A well-structured education system in a country aims to build up a well-informed and knowledgeable community fully equipped with 21st-century skills, which in return will contribute positively towards the development of the country. In this context, mathematics education is vital in enhancing a person’s analytical and problem-solving abilities. A new competency-based education system was introduced in Sri Lanka in 2007 to create individuals who can think mathematically and apply mathematical knowledge effectively and responsibly in problem-solving and decision-making. This study aims to explore the level of preparation the teachers received in applying competency-based education (CBE) in the teaching-learning process of mathematics in Sri Lanka. In this quantitative study, the data was collected from 276 teachers of mathematics who teach middle school in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, using a well-structured questionnaire. The results revealed that teachers need more training to apply CBE in the teaching-learning process of mathematics. Also, insufficient monitoring and continuous professional development hinder the application of CBE in the teaching-learning process of mathematics. The findings suggest continuous professional development exercises such as lesson study be offered by experts in CBE to the teachers with ample hands-on tasks. Also, to monitor the ongoing teaching-learning process to ensure the competency of the teachers in applying the CBE effectively in the mathematics classrooms in Sri Lanka. The aspects discussed here would benefit the administrators and teachers to enhance the mathematics teaching-learning process. Also, it would benefit researchers to identify approaches to enhance the quality of mathematics education in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Competency-Based Education; Traditional Methods of Education; Continuous Professional Development; Lesson Study.

Views (31)