Teacher Competencies and Use of Innovative Techniques for Improving Classroom Practices: A Discussion

As we know, as a teacher, our main aim is to make students learn effectively and efficiently. For doing so, a teacher has to do several activities such as plan properly, provide effective instruction and evaluate the learning using appropriate methods and techniques. That means a teacher has to perform a host of activities inside and outside the classroom. We also know that effectiveness and ineffectiveness of teaching is closely linked to teacher' s competencies. Competencies are the requirements of a competency based teacher education, which includes knowledge, skills, and values the trainee teacher, must demonstrate for successful completion of the teacher education programme (Houstan, 1987). Teacher competencies may be characterized as- 1) A competency consists of one or more skills whose mastery would influence the attainment of the competency. 2) A competency has its linkage with all the three domains under which performance can be assessed. It covers the domains of knowledge, skill and attitude i.e. cognitive, affective and psychomotor. 3) Competencies, since have a performance dimension of them are observable and demonstrable. 4) Because competencies are observable, they are also measurable. It is possible to assess a competency from the performance of a teacher. It is not necessary that all competencies of a teacher have the same extent of knowledge, skill and attitude. There may be some competencies of a teacher which have the same extent of knowledge, skill and attitude. There may be some competencies involving more knowledge than skill and attitude, whereas, some competencies may be skill/performance loaded. Teacher competencies at the tertiary level involve management function and instructional function which includes planning(setting objectives, need analysis, selecting content, selecting method, preparing teaching materials & evaluation tools) & interaction in classroom(diagnosing, motivating, presenting, questioning, controlling, discussing, evaluating, providing feedback & answering). According to NCTE, teacher competencies are classified as follows- conceptual, contextual, content, transactional, educational activities, evaluation, management & competencies related to working with community and other agencies. The repertoire of teaching competencies are knowledge ofsubject matter, planning the course, motivation, presentation and communication skills, evaluation & observation and classroom management. For improving classroom practices, two techniques have discussed in this paper i.e. mediating between theory and practice and teacher' s self improvement by using peers/supervisors competency scale.