What have we learned about modelling and assessing mathematics teachers’ competence? : Insights from a literature review

Abstract

Sigrid Blömeke and colleagues developed a model in 2015 that describes teacher competence as a continuum moving from dispositions such as knowledge and beliefs, to situation-specific skills such as classroom decision-making to (observable) performance. In this paper, we investigate its application and continued development in research by focusing on pre- and in-service mathematics teachers. To this end, we conducted a comprehensive, systematic review of studies that further developed this model conceptually and/or empirically and expanded it to other areas. The developments concern the specification of the central components of this model such as dispositions, skills, and performance, the relationship between these components, and the inclusion of further factors such as student mediation. Through a systematic synthesis of these further developments, we create an expanded model of teachers’ competence. Our systematic review reveals some strong methodological deficits in empirical studies testing the Blömeke et al. model, which need to be addressed in further research.