Publish at February 07 2023 Updated February 07 2023
How do you stay relevant? That's the question many teachers ask themselves about their profession. They all want to be able to impart the skills required for each grade in the school career. Especially since this age-old question is regularly uttered within the walls of classrooms: "What is the point, ma'am or sir, of learning this knowledge?"
Of course, anyone could retort that storing knowledge brings more power to an individual, that there will come a time in one's life when it will be useful, etc. Nevertheless, this question mostly implies the impression that learners may have in a classical educational context: feeling like a photocopier that returns the right answers to the teacher without ever assimilating them.
Pedagogical experts have seen that this system does not lead to as much assimilation as other educational methods. Among these is one that has gained a lot of traction in recent decades: the competency-based approach (CBA).
So, academia in particular has been looking at this pedagogical approach that was thought up by American philosopher and educator John Dewey in the early 20th century.
The idea is based on a greater emphasis on skills. Certainly, theory is important, but it is essential that the student be able to demonstrate the ability to use it in a context. For example, imagine an evaluator who needs to analyze a learner driver. Rather than simply noting errors, in this approach, he or she will check whether or not various expertises are mastered. Whether it is handling the vehicle, respecting the Highway Code, understanding the road signs, etc.
This can be so with law students, social work students, medical students or for any other faculty. Many educational situations can lead them to practice skills they will need to implement in their future lives.
Easy then to see how this method is relevant in graduate school (and even at lower levels): it makes academic knowledge meaningful. Rather than being immersed in a sea of theory, the student now finds himself or herself confronting it in the field.
For Jacques Tardif, a professor emeritus at the University of Sherbrooke who is one of the most ardent defenders of the approach, it provides a remedy for the limitations and shortcomings of training. It is based, among other things, on the idea of an authentic solution based on a realization by students rather than a simple rehash of information.
However, like any pedagogical strategy, it is not a panacea. Certainly, it can bring a lot of positive in higher education contexts but it has its limitations. Already, Jacques Tardif warns against magical thinking related to cross-curricular competencies, for example. For him, a skill is: "a complex knowledge of how to act based on the mobilization and effective combination of a variety of internal and external resources within a family of situations."
One criticism of CPA is its "utilitarian" aspect. It seems to be more of a "market" need and becomes often very formatted, excluding what might "be superfluous." Hence the importance as a teacher to be aware of this bias to social constructs, unfortunately inherent in pedagogical practices. This means, therefore, a reflection on the part of teachers in the use of this approach in order to also leave some room for less practical activities.
Amongst other things, this approach, misused, can be more detrimental to the learners. The African example is a compelling one. In the early 2000s, many African countries were interested in this method already used in various Western institutions. Except that the whole thing was done in a hurry, without thinking with the teachers about a coherent implementation corresponding to the needs and the accessible resources. Consequently, reports like this one done in Mali show that results are slow in coming. In Tunisia, some even call for an end to this approach, which is said to have degraded student achievement.
However, some research such as this one, which was conducted in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, is more moderate. Admittedly, the results of the competency-based approach are not as grandiose as envisioned, but this could very well be resolved by better allocation of budgetary resources and efficient use of those already available to institutions.
Those who have coped better with these realities have had superior results with CPA. Like any educational solution, large-scale unilateral decisions without feedback mechanisms and quick adjustments lead to screw-ups.
Photo credit: en.depositphotos.com
References:
De Commer, Bernard. "Teaching: The Competency-Based Approach, A Model to Follow? (carte Blanche)." The Vif. Last updated October 21, 2022. https://www.levif.be/opinions/cartes-blanches/enseignement-lapproche-par-competences-un-modele-a-suivre/.
Duranton, Sylvain. "The Competency-Based Approach - UNIT Foundation." UNIT. Last updated September 13, 2022. https://unit.eu/actualites/l-approche-par-competences-pourquoi-comment.
Eric Kadio, Kadio, Sika Limazie, and Mathata Mireille Ouattara. "Competency-based approach, quality of learning and social justice in Francophone West Africa." ResearchGate. Last updated July 2022. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361846588_Approche_par_competences_qualite_des_apprentissages_et_justice_sociale_en_Afrique_occidentale_francophone.
Haouari, Imen. "Echec De L'approche Par Compétences (APC) Dans Les établissements Primaires: Réfléchir à D'autres Alternatives." La Presse De Tunisie. Last updated March 11, 2022. https://lapresse.tn/125330/echec-de-lapproche-par-competences-apc-dans-les-etablissements-primaires-reflechir-a-dautres-alternatives/.
"Jacques Tardif On The Competency-Based Approach." Pedagoscope. Last updated October 14, 2022. https://pedagoscope.ch/jacques-tardif-sur-lapproche-par-competences/.
"L'approche Par Compétences." Eduxim. Last updated November 20, 2022. https://www.eduxim.com/approche-par-competences/.
"L'évaluation Des Compétences En Situation Authentique." Correspondence - Le Journal Des Profs De L'UQAC. Last updated: September 18, 2022. https://correspondance.info/?p=1127.
"Concept Break: How And Why To Tool The Competency Approach?" IH2EF. Last updated September 16, 2022. https://www.ih2ef.gouv.fr/pause-concept-comment-et-pourquoi-outiller-lapproche-par-competences-3659.
"Retour Sur L'intervention De J.Tardif Sur L'approche Par Compétences." Université Bretagne Sud. Last updated April 20, 2018. https://www-actus.univ-ubs.fr/fr/index/articles-chroniques/sup/retour-sur-l-intervention-sur-l-approche-par-competences-de-j-tardif.html.
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