10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Globally, transitions toward Competency-Based Education (CBE) routinely encounter severe execution hurdles especially in resource-constrained enclaves. In Kenya, the implementation of the Integrated Science Curriculum (ISC), a vital gateway for STEM pathways is severely challenged within marginalized settings due to systemic administrative and operational bottlenecks. This study examined how school leadership practices shape the implementation fidelity of the ISC in Junior Schools (JSs) situated within the Cherengany/Sengwer Marginalised Group (CSMG) of Trans-Nzoia and West Pokot Counties. Rooted in a constructivist paradigm and an instrumental case study design, data collection achieved methodological triangulation by using in-depth interviews with 11 Heads of Institutions (HoIs), researcher-administered questionnaires with 11 Integrated Science teachers, 11 focus group discussions with 93 Grade Nine learners, and structured observation protocols across 11 sampled schools (). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis mapped against the Synergistic theoretical framework featuring Gross et al, Rogers and Epstein theories. A severe structural qualification gap exists: 100% of ISC teachers hold university degrees, while 63.6% of HoIs lack a Bachelor’s degree, holding primary-tier credentials. This administrative mismatch undermines the HoIs’ supervisory legitimacy, triggering professional friction. Lacking secondary science competence and overwhelmed by administrative bookkeeping, HoIs systematically abandon technical pedagogical oversight, delegating it to their deputies or regressing to superficial, spatial micromanagement. Furthermore, resource gatekeeping and distribution failures resulted in an obstructive 1:5 textbook-to-learner sharing ratio, while vital apparatus and digital devices remained unavailable, inadequate or locked in offices. The study concludes that the structural governance mismatch between primary-trained administrators and university-educated science teachers has crippled internal quality assurance. To protect ISC fidelity, the Ministry of Education must systematically establish administrative and financial autonomy for JSs, deploy secondary-qualified principals, and directly supply mobile science infrastructure to marginalized enclaves.