Grades are the universal tool for measuring students' performance at school. However, other competency-based evaluation methods have shown to have a stronger impact on the learning quality. We investigated how different methods are collectively represented and discursively constructed among students at an Italian high school class. Thematic…

Curricular reforms oftentimes cause more problems than they solve. Teachers' being kept out of curricular activities is one main reason for a reform to plummet. In this qualitative study, we examined the Malian curricular policy from two aspects -- reform and teaching and learning. Guided by Fischer's argumentative approach theory, this analysis…

In 1906, the Carnegie unit, or credit hour, was introduced to standardize U.S. public education. It defined the precise number of minutes students needed to learn a particular subject and the number of credit hours required to earn a high school or college degree. At the dawn of the 20th century, the Carnegie unit served the important purpose of…

In this study we employed regression analysis and between-group matched pair design to analyze whether participation in a competency-based education pilot was associated with improved high school completion and postsecondary entry. Data were obtained for high schools participating in a CBE pilot program in Illinois. Results of the matched pair…

In Finland, the vocational education and training (VET) qualifications lead into work. Also, active citizenship is one of its aims, and qualification enables application to tertiary study. In terms of these aims, literacies are central. In the context of competency-based VET, we analyse how a curriculum of literacy is realized during literacy…

Green School Programs are an internationally recognized effort that transforms schools into environmentally friendly entities and engage school communities in environmentally impactful efforts. Such efforts may increase student awareness about their connection to the environment and have the potential to increase achievement through opportunities…

There is global recognition of the need to teach and assess complex competencies, which are often referred to as twenty-first century or work-ready knowledge and skills. While several assessment frameworks have been co-developed by researchers and teachers to assess competencies in schools, little is known about how these frameworks are shaped,…

Several state boards of education have adopted graduate profiles or portraits to better define the skills and knowledge students should master before they graduate high school. This report discusses the graduate profiles developed by the following states: South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. While their entry points and approaches to…

The study advances the instrumental approach to mathematics education (Drijvers et al., 2013; Trouche, 2003), aiming to elucidate the interplay between students' reasoning competency, conceptual knowledge and tool utilisation in dynamic digital geometry and algebra environments. The dynamic properties of these environments pose a nuanced…

Since the late 1980s, school curriculum revisions in Japan have sought to promote capabilities and dispositions that transcend subject boundaries and are often labelled 'competencies' in international curricular discourse. This study examines policy documents over the period, showing how Japanese policymakers have sought to navigate pressures…

Tanzania introduced Competence-Based Assessment in the early 2000s alongside its Competence-Based Curriculum as an innovative approach to evaluate students' learning. This study, informed by the Concern-Based Adoption Model, investigated secondary school teachers' concerns on adopting this assessment approach. The Stage of Concern Questionnaire…

Seventeen years following the introduction and subsequent adoption of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Tanzanian secondary schools, teachers continue to grapple with its implementation. This research, guided by the curriculum framework, aims to uncover the underlying issues hindering the seamless execution of CBC and explore the various…

Science learning motivation refers to the drive and enthusiasm that students exhibit towards learning science. Science learning competencies, on the other hand, are the skills and knowledge enabling students to understand and apply scientific concepts effectively. Digital literacy, defined as the ability to effectively use digital tools and…

Test anxiety is experienced in competence-based situations, such as tests and exams, where one is anxious and concerned about failure in performance outcomes. It is often of interest to both research and applied settings to identify students who are high on test anxiety to understand the characteristics of high test anxiety or to provide support…

Background: Numerous investigations have highlighted the importance of examining teachers' responses to the curricular reforms in science teaching proposed by the educational authorities. Science teachers' responses are shaped by their perceptions of the new measures' intentions and their level of involvement. Purpose: This study analyses the…