The Future of Education

The aim of this research is to investigate teachers’ professional skills and competencies through a self-reflection and self-evaluation approach using a framework-syllabus developed inside a specific multi-professional research project. To favour the construction of a high-quality framework for this study, a heterogeneous team of 15 users with complementary competencies was involved in the development (educational researchers, school principals-head teachers, teachers of all grades) of a framework based on Italian and international professional standards. In this work I present the preliminary result of a pilot study that has investigated the perception of importance of a group of practitioners referring to the framework-syllabus of skills and competencies that each “expert teacher” should master in order to meet the requirements of the teaching profession. To do this, I grouped the most relevant competencies in an online syllabus framework-tool. It was structured in 3 macro-areas (professional, teaching and organizing) and 16 competencies expressed in 77 different behavioural indicators (how demonstrate the indicator in her/his practice). The teachers’ opinion on professional competencies were investigated through a self-reflection and self-evaluation/assessment approach. The tool created for the purpose, implemented and used by the participants, was an online questionnaire.  The results showed the order in importance assigned to the 16 competencies (from most important=1 to less important=16). The order illustrates the particular emphasis placed on the ethical aspects related to the profession, continuous learning/innovation, leadership role and inclusive approaches for all the students. A particular focus emerged in connection to the strategic role of relationships and collaboration; this aspect was strengthened by a specific item were the participants underlined the great importance of team work. These preliminary results indicate that professional evaluation standards provide educational evaluation knowledge that teachers can use to acquire the working experience they use in their profession.

Keywords: Teachers’ professional development; skills; competencies; self-perception.

References:
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