The reform process of Slovak system of education requires a professional discussion aimed at
enhancing the quality of the teacher's professional performance in the context of the pupil's needs
and overall optimization of the education system, including qualitative changes in the content
and organization of education as well as a change in the social status of teacher. One of the topics
discussed was the possibility of increasing the quality of the teacher's performance by mapping
them to the requirements of the teacher's professional competency profile. A team of experts from
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Slovakia) has been addressing this issue in the
form of a research project Evaluation of Teacher Competences, which focuses on the development
and design of a comprehensive evaluation model and tools for evaluating different teaching
competences.
The research team has developed special evaluation tools – a set of assessment sheets aimed at
assessment (Assessment Sheets for evaluators), self-assessment (Self-Assessment Sheets for
the observed and evaluated teachers), and a tool to correlate the assessment positions of the
evaluator and the evaluated teacher. In developing the tools, the specific focus of each professional
competence and the content and performance requirements on teacher's work have been taken
into account. The methodology for verifying the efficiency of the designed tools included panel
discussion, piloting, and personal interviews. The results of the pilots in primary and secondary
schools all over Slovakia were analyzed, evaluated and taken into account when modifying the
final version of the evaluation tools. These are now offered for implementation by school managers
in Slovak schools.
One of the issues in the research project, testing the process aspect of education, is the competence
of planning education. The research, focused on identifying the complex of the given competence
components and their analysis. The most important part of the competence is the ability to create
a model (plan/scenario) of a lesson, the success of which is based on the correct identification and
realization of the educational aims and objectives. The teachers demonstrate competence through
their ability to implement relevant didactical transformation of the curriculum content, not only
in the view of the requirements of particular subjects, but also in the view of the current societal
challenges and needs, taking into account modern and effective methodological approaches. The
assessment tools for the competence in educational planning were verified in a pilot. The paper
presents partial results of the research, which confirmed the relevance and reasonability of the
methodology for the competence assessment. Education and training requirements in the Slovak
Republic accept common aspects related to the education of citizens of the European Union and
at the same time prioritize education as an essential means for ensuring sustainable development.
Achievement of these goals can be ensured not only via transforming the Slovak school system, but
also via teachers’ personal, professional and career growth.