Understanding the Challenges of Implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy in Competency-Based Curriculum Assessment in Uganda

Uganda’s transition to a competency-based curriculum at the lower secondary level has created a new landscape for teaching, learning, and assessment that aspires to promote higher-order skills, authentic problem solving, and holistic learner development. Bloom’s taxonomy, widely regarded as a foundational framework for structuring learning outcomes, has been adopted implicitly and explicitly as a guide for designing assessments intended to capture the broader ambitions of the curriculum. However, early evidence from schools, teacher reports, and national assessment bodies suggests that the practical application of Bloom’s taxonomy remains uneven and constrained. This study examines the systemic, pedagogical, and contextual challenges that impede its effective implementation within Uganda’s competency-based assessment regime. The discussion draws on curriculum policy documents, recent scholarly analyses, and comparative regional experiences to illustrate the tensions between curriculum reform intentions and the realities of assessment practice. The analysis shows that limited teacher assessment literacy, an entrenched examination culture, gaps in resource provision and infrastructural support, and conceptual ambiguities surrounding the taxonomy itself combine to create significant barriers. The paper argues that the full realisation of competency-based assessment requires sustained capacity building, closer alignment between curriculum and national examinations, and a more context-responsive interpretation of Bloom’s framework

• Publication year

  2026

• Venue

  East African Journal of Education Studies

• Publication date

  2026-02-02

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.37284/eajes.9.1.4431
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

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• No concepts are published for this paper.

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