Socio-Demographic Determinants of Teacher Commitment in Implementing the Competency-Based Curriculum in Secondary Schools: A Narrative Review
Luben Elia Mugarura, Denis Sekiwu, Fredrick Ssempala & Athanansio Bashaija
Kabale University, Uganda
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9525-0366
Email: lubenelia@gmail.com
Abstract: The transition to competency-based curricula (CBC) has intensified expectations placed on teachers as central agents of curriculum reform, requiring sustained professional commitment alongside pedagogical competence. While institutional factors influencing CBC implementation have received considerable attention, less synthesis exists on how teachers’ socio-demographic characteristics shape commitment to curriculum reform, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This narrative review synthesises empirical and policy-oriented literature on socio-demographic determinants of teacher commitment in CBC implementation in secondary schools. This narrative review synthesised literature published between 1997 and 2025 sourced from Google Scholar, ERIC, Scopus, and relevant policy documents. The review focuses on key socio-demographic variables including age, gender, teaching experience, educational qualification, employment status, and school location. The findings indicate that socio-demographic characteristics influence not only the level but also the dominant dimensions of teacher commitment-affective, continuance, or normative-shaping how teachers engage with CBC reforms. Younger and more highly qualified teachers often exhibit stronger affective commitment, while older and permanently employed teachers demonstrate greater normative and continuance commitment. Gendered workloads, rural–urban disparities, and employment precarity further condition teachers’ capacity to sustain reform engagement. The review highlights the need for differentiated implementation strategies that recognise heterogeneity within the teaching workforce. It concludes that effective CBC implementation in secondary schools requires policies and practices that account for teachers’ socio-demographic realities alongside institutional support mechanisms.
