How has the role of teacher competence frameworks been defined recently in educational debates and policy in Europe and globally?Why does it have pride of place in international policy discourse?What are its links with other key education policy areas? What are the key aspects and issues of teacher competences and professional standards according to research? Is there a consensus on defining key features of teacher competences and is this possible beyond diverse cultures of education and schooling? What common ground can be found across wide international diversity of policy practices? And how can this translate into an educational reform that is able to make a difference — beyond paying lip service to official policy discourse?Which key issues and achievements in this policy field are highlighted by examples from national contexts in Europe? Can any patterns be traced and lessons learnt that can be of interest for policy experts, stakeholders and decision makers? This article begins by outlining the European and global policy scenario, providing several reasons for mainstream competence-informed perspectives in education policies worldwide and their central role for the teaching profession. Research-informed views on the teacher competence concept strive to find common ground beyond different cultural traditions, defining key knowledge, skills and attitudes that can be required of teachers, the role of professional standards, and basic characteristics of teacher expertise. There follows an analysis of policy implications at the crucial stage of implementing teacher competence frameworks at national levels — the shift from policy discourse to policy practice. A comparative framework of analysis is then complemented by snapshots of policy and practice in different countries. Finally, the article teases out several policy implications that may be of note.

Teacher competence frameworks in Europe: policy-as-discourse and policy-as-practice.

CAENA, Francesca
2014-01-01

Abstract

How has the role of teacher competence frameworks been defined recently in educational debates and policy in Europe and globally?Why does it have pride of place in international policy discourse?What are its links with other key education policy areas? What are the key aspects and issues of teacher competences and professional standards according to research? Is there a consensus on defining key features of teacher competences and is this possible beyond diverse cultures of education and schooling? What common ground can be found across wide international diversity of policy practices? And how can this translate into an educational reform that is able to make a difference — beyond paying lip service to official policy discourse?Which key issues and achievements in this policy field are highlighted by examples from national contexts in Europe? Can any patterns be traced and lessons learnt that can be of interest for policy experts, stakeholders and decision makers? This article begins by outlining the European and global policy scenario, providing several reasons for mainstream competence-informed perspectives in education policies worldwide and their central role for the teaching profession. Research-informed views on the teacher competence concept strive to find common ground beyond different cultural traditions, defining key knowledge, skills and attitudes that can be required of teachers, the role of professional standards, and basic characteristics of teacher expertise. There follows an analysis of policy implications at the crucial stage of implementing teacher competence frameworks at national levels — the shift from policy discourse to policy practice. A comparative framework of analysis is then complemented by snapshots of policy and practice in different countries. Finally, the article teases out several policy implications that may be of note.
2014
49
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10278/43029
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