Existing and to be developed teacher competences in engineer teacher training

Abstract

Teacher competences are made up of abilities, skills and other knowledge and behaviours that teachers need to carry out well as a teacher. The effective establishment and development of these should therefore be a key objective of teacher training. In this paper, we present what engineering undergraduate students in teacher training consider to be the current and expected level of competencies they need to have in their teaching profession. The survey included students who already acquired professional methodology and knowledge during their training. The measurement instrument contained a list of competences, including key competences proposed by the European Council, as well as student competencies and knowledge that we consider essential for an engineering teacher. The results highlight the competences that need to be developed in teacher training so that students can meet professional expectations and challenges as a practicing teacher.   Keywords: Teaching competences, key competences, teacher training, engineering students.