Challenges Faced by Students in the Application of CBE in Senior Secondary Mathematics Education in Sri Lanka

Objective: Sri Lanka is currently passing a period that requires comprehensive reforms of its education system. The country should have a curriculum reform cycle of eight years with at least two revision cycles within the reform cycle. The country's current education system must overcome three significant challenges: the Curriculum, Assessments, and Inadequate Quality of Education. The study analysed the challenges lower secondary students face in applying Competency-Based Education in mathematics education from perspectives of student-related, teacher-related, home/parent-related factors and availability of resources. Method: The research adopted a cross-sectional survey design with a quantitative data collection method. A questionnaire was used as the primary data collection instrument. A multistage sampling method was used to select a sample of 454 students from grades ten and eleven of the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that the above challenges impede the application of CBE in the mathematics learning process at the lower secondary level. Research Implications: The findings lead to various recommendations, including a curriculum revision urgently needed in the country. Also, the Department of Education should devise a mechanism to monitor the teaching-learning process regularly and provide teachers with adequate training where necessary. Further, implement a competency-based assessment system to uplift the 21st-century skills within students, and the Ministry of Education with the help of other stakeholders to provide quality, relevant resources including IT facilities consistent with the CBE curriculum. The aspects discussed would benefit policymakers, administrators, and teachers in enhancing the mathematics teaching-learning process.