Abstract

Professional competences of Romanian teachers

Liliana Ciascai, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania
Lavinia Haiduc, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania

Teachers’ competencies are essential in the informational and knowledge society in which change occurs stunning swiftly. In order to continuously improve teachers’ competencies, there is a need for adequate lifelong learning programmes focused on developing teachers’ competencies. The present study investigates the educational needs of teachers, concerning a set of competencies for teacher profession, on a sample of 102 participants. The instrument contains competencies mentioned in international documents, such as national standards, research articles and international projects. The instrument’s elaboration enabled to observe that at the international level teachers’ competencies target a larger range of professional situations compared with the Romanian standards. The data gathered show that generally teachers evaluate themselves as possessing the essential competencies for providing an adequate teaching and learning process. Though, the connections between school and community are unwarranted, considering teachers’ opinion. Moreover, there are unsatisfactory relations between the Romanian educational institutions and abroad educational institutions, hence being suggested that there is a need for enhancing the connections of the Romanian schools with both community and foreign institutions.