Teachers’ Pedagogical Competence in Promoting Higher-Order Thinking Skills under the Competency-Based Curriculum in Public Secondary Schools in Bariadi Town Council, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined teachers’ pedagogical competence in promoting higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in public secondary schools in Bariadi Town Council, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed to assess teachers’ ability to design HOTS-oriented learning activities, examine their use of learner-centered teaching strategies, and analyze how they integrate real-life situations in teaching. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design involving 112 respondents, including teachers, Heads of Schools, the District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO), and the District Quality Assurance Officer (DQAO). Data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations), while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings indicated moderate to relatively high levels of self-reported pedagogical competence in designing HOTS-oriented activities (M = 4.12), using learner-centered strategies (M = 3.99), and integrating real-life situations (M = 3.84). However, classroom implementation was reported to be inconsistent and often superficial, particularly in inquiry-based learning and authentic problem-solving tasks. These findings suggest a gap between pedagogical knowledge and actual practice. The study concludes that while teachers demonstrate awareness of HOTS-oriented pedagogy, learner engagement remains limited. It recommends strengthening professional development, improving instructional resources, and enhancing instructional supervision to support effective implementation of HOTS.