SC 01.  A tool for Writing Section Educational Competencies

 

Introduction

The section educational competencies define a body of knowledge for each area of personal growth (learning to have knowledge, learning to be, learning to do, learning to coexist). These are envisioned for each age group in your NSO’s Youth Programme.

This tool helps you write these competencies, which can also be considered as a sequence of intermediate steps towards achieving general competencies.

 

Objectives

This tool is intended to

• guide you on how to write the section educational competencies.

This tool is intended for

• the team responsible for revising or developing your NSO’s Youth Programme.
• participants who will use this material in seminars or workshops to study, debate, and create your NSO’s Youth Programme.

 

How to use this tool

1. Read and discuss the material: How to write section educational competencies.
2. Separate into six teams, made up of people with experience working with the different age sections of your Youth Programme.
3. Have each team look at a final competency and write a section’s educational competencies as an educational priority.
4. Then, get the teams to  exchange their work and analyse if the competencies are written properly, clearly, and if they are understandable and relevant.
5. Finally, in plenary, share their conclusions and suggestions for improvements.

 

How to Write an Age Section’s Educational Competencies

1. Reviewing Previous Work

Before beginning to outline the section’s educational competencies, it is essential to review the final educational competencies already established for each growth area, as well as the stages of development previously identified.

 

2. Writing the Section’s Educational Competencies

Work with a double-entry chart. On one side, place the final educational competencies for each growth area, and on the other, place the name of each age section, leaving space to write the section educational competencies.

For each age section and educational priority, define several section competencies that will lead to final educational competencies. These educational competencies will have to fulfil both the needs of young people in that specific age group and your NSO’s Educational Proposal.

Taking the final educational competencies as a point of reference, one possible option is to begin writing the educational competencies for the Cubs unit, and continuing with the other units consecutively by age groups.

 

a. Choose a growth area, for example:
Physical development.

 

b. Within the growth area, choose an educational priority, for example: 

Nature and free time.

 

c. Review the final educational competency that has already been defined for this area of ​​growth and this educational priority, for example: 

Practice sports and recreational activities in nature.

 

d. Define an educational competency for the same educational priority in the Cubs section. In order to do this, take into account the educational needs and capabilities of this age range.

 

For example, at 7 or 8 years old, the growth rate slows down. A boy or a girl feels comfortable with their body. They are full of energy that is released through games and different activities. Based on these characteristics and the stated educational competency, you can write the following competence, for example:

 

Enjoys playing with other children and respects the rules of the game.

e. Next, define an educational competency for the Scout section. At this age, young people experience a growth spurt, therefore, they need to rediscover their body, identify their new physical capabilities, and learn to manage those changes. Taking into account these needs and capabilities, you can write the following competency, for example:

 

Participates in games, excursions, and organised camps with their patrol.

f. The educational competencies propose a body of knowledge that, as an educational organisation, we consider desirable and relevant to transmit.

 

g. The educational competencies take into consideration the development stages of boys, girls, and young people, as well as their interests and needs, allowing them to address situations of increasing complexity in the different circumstances of life. One of the reasons for the sequential nature of these chapters is evident here by the importance of a detailed understanding of the developmental stages of your people, as well as their interests and needs.

 

h. Competencies should be written using language that is clear and easy to understand for both young people and responsible adults.

 

i. There is no exact number of minimum or maximum competencies. It is important to point out that if the number of competencies is low, it is probable that you will not cover all the educational aspects you should. On the contrary, if the number is very high, you run the risk of overwhelming and discouraging both responsible adults and young people who must work with these competencies.

 

Elements of Educational Competencies

The word “competency” includes the following elements: verb, object, and condition.

• The verb expresses a capacity, an action that a person performs. Write in the third person singular using 1 to 3 verbs.
• The object presents the content or knowledge that is required to adequately perform the competency.
• The condition is the situation the setting or the context in which the action will take place, the location, the resources, and the people with whom we execute it.

Verb What do they  do?	Object With what do they do it? Through what do they do it?	Condition Where? How? Why do they do it?
Collaborate	in the positive resolution of conflicts	in their community in order to contribute to peace.
Integrates	their religious principles	in a coherent way between their faith, their personal life, and their social participation.

 

Some verbs we can use as reference to write competencies

Verbs related to knowing		Verbs related to know-how		Verbs related to knowing how to be
Analyse Interpret Recognise Synthesise Define Plan Identify Distinguish	Classify Relate Show Describe Summarise Deduce Locate Check	Argue Solve Interpret Organise Build Design Programme Structure Develop Write Analyse Manipulate Make	Detect Generate Adapt Investigate  Orient Produce Use Pick up Drive Operate Express	Accept Participate Appreciate Respect Create Express Collaborate Share Prefer Propose	Care Rate Contemplate Integrate Assume Admire Enjoy Sample Deny Value