A striking convergence of research, documentation, commentary, and policy in the past five years strongly suggests that an almost exclusive focus on academic knowledge and skills is an incomplete solution. Additional behaviors, skills, and mindsets--sometimes called metacognitive skills or 21st-century skills--are just as necessary for academic…

This paper outlines a case study of an assessment development process which contrasts with more recent "top-down" trends in assessment which tend to leave assessment development processes opaque to users. This paper describes the processes of a collaborative, multi-agency project which set out to develop an assessment framework which…

Research indicates that students underachieve in college settings, in spite of intellect and other abilities. This research tested the likelihood of self-efficacy for learning, conscientiousness, impulsivity, procrastination and temporal discounting to predict academic achievement in an online competency-based university. Undergraduate students (N…

Introducing research in undergraduate biology studies may contribute to creating research vocations and generate the idea that science may influence all aspects of common life. However, laboratory practices are too often disconnected from current investigations and rarely address real-life questions that are really interesting for students.…

The leadership institute, targeting new and aspiring county Extension directors, was completely revised to reflect face-to-face and online constructivist learning theory and practice. New co-learning and engagement methods were incorporated, and all facilitators and teachers/presenters were trained and coached to use the new methods and…

This contribution takes stock on the emergence of competence-based education in European Union (EU) countries. The article explains how economic constraints but also educational motives led educational policies and systems in the EU to shift to competence-based education. The related instructional frame and concepts are presented, as are the major…

Since 2004, professional accountancy bodies in membership of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) have been required to adopt mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) schemes. This research explores the learning activities of members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) which introduced an…

The task-centered instructional strategy (Merrill, 2009) was designed specifically for the purpose of teaching complex problem-solving skills and emphasizes teaching in the context of a concrete real world task. Nevertheless, unlike other problem-centered instructional methods (e.g., constructivism) the task-centered instructional strategy is a…

In scouring the earliest editions of "English Journal," one of the most fascinating details one uncovers is that the issues facing Shakespeare teachers today are similar to those issues that faced Shakespeare teachers 100 years ago. The earliest contributors to "English Journal" were far more in line with contemporary educational scholars than one…

The engagement of teachers as raters to score constructed response items on assessments of student learning is widely claimed to be a valuable vehicle for professional development. This paper examines the evidence behind those claims from several sources, including research and reports over the past two decades, information from a dozen state…

Purpose: The current paper focuses on the increasing demand for generic competences both from governments and industries. Despite this fact, there is insufficient awareness and information in education systems on how to equip graduates with appropriate generic competences for the world of work and citizenship. This is even more complicated in…

Nowadays, the world requires skilled specialists in all spheres of life. In turn, the effectiveness of their education depends on both their will and the teacher's professionalism. This study investigates the advantages of the implementation of information technologies and the possible associated difficulties. It was found that in order to achieve…

All stake holders in competency based teacher training systems share an interest in the consistency of assessment outcomes and practice. Assessment data from more than 200 trainees participating in Initial Teacher Training/Education (ITT/E) programmes and partnerships at a Higher Education (HE) provider in the Northwest of England were analysed…

Courses designed specifically to develop students' managerial skills began to emerge in the 1980s, in response to criticism of the theoretical and quantitative orientation of business school coursework. Since then, a number of management textbooks focusing on skills-based learning have been published, and many instructors have become…

This article focuses on four case study schools that have adopted innovative competence-based curriculum (CBC) projects in Year 7 for a variety of educational and social reasons. The article discusses the issues and challenges posed by the CBC for teachers in the daily life of the classroom. Philosophical ideas about the purpose of education vary…