1-Competency-based teaching method
What is a Competency?
Competency:
Competency is the ability to do something successfully or efficiently.
"courses to improve the competence of staff". It is an important skill that is needed to do a job. A competency is a set of defined
behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification,
evaluation and development of the behaviors in individual employees.
Capability, ability, competency, capacity, proficiency, accomplishment, adeptness, adroitness, knowledge, expertise, expertness, skill, skilfulness, prowess, mastery, resources, faculties, facilities, talent, bent, aptitude, artistry, virtuosity.
The combination of observable and measurable knowledge, skills, abilities and personal attributes that contribute to enhanced employee performance and ultimately result in organizational success. Competencies are typically a mix between behaviors and skills.
Competency-based learning or competency-based education and training is an approach to teaching and learning more often used in learning concrete skills than abstract learning. It differs from other non-related approaches in that the unit of learning is extremely fine-grained. Rather than a course or a module, every individual skill or learning outcome (known as a competency) is one single unit. Learners work on one competency at a time, which is likely a small component of a larger learning goal.
The student is evaluated on the
individual competency and can only move on to other competencies after
they have mastered the current skill being learned. After that, higher
or more complex competencies are learned to a degree of mastery and are
isolated from other topics. Another common component of
competency-based learning is the ability to skip learning modules
entirely if the learner can demonstrate mastery. This can be determined
through prior learning assessment or formative testing.
Practice provides learners with competency
Competency includes 5 main elements:
1-Knowledge.
2-Skills.
3-Abilities.
4-Individual attributes
5-Traits
- Knowledge is the cognizance of facts, truths and principles gained from formal training and/or experience. Application and sharing of one's knowledge base is critical to individual and organizational success.
- A skill is a developed proficiency or dexterity in mental operations or physical processes that is often acquired through specialized training; the execution of these skills results in successful performance.
- Ability is the power or aptitude to perform physical or mental
activities that are often affiliated with a particular profession or
trade such as computer programming, plumbing, calculus, and so forth.
- Individual attributes are properties, qualities or characteristics
of individuals that reflect one's unique personal makeup. Individual
attributes are viewed as genetically developed or acquired from one's
accumulated life experiences.
Traits:
A personality trait is often ingrained. When we think of traits we think: outgoing, shy, gregarious or introverted.
Different types of Competency
Competencies usually fall into two categories:
Behavioural Competencies, which are usually an expression of the softer skills involved in an employee's effective performance at a company.
Technical Competencies, which are usually concerned with effective use of IT systems and computers, or any technical skills which are necessary for a job role.
Kinds of competencies:
Administrative Competencies:
They involve "management of the job"
and this includes more specifically:
- Management of Time and Priority Setting
- Goals and Standards Setting
- Work Planning and Scheduling
Communication Competencies
They comprise of:
- Listening and Organising
- Clarity of Communication
- Getting Objective Information
Supervisory Competencies
They encompass:
- Training, Mentoring and Delegating
- Evaluating Employees and Performance
- Advising and Disciplining
Cognitive Competencies
They involve:
- Problem Identification and Solution
- Assessing Risks and Decision-Making
- Thinking Clearly and Analytically
What Are Key Competencies?
Key competencies are specific qualities that a company's recruiters have decided are desirable for employees to possess. During interviews and assessment processes, key competencies are used as benchmarks that assessors use to rate and evaluate candidates.
A firm will usually isolate several key skills or core competencies to look for in candidates at interview. You will be graded in terms of each competency based upon your answers to competency-based questions.
key competencies:
- Teamwork
- Responsibility
- Commitment to career
- Commercial awareness
- Career motivation
- Decision making
- Communication
- Leadership
- Trustworthiness & Ethics
- Results orientation
- Problem solving
- Organisation
- Top Technical Skills
Examples of Core Competency
- Analytical Thinking - Applies logic to solve problems and get the job done.
- Client Service - Ability to respond to the clients and anticipate their needs.
- Computer Competency - Is skilled at operating a computer.
- Conflict Resolution - Works to resolve differences and maintain work relationships.
- Continuous Education - Implements professional development and training.
- Creative Thinking - Ability to look outside the box and develop new strategies.
- Decision Making - Can make decisions and take responsibility for them.
- Document Use - Ability to use and understand documents.
- Empowers Others - Gives employees confidence and allows freedom to complete tasks.
- Ethics - Has personal and professional ethics and fosters a diverse and respectful workplace.
- Evaluation - Ability to evaluate according to accepted methodologies.
- Even Temperament - Controlling emotions and not retaliating to negative behavior.
- Excellent communication - Can use language effectively to gather information and facilitate the exchange of ideas.
- Flexibility - Ability to adapt to changes while keeping focus on goals and apply knowledge to new circumstances.
- Influence - Can enlist the support and cooperation of others and encourage them to be proactive.
- Initiative - Ability to obtain information from several sources to address present needs.
- Interpersonal Relations - Exhibits respect and understand of others to maintain professional relationships.
- Interpersonal Awareness: The ability to have and show empathy to others. Listens well and responds in a non-threatening way.
- Leadership - The ability to establish a team effort that promotes working towards a common goal.
How are Skills and Competencies Different?
Skills:
Skills define specific learned activities, and they range widely in terms of complexity. (“Mopping the floor” and “performing brain surgery” can both be classified as skills.)
Knowing which skills a person possesses helps us determine whether their training and experience has prepared them for a specific type of workplace activity.
In other words, skills give us the “what.” They tell us what types of abilities a person needs to perform a specific activity or job.
Competencies:
Skills give us the "what," but don’t give us the “how.”
For example: How does an individual perform a job successfully? How do they behave in the workplace environment to achieve the desired result?
A real-life scenario:
Core Competencies for teachers
1. Interacting Well with Students
Educators must be able to positively interact with all students. This includes difficult students, students who work below grade-level and students whose personalities just grate on a teacher. Teachers must put aside their prejudices and feelings in order to treat all students with respect, provide them with equal opportunities for learning and make them feel confident.
2. Creating a Learning Environment
Creating a safe learning environment that is conducive to learning is essential. Educators must set high expectations for student performance and behavior. All rules must be enforced consistently and fairly. Students should not have to worry about being bullied in the classroom and should feel comfortable when speaking up.
3. Good at Lesson Plan Design
All educators must be capable of designing lesson plans to meet student needs and cover the standards. This requires knowing how to choose and create instructional materials to accommodate students at different levels. It also requires creating a scope and sequence that provides students with enough time to master the standards.
4. Able to Use Varied Teaching Strategies
Best practices and other appropriate teaching strategies allow competent educators to effectively teach the curriculum. Competent educators may lecture, but they also incorporate a variety of strategies, including non-traditional teaching strategies, to help students with multiple learning styles learn and stay engaged. Educators also attend regular professional development sessions to learn new strategies and the latest best practices.
5. Able to Assess
Educators must design or select and administer effective assessments. An assessment must accurately measure what has been taught and what students have learned. Competent educators combine informal and formal assessment techniques to monitor student performance. They also incorporate technology, portfolios and other creative methods to assess students.
6. Able to Identify Student Needs
Being able to identify and address student needs is a crucial component of an educator's job. This is done by partly using formal and informal assessments to help guide instruction. However, it also involves getting to know students beyond an instructional level, learning about their interests, recognizing changes in mood and making sure students are mentally and emotionally focused on learning.
7. Good at Communication
Communicating effectively with parents and other stakeholders in a child's education is a key component of an educator's job. A quality educator provides regular updates on a child's progress and immediately addresses any concerns that may arise. The educator also knows how to calmly discuss issues with difficult parents and how to come to decisions that have the best interests of the child in mind.
8. Able to Collaborate
Educators must be able to collaborate with other teachers and school staff. Teachers can learn from one another and grow into better teachers through collaboration. They can also collaborate to make the school a safe, effective learning environment for all students and to improve the overall image of the school and the instruction that takes place there.
9. Maintaining a Professional Appearance
Being an educator requires maintaining a professional appearance at all times. This includes dressing appropriately and acting professionally. Educators often serve as role models for students. Actions such as using foul language, gossiping about teachers and students or dressing inappropriately can cause students to lose respect for an educator.
10. Demonstrating a Commitment to the Profession
Educators must make a commitment to education and professional development. Subject matter knowledge fades, teaching strategies change and new research is always modifying the way students learn and teacher's teach. By furthering their education and taking part in professional development sessions, educators can continue to improve the quality of the education they provide.
Practical Examples:
1-Communication
I used communication to convince some of my colleagues to share in the active learning training program.
2-Decision making
I used the skill of decision making to include the slow
learners who were poor in listening and speaking with theirmates in the same class and made a decision to add 3 extra periods a week for those slow learners to
raise their standard of learning. The plan succeeded .
3-Leadership
I used my leadership; lecturing and modeling to teach my teachers how to plan a lesson through holding workshops.
4-Results Orientation and team work
I used my team work and problem solving techniques to work with my colleagues to use Practice instead of GTM Method in teaching English and the result was successful when learners could listen and speak English well.
Good employees can be trusted to get things done. I did a model to use
the inductive method in teaching grammar.
I asked my colleagues to implement the same in teaching grammar in the other
classrooms they teach. They followed that honestly.
It was the final period when I entered my colleague's classroom. He faced a problem with presenting the new vocabulary. At the end of the period, he asked me to teach him how to present new vocabulary. The bell rang and it was time for all to leave school. I took the responsibility and made a decision to stay with my colleague for more than an hour till he learnt how to perfect it.
After my Ministry of education had sent me to East Anglia University,
It waited for me to come back and benefit from my experiences in reforming the
education system in Egypt.
I did it perfectly through using my workshops and my international
education website to pass my experiences on to all my colleagues.
I used my computer, the network, data show, CDs elecrtronic programs and my site in all my workshops.
Teachers should Have Good Communication Skills
1-Teaching is all about communication - listening, speaking, reading, presenting and writing.
Teachers who hone their communication skills are prepared to instruct, advise and mentor students entrusted in their care. Additionally, teachers must communicate well to effectively collaborate with colleagues and update administrators on student progress. Frequently, parents call, visit or email, so teachers must be adept at answering questions verbally and in Teaching Individuals and Groups
2-Teaching Individuals and Groups
Communication is both receptive and expressive. Teachers must be skilled at listening to their students as well as explaining things clearly. Teachers need clarity of thought to present the material. They must be able to break down complex ideas into simpler parts and smaller steps to transmit to their students. They must be able to adapt their methods of communication to all students regardless of ability or learning style. They are able to "read" their students and adapt to the needs of the individual. Effective communication includes transforming the boring into the interesting and having good presentation skills.
3-Communicating Caring
In addition, good teachers communicate concern and caring by their tone of voice and use of body language. They transmit genuine commitment and affection for their students. Good teachers care about their students' progress and let their students know it at all times. They learn their students' names early in the school year and use their names when addressing them. They get to know their students' hopes, fears and preferences and communicate this knowledge to their students. They communicate their appreciation for what their students do by celebrating their successes and constantly encouraging them. This helps students feel recognized and validated.
Teachers must be able to express themselves both verbally and in writing in order to report student progress to parents. They need to explain the strengths and weaknesses of their students so that parents will understand the message and be receptive rather than defensive. This is especially important when the teacher conveys a difficult message about the student's misbehavior or learning problems. The message must be delivered clearly and with tact. Teachers should be comfortable communicating with parents regularly, with phone calls and informal notes in addition to formal report cards.
5-Interacting with Colleagues and Supervisors
Although teaching is often done in the isolation of a classroom without the presence of other adults, good teaching involves consultation with colleagues. Schools that see themselves as professional learning communities encourage teachers to plan lessons together and learn from one another. They take a team approach when problem-solving, especially for difficult students. This all requires excellent communication. Teachers stay abreast of new developments in education by reading journals, listening to new ideas from their administrators and school board consultants, and sharing and discussing these ideas with colleagues.
As a learning method:
Competency-based teaching method is learner‑focused and works naturally with independent study and with the instructor in the role of facilitator. Learners often find different individual skills more difficult than others. This learning method allows a student to learn those individual skills they find challenging at their own pace, practising and refining as much as they like. Then move rapidly to other skills to which they are more adept.
While most other learning methods use summative testing,
competency-based learning requires mastery of every individual learning
outcome, making it very well suited to learning credentials in which
safety is an issue. With summative testing, a student who got 80% in
the evaluation may have an 80% mastery of all learning outcomes or may
have no mastery what-so-ever of 20% of the learning outcomes. Further,
this student may be permitted to move on to higher learning and still be
missing some abilities that are crucial to that higher learning. For
example, a student who knows most traffic laws and has mostly mastered
controlling a vehicle could be treated equally with a student who has
mastered vehicle control but no understanding of traffic laws, but only
one of these students will be permitted to drive.
What it means to have mastered a competency depends on the learning domain (Subject matter).
In a subject matter that could affect safety, it would be usual to
expect complete learning that can be repeated every time. In abstract
learning, such as algebra, the learner may only have to demonstrate that
they can identify an appropriate formula, for example, 4 of 5 times
since when using that skill in the next competency, resolving a formula,
will usually allow an opportunity for the learner to discover and
correct his/her mistakes.
Some of the common benchmark competency-based practices in learning and development are:
- Assessments against competencies
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- Once the competencies have been defined for particular job / roles, it becomes possible for employees and others to assess the employee's competencies against those required for current or future roles within the organization. This assessment can occur in the following ways:
- Self-assessment
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- Typically, the behavioral indicators for the competencies and proficiency levels needed within the target role / job are used as the standard for assessing the performance of the employee using a common rating scale (e.g., five-point scales from Never to Always) for assessing each indicator. The results are compiled and a report is provided that includes the results for all competencies, highlighting both employee strengths as well as competencies requiring improvement. This information can then be used to support the development of an individual learning plan.
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Other Approaches:
There are a lot of other teaching methods. Some of them are old and others are modern. Here, we are going to talk about some of the old methods, showing their goals, merits and demerits.
• Grammar Translation Approach
• Direct Method Approach
• Reading Approach
• Audio-lingual Approach
• Oral or Situational Approach
• Cognitive Approach
• Affective Humanistic Approach
• Comprehension Approach
• Communicative Approach
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2- GTM:
The grammar–translation method is a method of teaching a foreign language derived from the classical (sometimes called traditional) method of teaching Greek and Latin. In grammar–translation classes, students learn grammatical rules and then apply those rules by translating sentences between the target language and the native language. Advanced students may be required to translate whole texts word-for-word.
It originated from the practice of teaching Latin; in the early 1500s, students learned Latin for communication, but after the language died out it was studied purely as an academic discipline. When teachers started teaching other foreign languages in the 19th century, they used the same translation-based approach as had been used for teaching Latin. The method has been rejected by scholars, and has no theoretical basis.
Teacher simply interprets the material and explains the grammatical structure. This type of teaching is called the Grammar Translation Method (GTM). In this method, fortunately for teachers, the teaching process is very simple and easy. It requires students to translate the whole text literally, word for word and memorize numerous grammatical rules and exceptions as well as enormous vocabulary lists.
This method begins with a massive bilingual vocabulary list. Grammar points come directly from the text and are presented in the deductive way. It is explained elaborately by the instructor. Grammar thus provides the rules for assembling words. Tedious translation and grammar drills are used to exercise and strengthen the knowledge without attention to the content.
Sentences are deconstructed and translated. Eventually, entire texts are translated from the target language into the native language and tests often ask students to replicate classical texts in the target language. There is no focus on the skills of listening, speaking or communication. The skill which is exercised is reading and only in the content of the translation.
The goal:
The method has two main goals: to enable students to read and translate literature written in the source language, and to further students' general intellectual development.The goal is to read and translate literary masterpieces and classics.
The demerits:
There is feeling tedious, being extrinsically motivated for the most part, and barely interacting with teachers. In addition, the GTM totally ignores listening and speaking skills. That’s why the method is no longer used in modern language teaching classes.
3-Direct Method Approach:
The Direct Method Approach took stance against GTM. This method was largely in opposition of GTM as it stressed those areas of teaching that GTM Approach overlooked. It was mainly influenced by the view of the scholars that also pioneered the first IPA symbols.
It focused more on spoken skills and teaching inductively with no use of L1. However, it had its own flaws. EX: trained teacher and other necessary equipment like realia, pictures were hard to acquire in every situation.
Direct Method Approach accentuated the spoken variety teaching along with the new discoveries on the side of phonology.
Direct Method is based on the belief that:
1-Knowing a language was being able to speak it! Primacy of spoken word. New method laid great stress on correct pronunciation and target language from outset.
2-Second language learning must be an imitation of first language learning, as this is the natural way humans learn any language.
3- Printed word must be kept away from second language learner.
4-Writing should be delayed until after the printed word has been introduced.5-The learning of grammar/ translating skills should be avoided.
Disadvantages of Direct Method:
Major fallacy of Direct Method was belief that second language should be learned in way in which first language was acquired. First language learning is essential part of child's total growth of awareness of world around him.Part of the process of learning how to live is the acquisition of skills to verbalize his desires and aversions and to label his concepts Effectiveness of these verbalizing skills depends on maturation level of the child / on type of environment on intelligence.
4-Reading Approach:
It is focusing on the development of reading skill. The basic principles of this approach are presented as follows:
1. The teaching grammar is restricted. It is taught to ease the reading comprehension.
2. The presentation of vocabulary is highly controlled at the beginning and then expanded later.
3. Translation is regarded as a fruitful classroom practice.
4. Reading comprehension receives the highest attention and it is heavily emphasized.
5. The foreign language is not used as a tool for communication in the classroom environment.
5-Audio-Lingual Approach:
The audio-lingual approach dominated foreign language teaching in the 1950s. Its rise is partly due to the fact that because of the rapid increase of international trade, travel, and commerce, ever more people needed to learn English. That includes ‘intellectually less gifted’ people.The major aim is to enable all learners to use English in everyday oral communication. Speaking is put before and above writing.
6- Situational Approach:
The situational approach, the basic premise of which is that different situations demand different types of leadership. A situation, is a "set of values and attitudes with which the individual or group has to deal in a process of activity. Every concrete activity is the solution of a situation." Situations can be complicated affairs.
7- Cognitive Approach:
Cognition refers to mental activity including thinking, remembering, learning and using language. When we apply a cognitive approach to learning and teaching, we focus on the understanding of information and concepts. Cognitive theory maintains that how one thinks largely determines how one feels and behaves.
If we are able to understand the connections between concepts, break down information and rebuild with logical connections, then our rention of material and understanding will increase. When we are aware of these mental actions, monitor them and control our learning processes it is called
8-Affective Humanistic Approach:
Humanism would concentrate upon the development of the child's self-concept. If the child feels good about him or herself then that is a positive start. Feeling good about oneself would involve an understanding of ones' strengths and weaknesses, and a belief in one's ability to improve.
Learning is not an end in itself. It is the means to progress towards the pinnacle of self-development, which means 'Self-actualization'. A child learns because he is inwardly driven, and derives his reward from the sense of achievement that having learned something affords. This would differ from the behaviorist view that would expect extrinsic rewards to be more effective. Extrinsic rewards are rewards from the outside world, e.g. praise, money, gold stars, etc. Intrinsic rewards are rewards from within oneself, rather like a satisfaction of a need.
9- Comprehension Based Approach:
The Comprehension Approach refers to several methodologies of language learning that emphasize understanding of language rather than speaking. It is a pedagogical/instructive principle, which can be found in a number of methods and in practical listening comprehension:
A. Comprehension should be taught by teaching learners to understand meaning in the target language.
B. The learners' level of comprehension exceed their ability to produce language. C.Language skills emerge when learners have well developed comprehension skills.
D. Such an approach reflects how children learn their first language.
10-Communicative Approach:
1 -It has a social purpose. learner has something to say, find out.
2-It uses functions (e.g. seeking information/ apologizing expressing likes..
3-Activities maximize opportunities for learners to use target language.
4- Communicative approach is dictated by pupils' needs and interests.
5- Real-life situations provide opportunity for real communication.
6- Emphasis on active modes of learning, including pair work and group work .
7- Emphasis on oral and listening skills in the classroom.
8- Errors are a natural part of learning. Constant correction is unnecessary.
9- Reading and writing skills are needed.
10- Grammar can still be taught, but less systematically.
11- It localizes language and adapt it to interests of pupils.
12-Use of idiomatic/ everyday language (even slang words are used)
13-Spontaneous and improvised practice helps make minds flexible
14 -Texts serve as partial substitute for community of native speaker.
15- Text book is only a tool. It can be used for communication.
11-English-Only Approach
The English only method is one of the most direct approaches to teaching the language. For this method, neither the teacher nor the student should speak their native tongue at all during instruction. All instruction should be done in English only.
Vocabulary should be taught first, as it is the easiest to grasp because it can be demonstrated with a visual aid. As the student builds vocabulary, the instructor can begin introducing abstract words and elements of the language, but without explaining or focusing on the actual grammatical structure. The complexities of the language will be learned inherently, with the student picking up on its patterns through practice and application only.
At the end of each class period, there can be an optional question and answer session where students are allowed to ask the teacher about that day’s lesson. Here, clarifications may be made and confusion may be cleared up, but again, this is entirely optional. Sometimes, the best way to learn the language through this method is to just tough it out and let it come naturally.
Who is this best for?
This method is best for students learning the English language because of an academic interest in it as a language, and not just an interest or need to know how to speak it. Speaking, reading, and writing the language will be given equal priority, and grammar rules and concepts will not be avoided for a more “natural” approach. It will be taught academically, as any other subject, and is best for students who are interested in this kind of rigorous approach.
12-Immersive Approach
The immersive approach is one of the best ways to learn the language for older students who are able to travel for their education. Someone who wants to learn English doesn’t even need to be enrolled in an English language course to use this method – all they need are the resources involved in travel.
For students wanting to learn British English, a trip to the United Kingdom is recommended. For students wanting to learn American English, a trip to the United States is recommended. If the student wants an academic-heavy approach, there are foreign exchange programs they can enroll in through colleges, or other academic programs that allow prolonged travel.
Again, an academic program is not required for this method. Staying in a new country and learning the language through pure immersion and necessity is one of the best ways to learn it quickly. Students will be surrounded by media in that language, and people who speak that language. It is a great way to break off from the distractions of your native tongue, and learn how to think in the English language as well as speak it.
Who is this best for?
Teachers and students who are able to travel and stay in another country long enough to develop a strong grasp on the English language.
13-Community Language Learning
In this method attempts are made to build strong personal links between the teacher and student so that there are no blocks to learning. There is much talk in the mother tongue which is translated by the teacher for repetition by the student.14-The Lexical Approach:
Learners learn English through meaning, feeling and practice. The teacher uses his real situations and authentic material and visual aids to present the new vocabulary or the grammatical rule form. The teacher uses interesting styles to make learners feel the language and become interested in it. The teacher creates changeable collocations to be used in a question and an answer with constant chunks. Students work in pairs as a model first, then as free practice.The teacher does a model practice. Learners do free practice in pairs. Learners do a communication practice. This is used in dealing with the new vocabulary, expressions, idioms, phrasal verbs or with grammatical structures.
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Practice provides learners with competeny
Competency includes 3 main elements:
1-Knowledge.
2-Skills.
3-Abilities.
A Practice Example
The changeable collocation is in violet .
The constant chunk is in green.
The collocation is: (Be Fond of )
1-Guided practice:
/ Football - Basketball /
Learner 1 : What are you fond of ?
Learner 2 : I am fond of................... . What about you?
Learner 1 : Me? I am fond of...........................................
2-Free Practice :
/ Swimming - Diving /
Learner 1 : What are you fond of ?
Learner 2 : I am fond of....................... What about you?
Learner 1 : Me? I am fond of..............................................
/sports - Diving /
/reading - Writing /
/running - Walking /
/riding horses - Paddling in a boat /
/traveling outdoors - Staying indoors/
3-Elicitation:
I elicit the rule form from the students themselves. How?
I ask my learners questions like the following
1-What repeated words have you practiced?
2-What does the structure consist of?
3-What comes before the pattern?
4-What comes after the pattern?
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1--How to conduct ELT workshop