| All aspects of a Curriculum, the means through which a country’s societal interests are addressed, always remain matters of public concern. Following the implementation of Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) a debate among stakeholders, particularly with respect to teacher preparedness, the integration of moral-ethical competencies, and the efficacy with regard to assessment frameworks, has been generated. While CBC aims to foster holistic development, critiques persist about the exclusion of explicit metrics for evaluating teachers’ moral-ethical practices and the limited incorporation of culturally grounded pedagogical approaches, hence the need for this study. This paper proposes a reimagined normative teacher training model that integrates African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) that emphasize communal dialogue and collaborative learning to address gaps in moral-ethical competency development. Normative training, as conceptualized here, is important in that it prioritizes educators’ capacity to navigate ethical, social, and pedagogical norms within CBC-aligned classrooms, drawing on African communal values, and its emphasis on collective responsibility and cultural relevance. Through a thorough review of secondary sources that include theoretical frameworks on CBC, moral education, and IKS, the study interrogates three dimensions: (1) the moral-ethical competencies expected of teachers under CBC, (2) the alignment of current university-based teacher training programs with these competencies, and (3) the potential of African IKS models to enhance moral pedagogy through family, community, and culture centric practices. Preliminary findings suggest that existing training programs inadequately address moral-ethical formation, relying heavily on Western-centric paradigms rather than localized, culturally resonant methods. The paper argues for a decolonized approach to teacher education, advocating for the infusion of African communal dialogue and problem-solving traditions into curricular frameworks. By bridging CBC’s competency goals with IKS-driven pedagogical strategies, this paper contributes to broader discourse on culturally responsive teacher training and the sustainable implementation of education reforms in diverse contexts. Key Terms: African Indigenous Knowledge, Normative Teacher Training, School Environment. |
