Exploring competency-based learning For some years, the state of education in the UK and how it prepares students for the world of
work has been a hot topic among politicians, employers and the general public. Skills shortages in
sectors such as engineering and technology, combined with a rapidly changing job market, have raised
the question of whether current teaching methods are the best way to educate and inspire students
while equipping them with the knowledge they need to thrive in the modern world[3.1].
One-to-many, knowledge-rich teaching is still the norm for many, however, a skills- or
competencies-based approach has been advocated as a more effective option by some, encouraging
students to develop transferable skills while reducing inefficiencies in teaching by enabling teachers to
move away from traditional subject silos and instead implement cross-curriculum learning.
In this approach, desired learning outcomes are agreed and students are encouraged to work at
their own pace to achieve these outcomes. Technology plays a key role, whether enabling
collaboration between groups or ensuring students have access to all the content they need to support
their learning.
In many ways this means making the shift from a teacher-centre classroom, where the focus is
mainly on teaching the curriculum to a set timeframe regardless of a student’s interests, to a student-
centre classroom where the teacher’s role is to harness the interests and needs of individual students,
guiding them towards achieving those pre-determined goals.
The aims and benefits of a skills-based approach to learning Research suggests that compared with a curriculum learned by rote and focused on exam
results, a skills-based approach that combines subjects to teach competencies that can be used across
subjects encourages students to develop attributes such as critical thinking, problem-solving,
communication and collaboration; all skills that are increasingly in demand among employers.
The main aim is to make learning an experience and engage children rather than have teachers
teach to a passive audience.
