Teachers’ Competences

6 October 2014

Caroline Kearney

Senior Project Manager & Education Analyst

Knowledge

Skills

Attitudes

Competences are…

A dynamic and complex combination of

Leading to effective action in the real world

Teacher Competence Frameworks

National level: Huge variety of approaches to definition & implementation of Teacher Competence Framework (TCF), ranging from broad competence sets (e.g. Finland) to prescriptive lists (e.g. UK).

Teacher Competence Frameworks

At EU/international level: • A comprehensive general TCF does not exist; only frameworks for specific subject

areas (e.g. UNESCO’s ICT Competency Framework for Teachers; European Profile of Language Teacher Education)

• 3 broad areas of competence were defined in 2005 in the policy document: Common European Principles for Teacher Competences & Qualifications (European Commission, 2005)

• International literature review on teachers’ competences, standards and development: Teachers’ Core Competences: requirements and development (European Commission Thematic Working Group on Professional Development of Teachers, 2011)

3 Broad Areas of Competence for Teachers

1) Work with Others• Work effectively with Learners• Collaborate with Colleagues

Common European Principles for Teacher Competences & Qualifications (EC, 2005)

3 Broad Areas of Competence for Teachers

2) Work with and in Society• Effectively work with local community & education stakeholders

(e.g. parents, teacher education institutions, cultural organizations, businesses etc.)

• Prepare learners to be globally responsible citizens

Common European Principles for Teacher Competences & Qualifications (EC, 2005)

3 Broad Areas of Competence for Teachers

3) Work with Knowledge, Technology & Information• Good subject knowledge & pedagogical knowledge• Ability to integrate technology effectively to enhance teaching &

learning• Ability to access, analyse, validate, reflect on, transmit, and build on

information effectively

Common European Principles for Teacher Competences & Qualifications (EC, 2005)

Teachers’ Knowledge

Literature Review on Teachers’ Core Competences (EC, 2011)

1. Subject matter knowledge

2. Pedagogical subject knowledge

3. Pedagogical knowledge

4. Curricular knowledge

5. Educational sciences (historical, philosophical, psychological, sociological etc.)

6. Developmental psychology

7. Inclusion & Diversity issues

8. New Technologies

9. Educational Policies (contextual, institutional, organizational aspects)

10. Group dynamics, learning theories & motivational issues

11. Evaluation & assessment processes & methods

Teachers’ Skills1. Planning, managing & coordinating teaching

2. Using teaching materials and technologies

3. Managing students and groups

4. Monitoring and assessing learning

5. Collaborating with colleagues, parents and social services

6. Negotiating skills

7. Collaborative, reflective, interpersonal skills for learning in professional communities

8. Ability to adapt to multi-level dynamics (from government policies, to student, classroom and school dynamics)

9. Ability to draw conclusions & decisions from interpreting evidence & data

Literature Review on Teachers’ Core Competences (EC, 2011)

Teachers’ Attitudes/Values1. Commitment to one’s subject/s; awareness of its historical development, current status & relation to other subject areas

2. Disposition to adapting to change

3. Commitment to promoting the learning of all students

4. Disposition to developing students into democratic citizens

5. Disposition to lifelong learning

6. Disposition to self-reflection & questioning one’s own practices

Literature Review on Teachers’ Core Competences (EC, 2011)

Interested in developing your competences?

KeyCoNet Online Course ‘Competences for 21st Century Schools’

Start date: 17 Nov. 2014

Registration now open: http://www.europeanschoolnetacademy.eu/web/keyconet

Monitor how your competences develop by participating in the eTwinning monitoring activity

Launch: Week of 13 October 2014

KeyCoNet Final Conference on Integrating Competence-Based Learning into Education

25-26 Nov. 2014

Register: http://keyconet.eun.org/conference