Unit 2: Competence-Based Approach to Teaching...

CBC philosophy and key principles are presented in policy documents such as Curriculum Framework and Subject Syllabi. This officially written curriculum is called “Intended curriculum”. The intended CBC is translated into teaching and learning activities and implemented in classrooms. This is called “Implemented curriculum”. As a result of teaching and learning, the learners actually acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes/values. This is “Attained curriculum”. The concept is known as “Three pillars of Curriculum”. Followings are the definition of those Intended, Implemented and Attained curriculum. 

Intended Curriculum, refers to a set of formal documents which specify what the relevant national education authorities (e.g. REB in Rwanda) expect that learners will learn at school in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes & values to be acquired and developed, and how the outcomes of the teaching and learning process will be assessed. It is usually embodied in curriculum frameworks, syllabi, textbooks, teacher’s guides, examinations.

Implemented Curriculum, refers to the actual teaching and learning activities taking place in schools through interaction between learners and teachers as well as among learners, e.g. how the intended curriculum is translated into practice and actually delivered.

Attained Curriculum, refers to the curriculum which indicates the knowledge, skills and attitudes & values that learners actually acquire as a result of teaching and learning, assessed through different means and/or demonstrated in practice.

The diagram below shows the difference between Knowledge-based Curriculum (KBC) and Competence-based Curriculum (CBC) conceptually. In KBC, standards set in curriculum documents are delivered to learners through lessons in the same form. To the contrary, competence standards in CBC are transformed into learning tasks by teachers in the lesson and finally acquired by learners as competences. The curriculum changes its shape progressively.