Competency-Based Assessment and Curriculum Delivery in Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutions in Kajiado County, Kenya

Abstract

Competency-based assessment (CBA) has become an important component of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), supporting the alignment of assessment with occupational competencies and intended learning outcomes. However, evidence on how CBA implementation translates into effective curriculum delivery remains limited, particularly in county-level TVET contexts. Kajiado County’s expanding TVET sector supports skills development in a rapidly changing local economy, while institutions respond to various learner needs and labour-market demands. This study therefore examined the influence of CBA on curriculum delivery in TVET institutions in Kajiado County, Kenya. Anchored in Constructivist Learning Theory, the study adopted a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, drawing a sample of 100 participants from a target population of approximately 2,000 TVET stakeholders using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. Data were collected from 20 academic administrators, 30 lecturers, 30 students (achievement tests and focus group discussions), and document analysis across five TVET institutions. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations), one-sample t-tests, and thematic analysis were employed. Administrators rated CBA integration positively (composite mean = 3.41; Q1 mean = 3.77, t(19) = 4.678, p < .001), with curriculum alignment emerging as the dominant integration strategy (40.0%). However, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms were rated neutral and not significantly different from the midpoint (mean = 2.93, t(19) = −0.360, p = .722). Focus group participants perceived curriculum alignment as only partial (43.3%), and document analysis revealed moderate compliance for curriculum guides (0.73) and assessment rubrics (0.60). The study concludes that while CBA has been meaningfully embedded through curriculum alignment and staff training, weak monitoring systems and inconsistent rubric application constrain its influence on curriculum delivery. Strengthening monitoring frameworks, instructor professional development, and rubric standardization is recommended.