ADEQUACY OF TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN ENHANCING TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCIES AMONG PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS

Competencies have vital role in 21st century for successful personal and professional life. Certain good practices and educational experience of teachers serve as a basis for the design of procedures for the development of competencies in students. Teachers are the role models for the emerging student community. Transversal competencies are considered necessary for teachers to function within today's complex and increasingly interconnected world. Present study is an attempt to evolve a teacher transversal competency grid which could be used in benchmarking teacher preparation courses. Through document analysis, data collection from teacher educators and expert validation relevant transversal competencies are identified. A survey was then conducted among teacher educators to explore the adequacy of the existing teacher education programmes in developing the transversal competencies among prospective teachers. The findings revealed that core competencies of knowledge management and thinking; personal competencies of emotional management and physical management and social competencies of career management in interpersonal skills and social system management are essential for prospective teachers. However, the survey showed that the existing programmes are not satisfactory in promoting linguistic competencies, stress management, impulse control, health management, financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills of prospective teachers. Hence the teacher education programmes need revamping with planned strategies for training in transversal competencies. ________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: Transversal competencies, Teacher education, Prospective teachers