A Competency-Based Model for Teacher Identity

The nature of teacher education curriculum determines the quality and competence of teachers churned out into the field of practice. Teacher competence is a prerequisite for the effective implementation of any curriculum proposal. This paper develops and discusses a competency-based model for teacher identity. It discusses four levels of teachers’ professional competence, namely, professional knowledge, values, skills and reflective practice. The dimensions of each rubric or level of competence, as it relates to teachers’ professional identity are also discussed. Curricular and policy implications associated with all the dimensions of teachers’ professional competence have been highlighted. These include the need for the training and retraining of pre-teachers and in-service teachers through seminars and workshops, policies that offer teachers opportunities for continuous professional development and integrating certain aspects of learning into teacher education programmes.