ABSTRACT
Competence-based and performance-based approaches to teacher education are by no means new. They were popular in the USA in the 1970s and began to have some impact in the further education (FE) sector in the UK in the early 1980s (Tuxworth 1982). During the 1980s, they were given fresh impetus by the influence of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ) on the work of that sector and by the wider debate about quality in education and training. The award of NVQs is based upon the achievement of competences and is not dependent upon a particular programme of learning or period of time as a prerequisite (Jessup 1991). While these developments were not centrally concerned with teacher education, their potential relevance was soon recognized. A number of Cert.Ed. (FE) courses adopt significant elements of a competence-based approach to teacher education.
