Abstract:

The set of instruments for evaluating 10 professional competences of the teacher has been developed and piloted in the framework of the project Assessment of Teacher Competences, which is addressed at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Slovakia).

The aim of the paper is to present findings from the research pilot of instruments for monitoring and evaluation of one of the 10 key competences of the teacher - to develop learner personality and their competences. Within the framework of the pilot, the research team has worked with three evaluation instruments: evaluation sheet, self-evaluation sheet and post-observation interview. Its partial objectives have been to find out whether teachers with longer teaching experience can better (than teachers with shorter teaching experience): take into account the differences of cultures in the multicultural environment and their impact on the formation of the learner personality; identify learners from a socially disadvantaged environment, and accept their differences without prejudices and stereotypes.

The methodology of the research team has been based on a stratified approach to the evaluated competence. The first step in the methodology has been the evaluation of the given competence by an internal or external evaluator (school head teacher, school representative, or inspector) who have recorded their evaluations using the evaluation sheet with three types of items: open ones, in which the evaluator verbally recorded the observed facts and data; closed ones, in which the evaluator used either a ranked score scale or specified table entries to record the observed aspects (their occurrence, frequency, rate, intensity, level, and others) in the appropriate columns and lines. The second step has been the evaluation of the competence by the teacher themself. In the self-evaluation sheet, the teacher has been provided with the opportunity to think and reflect on how they have implemented the competence in their teaching. In the process of evaluating the teacher, the evaluator is expected to compare the recorded data from the evaluation and self-evaluation sheets. This has been followed by the third step - a post-observation interview when the evaluator has met the evaluated teacher and they have discussed together their records and findings about the observed and evaluated competence. Records from this discussion can serve either as an incentive and motivation for the evaluated teacher or as a guideline for their professional development.

The paper is aimed at presenting the results and findings from piloting the instruments created to assess the teacher's competence to develop learner personality and their competences. The qualitative analysis and comparison of the collected research data from the pilot verification of the functionality of the evaluation and self-evaluation sheets designed for the evaluation of the competence as well as the qualitative analysis of the findings from carrying out the post-observation interviews has served for the research team as a basis for modifying the developed instruments and creating their final form that can relatively objectively evaluate the monitored teacher competence and can contribute to their personal and professional growth as well as the pedagogical success of their teaching activities.

Keywords:

Teacher, professional competences, evaluation, evaluation instruments, personality, learner.