WCEES2010 Panel (Wed, 16 June 2010,15:15-16:45)

1. WCEES2010Panel (Wed, 16 June 2010,15:15-16:45) Competencies, curricula and assessment: from desirata to viable practice C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

2. Panelists • Clementina ACEDO, UNESCO IBE (chair) • Ian Hill (discussant) • Dakmara Georgescu, UNESCO IBE • Abdeljalil Akkari, University of Geneva • Carlo Santarelli, Enfants du Monde C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

3. Enduring questions & tensions Learning: • Should it be associated with specific life attitudes? (i.e. Aristotle’s Theoria, Praxis & Poiesis) • Is there a way of balancing conceptual and practical aspects meaningfully? (i.e. Garner’s Multiple Intelligences) C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

4. Research questions • What is understood by comptency-based approaches in different contexts? • Conceptualizing competencies: Common features and differences • What changed in education systems? • What seems to work and what not? • What are controversial aspects surrounding CBA? • What can be learnt from both achievements and failures? C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

5. Research approach • Analysis of curriculum documents and educational literature for 25 countries representing all UNESCO regions (most of them claiming to have adopted CBA) • Analysis of education programmes, such as Escuela Nueva (Columbia) and BRAC C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

6. Countries analysed C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

7. Competencies: some terminological issues Competencies as articulation of knowledge, skills and attitudes Equivalent terms: « skills »; « capabilities »; skills and capabilities » C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

8. 1. Interest in competencies: why? • Changes in society and labor organisation & stronger school-community links (Portugal: Area-Escola; New Zealand CF, 2007) • Technological advances (i.e. ICTs) • Tensions surrounding « glocalisation » (Mexico, Guatemala) • Need of lifelong learning (The Québec Education Programme, 2000) • Fighting marginalisation, poverty and learning difficulties (Escuela Nueva, BRAC, sub-Saharan African countries) C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

9. 1. Interest in competencies: why? • Categorization of competencies (key/transversal; basic; subject-bound/specialised; sub-competencies) • Categorization of key competencies by international organisations (OECD: DeSeCo; EU: Communication; Mathematical literacy; Basic competencies in science and technology; ICT; Learning-to-learn; Interpersonal and civic; Entrepreneurship; Cultural awareness) C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

10. 1. Interest in competencies: why? C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

11. 1. Interest in competencies: why? C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

12. 2. What changed? Curriculum • New curriculum « paradigm » • « Competency-based » model • Curriculum Frameworks (Scotland: A Curriculum for Excellence/ACfE) • National Curriculum Standards • Restructuring of fields of studies • Cross-cutting dimensions • Problem-based and situational learning • Structural elements of curriculum documents reflecting CBA C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

13. 2. What changed? Teacher professional development • Special training programmes for teachers (Escuela Nueva) • More flexibility • High requirements for teachers (Finland) • Training inspectors and curriculum advisors (Cameroon, Mali) • School networking & whole-school approach C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

14. 2. What changed? Assessment • Audits of current practices to evaluate (Northern Ireland) • Curriculum-aligned Assessment Standards (New Zealand: National Certificate of Educational Achievement/NCEA) • Assessment for learning C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

15. 3. What seems to work and what not? 3.1 Controversies and problems • Back to basics? (Canada/Québec) • Need for reflecting more in-depth on « pros » and « cons » (Guatemala) • Skills versus Content (NI – The World Around US) –not enough guidance • Top-down approach versus ownership (Chile; sub-Saharan African countries) C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

16. 3. What seems to work and what not? 3.2 (Potential for) Achievements • Stakeholder involvement, dialogue and negotiations • Comprehensive reforms involving pilot testing • New learning areas & « carriers » • Taking the long view • More quality and equity C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

17. 4. Some outstanding issues • Current mixed picture of achievements and problems • CBA is used for different purposes • Persistent open questions and confusions (i.e. relations content-skills; competencies as curriculum organisers) C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

18. 4. Some outstanding issues • Need of adequate support systems • Need of relevant monitoring and evaluation (i.e. CIEP Study; Northern Ireland: An Evaluation…) • Is CBA a « meta-perspective »? C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

19. 5. The way out: what needs to be fixed and how? • CBA as a mind set shift • Clarify & convince that knowledge is an essential part of competencies • Avoid unnecessary complication/sophistication of the curriculum: what does it mean to be specific about detailing competencies? C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE

20. 5. The way out: what needs to be fixed and how? • Provide clear content orientation • Need of gradual and sustained plans for implementation • Ownership and capacity building • Provide evidence of what works and why C. Acedo & D. Georgescu, UNESCO IBE