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KPLAY Implementation Research Brief: Supporting the Transition to Student-Centered Teaching in Kenya

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Title: KPLAY Implementation Research Brief: Supporting the Transition to Student-Centered Teaching in Kenya
Language: English
Authors: Daniel Light, Megan Silander, Nicole Breslow, Amanda Cardarelli, Hannah Girma Wedajo, Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), Three Stones International, EduKenya, O Laboratório de Estudos e Pesquisas em Educação e Economia Social (LEPES)
Source: Education Development Center, Inc. 2025.
Availability: Education Development Center, Inc. 43 Foundry Avenue, Waltham, MA 02453. Tel: 617-969-7100; Fax: 617-969-5979; e-mail: contact@edc.org; Web site: http://ltd.edc.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: LEGO Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Early Childhood Education
Grade 3
Primary Education
Grade 4
Intermediate Grades
Grade 5
Middle Schools
Grade 6
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Student Centered Learning, Faculty Development, Elementary School Teachers, Program Implementation, Competency Based Education, Technology Uses in Education, Models, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Active Learning, Social Emotional Learning, Technological Literacy, Planning, Reflection, Affordances, Barriers, Play
Geographic Terms: Kenya
Abstract: Many Kenyan primary students struggle to acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills. To improve learning outcomes, Kenya instituted a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). This transition reflects a broader global effort to improve education by shifting toward more student-centered approaches. However, several years into the reform, teachers face numerous challenges in enacting the CBC in their classrooms. This brief presents findings from research on a pilot teacher professional development program designed to support the transition to student-centered teaching in Kenyan primary schools. Specifically, the research explored IREX's Kenya Play Project (KPLAY), part of the global LEGO Foundation-funded Tech & Play initiative. Education Design Unlimited (EDU) served as the local research partner for KPLAY, with support from the Tech & Play research lead, EDC. The study investigated how teachers implemented and adapted the KPLAY intervention in their classrooms, the supports they required to do so, and the contextual factors that influenced implementation. Insights gained from this research can inform future efforts to strengthen teacher training programs by identifying effective strategies, necessary supports, and potential challenges in scaling similar interventions to transition to student-centered pedagogies in low-resource contexts.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED678872
Database: ERIC
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  Data: KPLAY Implementation Research Brief: Supporting the Transition to Student-Centered Teaching in Kenya
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Daniel+Light%22">Daniel Light</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Megan+Silander%22">Megan Silander</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nicole+Breslow%22">Nicole Breslow</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Amanda+Cardarelli%22">Amanda Cardarelli</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hannah+Girma+Wedajo%22">Hannah Girma Wedajo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Education+Development+Center%2C+Inc%2E+%28EDC%29%22">Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Three+Stones+International%22">Three Stones International</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22EduKenya%22">EduKenya</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22O+Laboratório+de+Estudos+e+Pesquisas+em+Educação+e+Economia+Social+%28LEPES%29%22">O Laboratório de Estudos e Pesquisas em Educação e Economia Social (LEPES)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education+Development+Center%2C+Inc%22"><i>Education Development Center, Inc</i></searchLink>. 2025.
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  Data: Education Development Center, Inc. 43 Foundry Avenue, Waltham, MA 02453. Tel: 617-969-7100; Fax: 617-969-5979; e-mail: contact@edc.org; Web site: http://ltd.edc.org
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  Data: 14
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: LEGO Foundation
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  Data: Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+3%22">Grade 3</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Centered+Learning%22">Student Centered Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Teachers%22">Elementary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Implementation%22">Program Implementation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Competency+Based+Education%22">Competency Based Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technology+Uses+in+Education%22">Technology Uses in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Models%22">Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+3%22">Grade 3</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Active+Learning%22">Active Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Emotional+Learning%22">Social Emotional Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technological+Literacy%22">Technological Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Planning%22">Planning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reflection%22">Reflection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Affordances%22">Affordances</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Play%22">Play</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kenya%22">Kenya</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Many Kenyan primary students struggle to acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills. To improve learning outcomes, Kenya instituted a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). This transition reflects a broader global effort to improve education by shifting toward more student-centered approaches. However, several years into the reform, teachers face numerous challenges in enacting the CBC in their classrooms. This brief presents findings from research on a pilot teacher professional development program designed to support the transition to student-centered teaching in Kenyan primary schools. Specifically, the research explored IREX's Kenya Play Project (KPLAY), part of the global LEGO Foundation-funded Tech & Play initiative. Education Design Unlimited (EDU) served as the local research partner for KPLAY, with support from the Tech & Play research lead, EDC. The study investigated how teachers implemented and adapted the KPLAY intervention in their classrooms, the supports they required to do so, and the contextual factors that influenced implementation. Insights gained from this research can inform future efforts to strengthen teacher training programs by identifying effective strategies, necessary supports, and potential challenges in scaling similar interventions to transition to student-centered pedagogies in low-resource contexts.
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  Data: 2026
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PLink https://erproxy.cvtisr.sk/sfx/access?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED678872
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
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        PageCount: 14
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Centered Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Development
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      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Teachers
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      – SubjectFull: Competency Based Education
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      – SubjectFull: Kenya
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