Teachers' competence and implementation of the learning framework for early childhood development in selected pre-primary schools: Rubaga municipality, Kampala

Abstract

The study investigated teachers' competence and implementation of the learning framework for early childhood development in selected pre-primary schools in Rubaga Municipality , Kampala. Countries that have been able to provide quality early childhood education to their children have done so through the use of evidenced based programs and curricular that focus no skill development in the early years. In Uganda, while the National Curriculum Development Centre has been able to launch a quality Learning Framework Early Childhood Development (3-6) years (LFW) for use in Early Childhood centres and the ECD Policy (2001) makes it mandatory for all ECD centers to use it as the National Curriculum Framework, Pre-primary teachers find difficulty in using it. The study was guided by three objectives which were; to establish whether Pre-primary teachers have the Content Knowledge competence to design appropriate activities using the LFW,to investigate

weather Pre-primary teachers have the competence to plan for teaching using the LFW and to CSI3blish whether Pre-primary teachers are able to manage the involvement of parents in their learners education as suggested by the LFW. The study used Cross-sectional research design 3lld adopted a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research approaches to collect the data 3lld was conducted from selected Pre- Primary schools in Rubaga Municipality, Kampala capital City, Uganda. The study established that Pre-primary teachers had the skills for primary to teach, however, they could not effectively plan and design appropriate activities of children due to failure to interpret it. Teachers lacked the ability to guide parents on using The LFW to extend children's learning at home. The study recommended that Ministry of Education and Sports at different levels should ensure that ECD teacher trainees acquire key identified competences at initial training and through CPDs, teachers should be re-tooled with The competences for effective implementation of the LFW. The study recommended that

Curriculum Development Center (NCDC) should complement the LFW with more resources make it user-friendly for pre-primary teachers and other categories of caregivers 3lld that research should be conducted to establish other factors that influence the implementation of the LFW.