The Competences Approach to Teacher Professional Development

3 – 4 June 2005
St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra

This third conference will address the competences approach to teacher education/appraisal now prevalent across the European Union and firmly rooted in the USA. The Department of Education in Northern Ireland has gone a considerable way in implementing this approach while educationalists in the Republic of Ireland are still proceeding along traditional lines and have some concerns about the narrowness of a competencies model.

Comparing our two approaches on the island of Ireland, plotting both against the developing European trend, and examining all in the light of American experiences in this regard should make for a very informative and rewarding conversation. Participation in the conference will be by invitation. This will ensure an appreciative, representative and well-informed audience.

Keynote speakers Dr John Coolahan, Professor Emeritus of Education, the National University of Ireland, Maynooth and Dr Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Professor of Teacher Education, Boston College, Lynch School of Education will address the conference themese of:

  • A Competence-Based approach to Teacher Professional Development -The European Context
  • Professional Development and the competency model in the Republic of Ireland
  • Professional Development and the competency model in Northern Ireland – an overview
  • Education Standards
  • Accountability

Conference Programme

Friday 3rd June

1.30pm Registration and Coffee – Mark Morgan, Head of Education, St Patrick’s College, will welcome delegates to the college and the conference

2–3pm John Coolahan
The operational environment for future planning in teacher education: EU and OECD initiatives

3–4.15pm Approaches to the Appraisal of Teaching in the Republic of Ireland

  • ITE: the Primary Sector Jim Deegan, Director Postgraduate Studies in Education, Mary Immaculate College Limerick
  • ITE: the Post Primary Sector Jim Gleeson, Senior Lecturer in Education University of Limerick and Janet Moody, Lecturer in Education, University of Limerick
  • Subject and Whole School Evaluation at both Primary and Post-Primary Levels Emer Egan, Assistant Chief Inspector, DES

4.15–4.45 Coffee

4.45–6 Approaches to the Appraisal of Teaching in Northern Ireland

  • Competences in ITE – A classroom perspective
    Dolores Loughrey, Director, Primary Education, University of Ulster
  • Competences in Initial, Induction & In-Service
    Eddie McArdle, Registrar of the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland
  • The Teacher as Phronimos – An alternative model
    Sean Moran, Staff Tutor for Education in Ireland, Open University

6.30 pm Conference Dinner

Saturday 4 June

9.00am–10.45
Teacher Education Standards and Accountability: Consensus and Debate Marilyn Cochran-Smith

10.45–11.15 Coffee

11.15–12 noon Working Groups

12–12.45 pm Plenary session led by Marilyn Cochran- Smith with guest speakers. Identified questions will have been formulated by the Working Groups.

12.45–1.00 Concluding remarks – Andy Burke, Dean of Education, St Patrick’s College, Dublin