Unpacking Resistance and Reform: The Struggle to Implement Competency-Based Curriculum in English Language Teaching

The paper analyses the dichotomy between policy directives and the implementation phase of a competence-based curriculum in English language teaching (ELT). The study focused on selected secondary schools in central Uganda to assess the compliance mechanism against the background of teachers who have been trained and have been using traditional teaching methods for a long time to deliver a knowledge-based and content-loaded curriculum, and to shift to the new model, which is a herculean task. The study examines the challenges of transition, for example, observable resistance among teachers and learners, coupled with institutional inertia. It is noted that resistance is driven by the new loaded curriculum, an intricate assessment model, the complexity of the learner-centred approach, and collaborative groupwork. In interpreting the entrenched challenges, the paper applies sociocultural theory, curriculum implementation model, and constructivist learning theory, among others, to underpin the resistance vis-à-vis reform to clarify theory versus practice. The research used a mixed-methods design to analyse the reform versus resistance. The findings revealed inadequate institutional support at the school and the top level. The competence-based curriculum is highly content-loaded, leading to a backlog and wasted time to recoup uncovered work from the previous term/year, thus leading to time wastage and stress for both the teacher and the learners. Besides, it is found that the teachers’ professional capacity development is inconsistent, with little or no follow-up or feedback. Besides, teachers still maintain the traditional teacher-centred approach, justifying that learners have to be prepared for exams and thus complete the syllabus. So, the issues arising from the tension between the new and old cast doubt on the effectiveness of the competence-based curriculum in the teaching of the English Language. The study calls for urgent harmonisation of policy directives and classroom practice.