The category of competence and its interpretation by teachers in practice

This dissertation deals with issues related to the realization of the concept of key competencies as educational goals which are being brought about by curricular reform. The theoretical component is aimed at researching the way key competencies are treated in the relevant literature and in European and Czech curricular documents. This section deals with the conception and implementation of key competencies in national educational programs in the EU countries. Various procedures in these countries are compared and evaluated in relation to curricular reforms in the Czech Republic and in conjunction with the interpretation of key competencies in the Framework Educational Program for Basic Education. The research component of the dissertation focuses on mapping out the understanding of key competencies on the part of the ‚main players' of curricular reform (teachers, teacher trainers, school inspectors) whose responsibility it is to bring this new concept into pedagogical practice