Characteristics of the Competency-based Approach

Characteristics of the Competency-based Approach

Here's a list of characteristics or features of a Competency-based Approach (CBA):
1. Consensus around what is a successful teaching performance.
2. Competence consists of combination of attributes (such as knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes) underlying aspects of successful professional performance.
3. Competence is inferred from good performance.
4. Competence standards (CS) provide a clear statement of what is considered important in ‘good’ (competent) performance.
5. A competence-based system identifies units of competence (roles for the profession), elements of competence, performance criteria and a range of indicators.
6. Valid standards need to take into account the complexity of the teaching work. Therefore CS of the integrated kind must allow for diversity of competent performance.
7. CS of an integrated kind offer powerful guidance for the improvement of traditional course with respect to content, teaching strategies and assessment of procedures.
8. The teaching profession must own and develop the CS. These CS should not be centrally controlled.
9. CS define entry level. But the standards relate to tasks that allow for various degrees of performance. So a minimum acceptable level of performance is consistent with a full range of performance from excellent through failing.
10. CS are not a curriculum document, although they will have implications for the development of future curricula.
11. CS provide a sound and consistent basis for assessment.
12. CS are a public statement of what the teaching profession does.
13. CS are open to review.