Linking educational resources to competence-based curriculum implementation in Uganda’s lower secondary education: The role of instructional adaptability in Wakiso district

Abstract

This study examined the influence of educational resources on competency-based curriculum implementation in Uganda’s Lower Secondary Education. It also investigated the mediating effects of school change receptivity, instructional expertise, and instructional efficacy on the relationship between resource adequacy and curriculum implementation fidelity. The study sought to establish how teacher competence, infrastructural conditions, and access to digital and printed teaching resources collectively shape learner-centered practices under CBC reforms. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was adopted, integrating quantitative survey data from 972NCDC Staff, teachers and school administrators across public and private schools in Wakiso District with qualitative data from 71 in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25 through descriptive and inferential statistics correlations and regression analysis while mediators were analyzed using AMOS and qualitative data were thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s framework to identify recurring insights related to implementation experiences. Findings revealed that human resources significantly influenced CBC implementation. Schools with adequately trained teachers demonstrated higher fidelity in learner-centered instruction. However, the majority of the teachers reported inadequate refresher training and mentorship. Qualitative evidence indicated that continuous professional development and supportive supervision enhanced instructional expertise and teacher confidence. Physical infrastructural adequacy had a mediator positive relationship with CBC success, with teachers in well-furnished classrooms reporting higher learner engagement. Some schools faced severe furniture shortages and lacked functional laboratories. Digital and printed resource access also correlated positively with instructional efficacy; however, the majority of the schools lacked reliable digital content or ICT infrastructure. The combined CFA and SEM results revealed that educational resources-human (strongest), physical (moderate), and digital (low)are the strongest and most consistent predictors of curriculum implementation, confirming that well-developed resource capacity significantly enhances implementation outcomes. Conversely, instructional adaptability demonstrated a negligible or negative influence across both models, indicating that adaptability mechanisms, while present, are not yet effectively translating resource investments into improved curriculum performance. The study concludes that CBC implementation success depends on an integrated system of adequately trained teachers, functional learning environments, and equitable access to instructional materials. It recommends institutionalized professional development, improved infrastructure investment, enhanced ICT integration, and strengthened school-level change management to sustain high instructional efficacy and curriculum fidelity.