Search

This study aimed to evaluate a training programme for Dutch teachers in six institutes for nursing education to support students' reflection skills. The research question was: what are the feasibility, quality and effects of the programme? The training programme focused on four competences of teachers regarding instructing, guiding, giving feedback on and assessing students' reflection skills. The programme development was informed by research-based features of effective teacher professional development and expertise about reflection and feedback. Nineteen teachers took part in the training programme and eight teachers formed a control group. Pre-measurements concerned teachers' initial knowledge, experience, beliefs, practices and self-assessment of competences. During the programme, data were gathered about participants' appraisal of the content and activities, learning concerns and perceived results. Post-measurements concerned quality and effects of the programme, using teachers' assessment of own development, current teaching activities and repeated measurement of certain practices, beliefs and self-assessment of competences. Teachers' appraisal of the training programme was fairly positive. Results indicate that teachers can develop competences in supporting students' reflection skills and improve their practice in a relatively modest amount of time by participating in a purposeful and coherent programme including relevant content, active learning and expert feedback. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

Competence-based education is becoming increasingly popular. Competencies are used more and more as the starting point for designing curricula and instructional methods, especially in vocational education and training, to realize authentic and self-steering study programmes. Despite its popularity in both research and educational settings, there is no shared understanding of what competence-based education should look like. Earlier work developed a model for competence-based education that outlines eight features that are important for competence-based education. This paper presents a study designed to determine the extent to which the model for competence-based education can be understood and perceived as useful by teachers in vocational education and training in the Netherlands. The study included 12 teams of teachers in the process of designing or re-designing their study programmes to be more competence-based. Teachers reported that the instrument helped them understand the state of affairs of their study programmes, and empowered them to make decisions about the extent to which they want to make these programmes more competence-based. (Contains 5 notes and 3 tables.)