Determining Effectiveness of Learners’ Intellectual Skills in Supporting Authentic Learning within a Competency Based Education Model in Secondary School Education: A Case of Kenya

This study was carried out to determine IQ levels, learner preference of intellectual skills as well as impact of IQ on academic performance in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was based on the fact that learning today requires a shift in philosophy that relies on intellectual frame of mind, a forerunner of critical thinking skills and metacognitive perspectives of learning in the 21st Century. The study adopted a descriptive research design with a total of 160 students, 20 per school out of 8-schools identified. The study revealed that majority of learners who took the test attained below average intelligence IQ range at 85 – 114 with 56.06% male and 31.82% female learners in this IQ range. The other dominant category of learners attained above average intelligence with IQ range of 115 – 129 with 36.36% male and 45.45% of females. The study also revealed that the males tend to prefer technical tasks such as logical mathematical and bodily-kinesthetic compared to girls who were more inclined towards linguistics, musical and interpersonal intelligence. As for the results on academic performance in relation to intellectual skills, the relationship was inverse. It can be concluded that intellectual patterns arising from the study reflect a narrow sense of intellectual abilities leading to disjointedness in the learning process without the depth required. There is need for more research for a more solid theoretical foundation to be able to draw comparisons and determine trends regarding learner intelligence in secondary schools in Kenya.