondary School Education: A Case of Kenya

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue IV, April 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Determining Effectiveness of Learners’ Intellectual Skills in Supporting Authentic Learning Within A Competency Based Education Model in Secondary School Education: A Case of Kenya

Karen T. Odhiambo Ph. D and George Okoth Ouma M. Ed
Psychology Department, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract: This study was carried out to determine IQ levels, learner preference of intellectual skills as well as impact of IQ on academic performance in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was based on the fact that learning today requires a shift in philosophy that relies on intellectual frame of mind, a forerunner of critical thinking skills and metacognitive perspectives of learning in the 21st Century. The study adopted a descriptive research design with a total of 160 students, 20 per school out of 8-schools identified. The study revealed that majority of learners who took the test attained below average intelligence IQ range at 85 – 114 with 56.06% male and 31.82% female learners in this IQ range. The other dominant category of learners attained above average intelligence with IQ range of 115 – 129 with 36.36% male and 45.45% of females. The study also revealed that the males tend to prefer technical tasks such as logical mathematical and bodily-kinesthetic compared to girls who were more inclined towards linguistics, musical and interpersonal intelligence. As for the results on academic performance in relation to intellectual skills, the relationship was inverse. It can be concluded that intellectual patterns arising from the study reflect a narrow sense of intellectual abilities leading to disjointedness in the learning process without the depth required. There is need for more research for a more solid theoretical foundation to be able to draw comparisons and determine trends regarding learner intelligence in secondary schools in Kenya.

Key Terms: Intellectual Skills, IQ, Competency Based Education, Kenya, 21st Century Skills, Critical thinking,

I: BACKGROUND

In this era of the 21st Century learning, the requirement is for “competency-based education,” which is a shift in educators view of learner and learning processes. The desired outcome is learning that create connections regarding learner, curriculum design, dialogic pedagogy, authentic assessment leading to demonstrated outcome. This should lead to a lifelong and sustainable learning experience. From the intellectual point of view, it is for learners to demonstrate their strengths and to perform optimally a process that arises from their intelligence function. According to Beane (1990), intellectual function has been found to be disjointed and fragmented resulting in obstacle in learning processes and attainment. Kenya has adopted “Competency Based Curriculum (CBC)” (MOE Kenya, 2017) based on the performance or competency system of educating that is currently being embraced by the world globally. This study comes at an opportune time as Kenya is in the early stages of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation in Kenya. There is need to determine if the basic underlying attributes of intelligence on which CBC

Read More