Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Needs of Junior School Kiswahili Teachers under Kenya’s Competency-Based Education

Competency-Based Education (CBE) in Kenya asks teachers to plan for competencies, teach through learner-centred methods, assess formatively and connect subject content to learners’ cultural worlds. This study examined the pedagogical and content knowledge needs of Grade 7 and 8 Kiswahili teachers in Nyamache Sub-County, Kenya, through the lens of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). A convergent mixed-methods design combined a questionnaire (n = 77), semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers and 4 Curriculum Support Officers, and 36 observed lessons rated on a 22-item checklist (? = .801). Normalised Need Indices showed moderate content need (M = 0.391) and the lowest need in pedagogy (M = 0.366). Planning and delivery were strong: 100% of lessons had clear objectives and organised lesson plans, and participation was encouraged in 97.2%. Practice weakened as lessons moved from delivery to responsiveness: formative assessment (63.9%), constructive feedback (66.7%), behaviour management (66.7%) and monitoring (58.3%) were the weakest pedagogical items. In content, poetry (ushairi) was the most under-resourced and least well-taught strand, with the lowest observed content score (56.3%), and incorporating cultural references was the weakest item on the whole checklist (58.3%), as it was absent from grammar lessons. Teachers wanted mentoring, peer observation, and lesson study (83.3% each). The findings show that a low aggregate need can hide specific, consequential gaps. Professional development for Kiswahili teachers should target assessment for learning, feedback, large-class management, poetry pedagogy and culturally grounded grammar, delivered through school-based coaching rather than generic CBE workshops.