Thesis:

Assessment of internal stakeholder involvement and implementation of competence based education training in public TVET institutions in Meru county, Kenya

In light of globalization and technological advancements, competency-based education training (CBET) has become increasingly important in recent years for meeting the changing needs of the workforce of the twenty-first century and refining the caliber and applicability of vocational education and training programs. Kenya has experienced challenges like inadequate in-service training for trainers, insufficient resources and trainee-centered learning resistance in successfully implementing CBET. The importance of stakeholder involvement has been emphasized, which has called for an analysis of the degree of internal stakeholder involvement and its effects on CBET implementation. Consequently, the study’s goal was to determine how involvement of staff, trainers and trainees influences implementation of CBET in the context of public TVETs in Meru County, Kenya through the lenses of three theories the Stakeholder theory, Kurt Lewin's Change Management Model, and Social Constructionism. A descriptive research approach was employed and the targeted population was the 29 public TVET institutions in Meru County's where 29 principals, 2,972 trainees, and 191 trainers were targeted. A sample of the 29 principals was drawn voluntarily, while a sample of 334 trainees and 21 trainers was reached through Yamane formula and then sampled through stratified random procedures. Key informant interviews with principals and standardized questionnaires were used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression models were used to examine the quantitative data. Thematic analysis techniques were used to study the qualitative data. The findings indicate that trainees, trainers, and administrative staff in public TVETs in Meru County, Kenya, play crucial roles in the implementation of CBET, with varying levels of involvement. Trainees are highly engaged in hands-on activities and industry collaborations but have limited involvement in curriculum feedback, resource access, and decision-making. Trainers are actively involved in curriculum development, competency-based training, and collaboration with industry but receive moderate professional development and limited consideration of their feedback in institutional decisions. Administrative staff provide strong logistical and administrative support, coordinate activities, and contribute to policy-making, but their involvement in capacity building and monitoring is moderate. Inferential analysis reveals that the involvement of internal stakeholders positively and significantly influences the successful implementation of CBET in public TVETs in Meru County, Kenya. Based on these findings, the study recommends Meru County public TVETs to enhance the involvement internal stakeholders in areas where their participation is currently low to improve CBET implementation. For trainers, this includes greater involvement in providing feedback for curriculum design, contributing to real-world competency assessments, accessing adequate tools and resources, and having their opinions valued in decision-making. For administrative staff, the focus should be on increasing their role in organizing capacity-building programs and participating in monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure alignment with institutional and national objectives. For trainees, the recommendations emphasize improving their involvement in providing curriculum feedback, contributing to competency-based assessments, accessing necessary resources, and ensuring their opinions are valued in CBET implementation decisions. The study recommends that policymakers should increase CBET funding, enhance trainer capacity, and improve communication for effective curriculum implementation and feedback.