Assessment of Critical Thinking in Competency-Based Education in Kenya: Practices in Integrated Science Instruction in Public Junior Schools in Nairobi County

Critical thinking is one of the competencies learners are expected to develop under the Competency-Based Education in Kenya. This shift demands a paradigm shift from conventional assessment practices to inquiry-based Competency-Based Assessment practices. This study aimed to assess critical thinking assessment practices in Integrated Science instruction in public junior schools in Nairobi County. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study used proportionate, convenience, and systematic sampling to select 382 respondents from a target population of 8,259. Structured questionnaires were used to collect information on critical thinking assessment practices in Integrated Science instruction from both teachers and learners. The reliability of the instruments was established through piloting in a neighboring county, Kajiado County. A Cronbach's alpha of 0.784 was obtained, thus making the tools suitable for data collection. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the study findings were presented using frequencies and percentage differences. The study findings show that teachers face challenges in assessing critical thinking in Integrated Science instruction, especially in interpreting the curriculum to incorporate inquiry, reflection, evidence-based reasoning, and application of knowledge in real-life situations. The gap was confirmed by learner responses, which consistently reported gaps in classroom practices that promote critical thinking. There is a gap in teachers’ perception of competence in critical thinking assessment practices in Integrated Science instruction in comparison to learner perceptions. The findings inform education stakeholders of the need to invest in equipping teachers with pedagogical skills for Competency-Based Assessment, especially in assessing critical thinking.