Policy–practice gap in implementing competency-based curriculum in Southern African secondary schools

Abstract

Competency-based curriculum (CBC) reforms have increasingly been adopted across Southern African education systems as governments attempt to improve learning outcomes, develop practical skills, and align schooling with contemporary socio-economic demands. Despite these policy ambitions, evidence from several education systems suggests that CBC reforms remain unevenly implemented, particularly in resource-constrained secondary schools, where institutional capacity and instructional resources are limited. This study examines the policy–practice gap in the implementation of competency-based curriculum in selected Southern African secondary schools by synthesising recent scholarly and policy literature. It employed a systematic literature review guided by PRISMA procedures to identify and analyse relevant studies published between 2020 and 2025. Search was conducted across major academic databases and policy repositories, yielding 25 studies that met the established inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies focused primarily on teachers, school administrators, and policy implementation in African secondary education systems. The findings indicate that although CBC reforms are widely supported at the policy level, implementation at the school level is constrained by several interconnected factors. Key challenges include limited teacher preparedness, inadequate professional development opportunities, shortages of textbooks and teaching materials, infrastructural limitations, and weak institutional support mechanisms. Teachers often interpret and adapt curriculum policies to fit classroom realities, leading to inconsistent implementation of competency-based pedagogies. The study concludes that effective implementation of competency-based curriculum reforms requires sustained investment in teacher training, improved allocation of instructional resources, and stronger institutional coordination across education systems. Policymakers and education administrators should prioritise context-sensitive implementation strategies that strengthen school-level capacity and support teachers in adopting competency-based pedagogical approaches. Future research should explore classroom-level experiences of CBC implementation and evaluate long-term impacts of curriculum reforms on teaching practices and learner outcomes.