Conceptions of competence : variation between the experiences of beginning teachers

The competence of teachers is an international issue that continues to attract discussion and debate. More specifically, the competence of teachers entering the profession is monitored closely, usually for the purpose of formal appraisal the end of a period of probation or provisional registration. In most cases, beginning teacher competence is measured against an externally constructed checklist of qualities considered appropriate by the teacher registration body or the employer. Research suggests that beginning teachers themselves are rarely given an opportunity to have input into the appraisal process. The research presented here seeks to redress this imbalance through an investiga-tion of the conceptions of competence held by beginning teachers. Using a phenomenographic investigation that utilises an individual interview protocol, these conceptions are presented as an outcome space that describes all of the possible conceptions of competence held by beginning teachers, and discusses the variations between and among the identified conceptions.