This study investigated the challenges of teaching urbanization in History among Junior
Secondary School learners in Dagoretti South Sub-County, Nairobi County. Anchored in
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, the study sought to examine learners’ attitudes towards
urbanization, the adequacy of teaching and learning resources, and the pedagogical strategies
employed by History teachers, while also exploring ways to improve instructional practice. A
descriptive survey design was adopted, targeting 74 participants drawn from two public
Junior Secondary Schools, including 60 learners and 14 teachers. Data were collected through
questionnaires, interviews, and resource audits, and analyzed using both descriptive statistics
and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that 75% of learners perceived urbanization
content as abstract and disconnected from their lived experiences, while 83% cited lack of
maps, visual aids, and other context-specific materials as a major barrier to understanding.
Although Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) promotes inquiry-based and localized
learning, 85.7% of teachers primarily used lecture methods, with limited integration of
participatory strategies such as fieldwork, role-play, and mapping activities. The study
concluded that inadequate resources, Eurocentric content and teacher-centered pedagogies
undermine learner engagement and performance in urbanization topics. It is recommended
that the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)
develop locally relevant textbooks and case studies, expand teacher training on CBC-aligned
pedagogy, and establish school-based resource centers with updated maps, archives, and
digital learning tools. Emphasizing place-based and community-engaged learning approaches
will not only improve comprehension but also foster critical thinking, historical agency, and
civic identity among learners in rapidly urbanizing contexts.