Problems and Prospects in Competencies-based Education: A Curriculum Studies Perspective

Abstract

The fundamental premise of this paper is that a broad rather than a narrow definition of ‘competency’ should inform discussions on ‘competencies-based education’. Also, while we see value in drawing on a broad definition when designing curricula, we hold that it is not sufficient on its own for such design if education is to be a humanizing activity along with being a preparation for the societal demands of life. To take this position is to promote a curriculum studies perspective to analyzing competencies-based education. The paper clarifies what we mean by such a perspective. A variety of difficulties inherent in competencies-based education that have been outlined over the last thirty years by significant curriculum theorists are then outlined. The paper concludes with a brief exposition on how a broad-based view of competencies-based education can be accommodated within a curriculum framework that addresses these difficulties and views education as a liberating activity, while also allowing for its contribution to economic and social concerns.