THE TEACHER RESEARCHER: INSIGHTS INTO TEACHERS' RESEARCH COMPETENCE'

In today's society, teachers are required to possess a diverse range of competencies to effectively address the challenges and demands of the modern education system. Indeed, possessing a variety of competencies enables teachers to proficiently support students' learning and overall development. Among these essential competencies, research competence stands out as a pivotal skill that teachers must possess. Research competence enables teachers to build research-based pedagogical practice in which teaching is continuously changed or improved. Considering that teachers' research competence holds a central role in promoting a research-oriented professional approach, this paper is focused on investigating teachers' research competence and the importance they assign to research within their professional practice. The research involved 213 teachers employed in Slovenian public primary schools during the school year 2022/2023. The data were acquired through a questionnaire. Our findings indicate that teachers perceive their research competence as being well-developed. Additionally, teachers acknowledge the importance of research in relation to their professional activity. We also identified several factors influencing teachers' self-assessment of their research competence, specifically the importance teachers assign to research, their years of professional experience, and their participation in training related to their professional responsibilities. It is important that teachers remain actively and continuously involved in the research process, as research equips them with enhanced readiness for adaptations within the education system. This is particularly vital in the context of today's rapidly evolving world.