General

Competencies – Can
These be Assessed?

Eve Kikas
Tallinn University, Estonia
 The topics of the presentation
• Conceptualization of general
competencies
• Problems with assessment of general
competencies
• Examples on how to assess learning to
learn competence
 What are competencies?
• Competencies are composed of knowledge,
skills, and attitudes that ensure the ability
to act flexibly in a particular area.
• General (key) competencies are
conceptualized as cross subject field and
subject competencies important in the
development of a person; those which all
individuals need for personal fulfillment and
development both at the moment and in
later life.
• OECD (2003) The Definition and Selection of Key Competencies Executive Summary, OECD, Paris.
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/35070367.pdf
• Future of Education and Skills: OECD Education 2030 Project. Draft Glossary as Working Tool; April 2016).
• Vabariigi Valitsus (2011/2014). Põhikooli riiklik õppekava
• Vabariigi Valitsus (2011/2014). Gümnaasiumi riiklik õppekava
Knowledge Knowledge
Math. Language, ICT, art, globl Math. Language, ICT, art, globl
citizenship… citizenship…
Learning, communication, self- Learning, communication, self-
concept concept

Skills Skills
Math. Language, ICT, art, globl Math. Language, ICT, art, globl
citizenship…
Learning, communication, self-
Learning citizenship…
Learning, communication, self-
concept concept

Beliefs, Needs Beliefs,

attitudes, attitudes,
Compe- Con-
values values
Growth mindset, autonomous tence textual Growth mindset, autonomous
motivation, autonomy.
Related to specific
Well- demands motivation, autonomy.
Related with specific
competencies: self-efficacy, being competencies: self-efficacy,
valuing the learn-to-be subject valuing the learn-to-be subject

Noncompliance Psychological
Psychological
processes not directly
processes not related to the specific
directly related to the specific competence
competence
 How to assess competencies?
• Psychological processes
• Dependent on intra-personal and
contextual factors (cultural values, rules,
habits etc.)
• Assess all components and wholeness
• Assess person and environment
• Assessment for specific purposes
• Strengths and weaknesses must be
acknowledged
 Learning to learn competence

Knowledge about Assessment:

* psychological processes related to learn-to-be subject Competence.
area (perception, attention, memory, thinking), about Well-being
learning strategies (e.g., cooperative learning).
* oneself as a learner, learning process
Skills Tasks
* in motivating oneself to learn, to be attentive and
Questionnaires
persistent
* related to the learn-to be subject area (e.g., to apply Observations
effective learning strategies) Interviews
* in managing emotions Process analysis
* In monitoring one’s learning process and result Etc.
Beliefs, attitudes, values
Growth mindset, autonomous motivation, autonomy.
Self-efficacy beliefs
Mastery-oriented learning goals
Valuing learning

Psychological processes not directly related to learning competence

 Learning strategies and their assessment
• Learning strategies: rehearsal strategies,
elaboration strategies, and organization strategies
(Duncan & McKeachie, 2005; Nückles et al., 2004;Perels et al., 2005;Weinstein et al., 2000).

• Self-report questionnaires (e.g., MSLQ, Pintrich et al., 1991; PISA)

and their problems (Schellings & Van Hout-Wolters, 2011; Veenman 2011)
• Learning tasks to assess subject-specific strategies
• Introducing a new learning task and comparison
with self-report scales:
Kikas, E., & Jõgi, A.-L. (2016). Assessment of learning
strategies: self-report questionnaire or learning task.
European Journal of Psychology of Education, 31, 759-593.
Memorize!
car plane bus
What did you do?
dog cat cow

table chair sofa * Reading, rehearsing

* Grouping by perceptual
features (sentences,
visualizing)
* Conceptual grouping
 Applying strategies
at the end of basic school
70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Memorization Perceptual grouping Conceptal grouping
70
Grade 9 (choosing between categories) 60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Memorization Perceptual Conceptal grouping Other
grouping

Grade 8 (students’ answers)

 Memorization is the
best strategy
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
Has the strategy
20%
10% been taught?
0%

Students Teachers 100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Memorization Conceptual grouping

Self-report Teacher-report
 Future plans: Studying general
competencies in elementary school
with computer-based tasks
• Three competencies: learing to learn,
social, self-determination
• Learning strategies as part of learning to
learn skills
• The same task + text introducing better
ways to memorize words + new similar
task
 Thank you!
• Projects:
• Developing tools for assessing learning to learn,
social, and self-determination competencies in
first and second stages in basic school
• General competencies and their assessment
• Academic and personal development of an
individual in the system of formal education
(IUT3-3)