The Teacher’s Time vs. The Curriculum’s Demand
Every teacher knows the drill: you have the Scheme of Work, the content, and the curriculum guide. Now comes the moment of truth—crafting the Specific Learning Outcomes (SLOs). It’s the single most important part of your lesson plan because it defines the destination for your students.
Yet, it’s so easy to fall into the old trap: “By the end of the lesson, the learner will know…” or “…the learner will understand…”
While well-intentioned, these objectives are like saying your destination is “somewhere interesting.” They are vague, difficult to measure, and frankly, they don’t capture the spirit of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) that we are all working tirelessly to implement. The CBC demands visible competence, not just passive knowledge.
Here is a practical, teacher-to-teacher guide on moving past the surface and writing SLOs that are truly meaningful, measurable, and reflective of the CBC’s goal to create competent, well-rounded learners.
The CBC Mandate: Why ‘Know’ is Not Enough
The Kenyan CBC framework is built on developing real-world competencies and nurturing core values. It’s a shift from asking what the student remembers to what the student can do.
If your SLO uses a verb like “know,” you can’t tell if the learner is ready. How do you assess “knowing”? By asking them to list facts? That’s only testing memory, the lowest rung on the ladder of competence.
We need to swap out those weak, passive verbs for strong, observable action verbs that are aligned with the different levels of thinking. This is the secret ingredient to a powerful lesson plan and a clear path to assessing competence.
🛠️ Your Action Verb Toolbox: Mapping Outcomes to Bloom’s Taxonomy
The key to writing a competency-based outcome is to reference a framework like Bloom’s Taxonomy. It helps ensure your objectives target different levels of thinking, pushing students beyond simple recall.
| Bloom’s Level | What the Learner is Doing | Passive Verbs to AVOID | Strong, CBC-Aligned Action Verbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remembering | Recalling facts and basic concepts. | Know, Understand, Learn, Appreciate | Define, Identify, List, Locate, Quote |
| Understanding | Explaining ideas or concepts. | Grasp, Be aware of, Be familiar with | Explain, Describe, Summarize, Interpret, Classify |
| Applying | Using information in new situations. **(Crucial for CBC)** | Apply, Solve | Demonstrate, Calculate, Construct, Illustrate, Modify |
| Analyzing | Breaking down information into parts. | Analyze, Examine | Compare, Contrast, Distinguish, Categorize, Separate |
| Evaluating | Justifying a stand or decision. | Judge, Critique, Value | Assess, Critique, Defend, Rate, Justify, Predict |
| Creating | Producing new or original work. **(The CBC Goal)** | Create | Design, Compose, Propose, Formulate, Invent, Originate |
The Formula for a Perfect CBC SLO
A meaningful Specific Learning Outcome (SLO) has three essential parts. Missing any one of them makes your objective incomplete and difficult to assess under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
SLO = [Condition] + [Action Verb] + [Standard/Criteria]
Here’s a breakdown of each part:
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1. The Condition (The “How”)
This part sets the stage, specifying the context, method, or tool the student will use to demonstrate competence. It answers: Under what circumstances will the skill be shown?
Example Phrases: Using the provided data set, or Through a group debate, or By the end of the field trip,
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2. The Action Verb (The “What”)
This is the core of the SLO, pulled from the “Strong Verbs” column below. It must be a specific, observable action that proves mastery. It answers: What measurable thing will the student do?
Example Verbs: Design, Differentiate, Construct, Justify.
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3. The Standard/Criteria (The “How Well”)
This makes the objective measurable by setting the goalpost. It specifies the expected level of performance or accuracy. It answers: What level of quality is required?
Example Phrases: …with 90% accuracy, or …following all safety procedures, or …with a minimum of three supporting reasons.
📝 Vague vs. Vibrant: Examples for CBC Classrooms
Notice how the strong Specific Learning Outcomes tell the teacher exactly what the student has to **do** to prove they have achieved the competence, aligning with CBC’s practical focus.
| Subject Example | Vague, Weak Objective (AVOID) | Strong, CBC-Aligned SLO (Target) |
|---|---|---|
| Science (Grade 8) | The learner will **know** the parts of a plant cell. | **Using a microscope and slide,** the learner will **diagram** the major organelles of a plant cell **and correctly label eight of them.** |
| Social Studies (Form 3) | The learner will **understand** the benefits of democracy. | **Through a class debate**, the learner will **defend** the importance of democratic institutions **citing two specific examples from African history.** |
| Math (Grade 7) | The learner will **be able to solve** percentage problems. | **Given five real-world scenarios (e.g., shopping discounts),** the learner will **calculate** the final cost **with 100% accuracy.** |
| Language Arts | The learner will **appreciate** the main theme of the novel. | **In a written essay of 500 words**, the learner will **critique** the author’s use of symbolism to develop the main theme providing at least two supporting textual examples. |