Chapter 3: Literature Review Of Instructor Competencies

Research on performance capabilities of instructors by studying competencies dates back to the 1970s. Canfield (1972) defines competency statements as “descriptions of abilities, knowledge, and attitudes thought to be needed by or characteristic of persons holding the positions or doing the work toward which the educational experience is directed” (p. 1). There were several studies in the 1970s and 1980s examining competencies for instructors for effective teaching. Some of the earlier research on instructor competencies has focused on discipline- or subject-specific instructor competencies. For instance, Canfield (1972) examined competencies for allied health instructors, Parr (1976) studied competencies for first-year band instructors, and Blank (1979) studied professional education competencies for community college technical instructors. Dickens (1980) identified 113 specific competencies in eight categories for developmental educators. These included (a) manifest personal qualities, (b) application of interpersonal skills, (c) ability to structure and sequence skill competencies, (d) instructional planning skills, (e) instructional delivery (i.e., teaching), (f) assessment of student progress, (g) public relations, and (h) program administration. McGroarty (1985) examined competencies for bilingual vocational training instructors and determined that language proficiency, technical skills, and vocational awareness were essential for them to be effective. Ryan (1987) examined instructor competencies for fieldwork supervision of occupational therapy and physical therapy students. Instructors are first and foremost content experts but in addition, they have to be competent in other domains related to teaching.