Pedagogical (in)competence of teachers

The pedagogical competence of teachers, of paramount importance both for the quality, of the education process and its outcomes, is receiving increasing attention from scientists and experts, as well as the general public. A pedagogically competent teacher is expected to possess not only specific pedagogical knowledge and skills, but also certain personality and quality traits necessary to establish, develop, and improve relationships with pupils and their parents, as well as with colleagues and other participants in the education process. It is only teachers who, apart from possessing the required competences in diverse aspects of pedagogical activity, critically evaluate themselves and their teaching practices, trying to change and improve their behaviour and methods, at the same time creating a stimulating environment and atmosphere both in class and at school, that derive genuine satisfaction and pleasure from their work Such teachers can rightly expect the outcomes of their work, expressed in terms of their pupils' achievements and progress at all levels, to be positive as well. With a view to establishing the pedagogical (in)competence of teachers, research was conducted on a sample of 260 primary school teachers of Split-Dalmatia County. The results obtained seem to indicate that a great majority of respondents perceive themselves as pedagogically competent. However, there are those who do not regard themselves as pedagogical v competent, primarily for one of the following reasons: insecurity, lack of confidence, reluctance to assume responsibility, failure to observe possible errors, increased awareness of their own errors, difficulties in dealing with issues of discipline, etc.