Assessing Teacher Competencies | Educational Excellence

Assessing Teacher Competencies:

A Comprehensive Study of Creativity, Employability, Professionalism, and Emotional Intelligence Across States and Genders in Modern Education

Research By Abhinav Gaur K. [1] Lavanya Sharma [2] and Manisha Singh [3]

1. Introduction
   1.1 Background of the Study
   1.2 Importance of Teacher Competencies
   1.3 Objectives of the Research
2. Methodology
   2.1 Description of the Teaching Propensity Test (TPT)
   2.2 Data Collection Process
   2.3 Statistical Analysis Techniques
3. Key Competencies Evaluated
   3.1 Creativity in Lesson Design
   3.2 Employability and Adaptability
   3.3 Professionalism and Ethical Commitment
   3.4 Emotional Intelligence in Classroom Dynamics
4. Data Analysis and Findings
5. Discussion
   5.1 Implications of Findings for Teacher Development
   5.2 Recommendations for Targeted Professional Development
6. Conclusion

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Abstract:

The present study examines teachers' competencies in terms of creativity, employability, professionalism, and emotional intelligence in the modern education system of different states and gender groups. The study uses the TPT-a comprehensive self-evaluation test-to measure the strengths and gaps that teachers possess. TPT measures key competencies on aspects like creativity in lesson design, resilience in employability, engagement with ethical professionalism, and emotional intelligence in classroom dynamics. Using data from more than 70 educators in many states, we apply statistical analysis techniques to search for these trends and correlations. The results of these analyses provide tremendous insights into both the depth of differences and similarities in how these competencies are used and suggest targeted strategies for professional development designed to strengthen educational effectiveness. This paper adds to the debate on teacher preparedness by providing a detailed analysis of the evolving skill set elicited in today's dynamic educational settings, as revealed in both quantitative scores and qualitative feedback generated by the TPT.

Abbreviations: TPT - Teaching Propensity Test

1. Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study:

From the constantly changing context within which education is provided, the competencies that would have been considered as the core competencies for the teacher only include carrying on with an extensive skill set beyond mainstream teaching and learning capabilities. The shift of educational reforms toward more holistic approaches, as well as the increasing use of student-centered approaches, requires teachers to develop a broad range of abilities, from creativity and emotional intelligence to professionalism and employability. These are no longer complementary skills but essential ones to ensure workers are prepared in the new classroom. Creativity in teaching is very much related to critical thinking and problem-solving in students, while emotional intelligence helps build meaningful relationships both with students and coworkers. While on the other hand Employability and professionalism ensure that teachers stay adaptable towards changing dynamics and have grounds for ethical practice in a narrow job market. This study is aimed at testing key competencies among different demographics, genders, and locations using Teaching Propensity Test as the primary measurement tool.

1.2 Importance of Teacher Competencies

Competencies of the teachers have a direct impact in terms of the quality standards of education, which in turn carries a wide-ranging impact in stimulating engagement among students, insuring their academic success in scholastic achievement as well as overall self improvements. According to various research findings, emotional intelligence in teachers strongly facilitates their classroom management functions, which in turn helps in creating an environment where creativity and collaboration flourish. Agile educators who are always developing their professionalism and employability skills keep pace with educational reforms and the demand of new technology in schools. Examples of emotional competencies include empathy, emotional control and resilience, which help them diminish stress and burnout levels that are increasingly increasing within the profession of teaching. So, the required competencies to be developed and learned are also able to create better well-being among these educators so that their students might benefit from receiving better quality of education.

1.3 Objectives of the Research

The purpose of this study is to carry out in-depth analyses on the competencies by demographic aspects. The study will be based on an assessment of creativity, employability, professionalism, and emotional intelligence using the Teaching Propensity Test (TPT). This study will specifically aim to determine areas of strength and weakness in these aforementioned competencies among teachers of different demo graphs.

To this end, the reader gains insights into how the competencies could be further developed through targeted professional development programmes.
Provide data-driven recommendations for upgrading teaching quality and education policy reforms.
Based on these goals, this article among other work will further teacher provisions in preparing teachers to effectively navigate modern education environments as well as support the development of their whole students.

It finds its support in researches which emphasize the development of a total competency with emotional, professional, and creative skills in teachers, enabling them to meet the emerging demands of education.

2. Methodology

2.1 Description of the Teaching Propensity Test (TPT)

TPT is an extremely wide self-evaluation test applicable to all fundamental teaching competencies in different areas of competency. It is especially created for educators in prime areas such as creativity, employability, professionalism, and emotional intelligence, important in today's education scenario.

Creativity: The domain for teacher innovation in designing lesson plans that are vibrant and challenging. Creativity is seen as a core skill that has to be developed in teachers so that they inspire their students to think critically.
Employability: This examines the preparedness of teachers to remain appropriate for the needs of rapidly changing educational scenario. Employability skills, such as flexibility, ability of lifelong learning, and professional networking skills, allow teachers to update themselves with respect to the current trends and practices in education.
Professionalism Professionalism refers to respect for ethical standards, accountability in Classroom Management, and a passion for lifelong learning.
Professionalism Professionalism refers to respect for ethical standards, accountability in Classroom Management, and a passion for lifelong learning. Evaluations of teachers are carried out on their display of upholding professional behavior and ethical decision making as well as effective class management.
Emotionally Intelligent: This attribute assesses how teachers manage classroom situations with emotional intelligence and emotional regulation. Teachers who exhibit emotionally intelligent behavior can identify the psychological needs of the students and provide a sheltered and supportive teaching environment. Teachers with emotional intelligence look almost similar to creativity; more creative and engaging classrooms are fostered by teachers who can handle their emotions well.
Emotionally Intelligent: This attribute assesses how teachers manage classroom situations with emotional intelligence and emotional regulation. Teachers who exhibit emotionally intelligent behavior can identify the psychological needs of the students and provide a sheltered and supportive teaching environment. Teachers with emotional intelligence look almost similar to creativity; more creative and engaging classrooms are fostered by teachers who can handle their emotions well.

2.2 Data Collection Process

More than 70 educators were surveyed across states to ensure that a diverse representation of age, gender, and other geographic considerations was included. Each respondent used the TPT to self-assess their competencies within the domains. As the test could be taken online, it was made more accessible and confidential. This ensured anonymity and honesty of responses, so the collected data from the participants was not traceable to them. The TPT assists in capturing pieces of educator self-perceptions that can go a long way into getting insights that cannot otherwise be discovered through external evaluations.

2.3 Statistical Analysis Techniques

The data was gathered through TPT and then it was analyzed with the help of several statistical techniques, including regression analysis and ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) methods. Most of these techniques were utilized to determine the relationship between demographic factors such as- age, gender, or region, with certain types of competencies. For an example, to identify whether the difference in genders and regions was significant for competencies such as creativity or emotional intelligence, ANOVA was utilized. This allowed regression models to be used for investigating how much variation in variables such as teaching experience or professional development predicts competencies tested in the TPT. The analysis also opens up the possibility of noting patterns - for example, which demographic factors are most strongly correlated with high levels of employability or emotional intelligence in educators. These findings have direct implications for the design of professional development initiatives to meet the needs of target groups.

In summary, this methodology affords a holistic view of teacher competencies with integration of self-assessment through the TPT and advanced statistical techniques toward extracting meaningful patterns and relationships within data. The approach ensures the findings are robust enough and actionable to improve the effectiveness of teaching.

3. Key Competencies Evaluated

3.1 Creativity in Lesson Design

Creativity in lesson design is the very important part of modern teaching because it challenges students to think deeply, to be more involved, and connected in different ways. According to various findings, it could be noted that the instructors who seek creativity in instruction do not only nurture active engagement but help a student-friendly environment to grow with an intention to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The Teaching Propensity Test is designed to examine the creativity in terms of how teachers plan and structure their lessons to meet various learning preferences. Creative teaching has been associated with the work engagement and emotional intelligence. Teachers with higher emotional intelligence are able to create more creative learning environments as they become more flexible with teaching for the different needs presented by their students and encourage thinking outside of the box.

3.2 Employability and Adaptability

Employability and adaptability are vital skills needed in teachers nowadays in the dynamic educational world. Their skills need to be flexible and adaptable to incorporate the constant upsurges in technology, curriculum frameworks, and student expectations. Employability is measured by TPT by taking into account the educator's ability to introduce new educational trends while integrating technology into their classrooms. The trend in current teaching has revealed that flexible teachers are at a better position to handle constantly changing and highly complex environments. They undergo continuous professional development and are always willing to change their ways of teaching to ensure that the skills acquired are in line with educational needs. Those teachers who seek professional development on an active basis are at the same time more employable and more effective in a wide variety of different classroom settings.

3.3 Professionalism and Ethical Commitment

Professionalism in teaching encompasses ethics, effective classroom management, and professional development. While observing teachers' reported professionalism on TPT, it assesses the teachers' conduct as responsible to the ethicalities, professionalism, and personal development. Professionalism is a way of building trust and respect in the class, which automatically maximizes student achievement. Fundamental to the positive school culture is ethical commitment, which includes fairness, integrity, and respect for regulations. Teachers committed to ethical decision-making establish a safe and supportive learning environment where value and respect for individual rights are cultivated.

3.4 Emotional Intelligence in Classroom Dynamics

EI has come to be one of the fundamental requirements for effective teaching, particularly in classroom management and the development of positive relations between teachers and their pupils. TPT measures EI by examining the ability of a teacher to control his/her emotions and empathetically resonate with the emotional needs of his/her pupils. Research has revealed that EI helps establish the link between high-quality teaching for creativity and suggesting emotionally intelligent teachers are far better suited for developing environments that stimulate innovative thinking and active engagement from their students. These teachers are also more effective in handling stress, conflict, and other behavioral problems in class while creating an harmonious and productive learning environment Moreover, EI involves a key role in reducing teacher burnout with higher job satisfaction and improving teaching conditions at large.

4. Data Analysis and Findings

The average score of the participants was 286.41 out of 350. The median score was 295 points; the range was very wide-100 to 350 points. This data represents both the diversity and differential teaching competency of the participants and women tending to perform stronger in higher scoring ranges.

The respondents were originally from 32 different cities across India, plus two international respondents-one from Ghana and one from Oman. The top three cities from which the participants responded were Dehradun, Delhi, and Bengaluru.

The types of respondents who participated in the survey were 22 PGTs, 17 TGTs, 10 PRTs, 9 others, and 13 students pursuing B.Ed. courses.

In total, there were 44 females and 27 males. On the level of performance, it was highly dominated by females, as out of the top 10 high scorers, 9 were female and only 1 male, whereas out of the lowest 10 scorers, 7 were male and 3 were female.

4.1 Creativity

From the data, there is a high performance regarding the creative teaching strategies where 63 out of 71 participants showed proficiency in the aspects of differentiated instruction, collaborative learning, culturally responsive teaching, and student-driven learning. In contrast, only 60 participants showed high coherence regarding the Universal Design for Learning.

While teachers are skilled in using several creative pedagogies, dedicated training in UDL effectively allows them to construct lessons inclusive of the many ways of thinking. UDL encourages flexibility in teaching methodologies by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action to students. In other words, UDL principles allow teachers to make lessons creative and inclusive so that all students can be involved, irrespective of their style of learning.

4.2 Employability

The participants did exceptionally well in Professional Development with 68 over 71, Adaptability 69 over 71, and Networking at 65 over 71. In Resume Building, fewer participants demonstrated proficiency at 62 over 71; similarly for Interview Skills, at 57 over 71. This then showed areas where there is certainly room for improvement.

While these findings make it clear that teachers are adaptable and committed to their professional development, additional training in resume building and interviewing would be necessary to develop further employability. With such skill development, educators will be well-prepared to capitalize on career-advancing opportunities within a very competitive labour market. Educators will be capable of marketing themselves as versatile candidates ready for changing educational needs.

4.3 Professionalism

Whereas in classroom management, participants were observed to be performing exemplarily 65/71 and maintaining professional demeanors 65/71, there was a drop observed in ethical practices 47/71 and ethical dilemmas 39/71. Therefore, this is a gap that calls for more structured training in ethics and accountability as critical aspects of professionalism.

Teachers should be better equipped to handle classroom-related dilemmas in an ethical manner and make decisions that uphold professional integrity. In other words, training in ethics will provide teachers with the ability to manage challenges with guaranteed fairness, promotion of student welfare, and reinforcement of values upheld by the school.

`` 4.4 Communication

Participants from Tier III cities performed dismally in the communication section, but participants in this study from Bengaluru, Delhi, and Dehradun were performing rather well. Such a difference indicates that not everywhere is communication training available in an equal measure.

This would, in turn, imply that targeted communication skills workshops in Tier III cities could remedy this. After all, communication is the best way to keep students involved and work with colleagues, so making such training available to all teachers evens out the competition among different regions.

4.5 Digital Literacy

Participants performed very well regarding AI for education, reaching 62 out of 71; the concept of digital citizenship reached 67 out of 71 participants, while digital tools of collaboration were used by 52 out of 71 participants. On the other side, only 32 of the participants answered about AI's possible harm, reflecting that this area is confused.

Educators are now broadly competent in the integration of digital tools into their teaching practice; however, there is a large knowledge gap related to the ethical implications of AI in education. Targeted training in the potential harms of and responsible use of AI will ensure a conscious choice by educators in integrating technology, thus assuring minimal risk with optimum benefits for students.

4.6 Mentoring & Emotional Competencies

The mentees did relatively well in providing feedback 67/71, managing stress 64/71, emotional issues arising 66/71, and promotion of learning environment 57/71. Their mentoring of novice teachers scored lower than expected at 62/71.

The training programs would stress more on mentoring and emotional competencies to cope with classroom dynamics more effectively. Emotionally intelligent teachers will be capable of coping with stress, establishing good relations with students and colleagues, and mentoring of peers. In this respect, such training also facilitates self-actualization activities that are bound to improve the emotional well-being of creating a more facilitating learning environment.

4.7 Social Perception

On the whole, participants performed relatively well in handling political ideologies 64/71, equity issues 64/71, and religious diversity 64/71. However, only 49 participants revealed high cultural sensitivity, and 52 have awareness of socioeconomic disparities.

Training on socio-economic differences and cultural sensitivity would, therefore, help teachers make their classrooms accommodating. With an understanding of the various backgrounds and experiences that students have, it would be much easier for the teachers to make the learning environment one of equity and respect. Increased social perception will also help educators become increasingly sensitive to the specific problems that students from varied socio-economic backgrounds face.

The top-scoring city was Bengaluru. It consistently outperformed others with high average scores probably for reasons such as better access to educational resources, training programs, or higher professional development opportunities available to the teachers. This again suggests that conditions in Bengaluru might be more favorable for preparedness and competency development among the teachers.

In fact, the lowest scores were recorded in Chengalpet, Coimbatore, and Delhi. The lower scores would therefore reflect a presence of challenges or areas to be improved, such as access to advanced teacher training or stronger professional development. It is in these cities that targeted intervention may be necessary to deal with those particular issues that have resulted in the lower scores.

A larger dispersion of scores across cities represents the different conditions in which the teachers have to work. It is, therefore, a result of the quality of local education policy or support systems for teachers, or even the socio-economic environment of the cities.

5. Discussion

5.1 Implications for Findings on Teacher Development

The data shows huge variations in the performance of teachers across different competencies, cities, and gender groups. These reflect both areas of improvement and areas of concern. High average and median scores show that a big section of teachers possess the requisite skills, but the huge variation in performance shows inequity in access to resources and support. Women have also emerged to top consistently, especially in the highest-scoring bracket. Though that might reflect specific methodologies of teaching, opportunities, or support that have been afforded to women teachers, on another level, that speaks volumes about the need for further investigation into why men teachers happen to score lower. Assuring gender-equitable training and support systems can improve overall results.

The fact that the score varies so significantly from the best-performing city, Bengaluru, to the worst-performing ones, Chengalpet and Coimbatore, suggests that access to teacher training and professional development is skewed across different regions. Better-performing cities suggest that better access to resources may be one of the reasons underlying these differences. This would mean that a small improvement in access by teachers to training programs in under-resourced regions could pay very substantial dividends.

Participants were particularly good at creative teaching techniques and professional development, flexibility, and classroom management. Thus, it can be gauged that the teachers are quite capable with regard to differentiated instruction, organizing the flow of the class. Yet, the gap in proficiency identified in UDL indicates that special training might be required so that all students, irrespective of their learning style, will benefit from creative teaching techniques.

The poor performance in ethical dilemmas and unawareness of the possible harms of AI indicate further training in service. With education becoming increasingly digital, awareness by teachers of the benefits and the ethical risks associated with AI and other digital tools is no longer a choice but a necessity. It will render them strong in ethical decision-making and professional integrity for the protection and welfare of the students.

5.2 Recommendations for Targeted Professional Development

Targeted professional development of teachers will aim at addressing the critical gaps in competencies that will help them attain all-round professional growth. One key area is ethical decision-making and professional integrity, where structured training is required in handling classroom dilemmas and in promoting fairness. Case-based learning and workshops on real-life ethical challenges will better empower teachers to uphold integrity and safeguard student welfare. This becomes highly relevant at Tier III cities, where the concept of ethics may still be in a nascent stage. Other than that, priority will be given to the capacity-building of teachers to develop inclusive learning environments by using UDL. Special workshops on flexible teaching strategies will help teachers address diverse learning needs and ensure that all students, irrespective of their style of learning, have an opportunity to succeed.

Programs of mentorship and training that are focused on gender are meant to provide equal opportunity to both male and female teachers. In this respect, training in gender sensitivity and mentorship should aim at bringing to light barriers faced by male teachers, especially in regions scoring lower. Thirdly, geographically focused programs are quite important in addressing the gap in performance between cities. The regional professional development programs, with regard to issues on digital literacy, classroom management, and communication skills, have much significance for such cities, which would include under-resourced teachers in Chengalpet and Coimbatore. Considering the increasing integration of technology in education, training in digital literacy and AI awareness will be most important. A teacher should be aware of the responsible integration of AI in the classroom and possible ethical implications. Workshops about the benefits and harms of AI and its integration into teaching will help teachers make decisions based on evidence. Additionally, the teachers need more support in building resumes and interview skills that will help them in career mobility in a competitive job market.

Conclusion

On one hand, this report tries to bring out strengths and gaps in various key competencies about teacher performance. Whereas a large number of teachers perform well on creativity, adaptability, and professional development, the gaps are huge with regard to ethical decision-making, digital literacy, and inclusive teaching methods. These disparities in performance across regions and gender are further emphasizing that targeted interventions are indeed required, particularly in under-resourced areas such as Tier III cities, which lack access to training and support.

Arguably, the teachers in Bengaluru are doing better since this part of the state is more developed, with access to more resources and professional opportunities. Targeted training programs across regions will sort out inequalities. Similarly, targeted training based on gender will provide opportunities for fair professional development among male and female teachers.

The professional training should also touch on developing emotional competencies, mentoring skills, and communication. This is so especially in cities where such areas remain underdeveloped. Moreover, with the ever-increasing role of technology in education, there arises a bigger need for improved digital literacy and knowledge of possible impacts brought about by AI.

The addressing of such gaps through workshops and training with specializations will better equip teachers with promoting an inclusive, ethical, and supportive learning environment. In the long run, efforts in this direction would translate to increased equity and effectiveness in education across regions for teachers and students alike.

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[1] and [3] Affiliated with: Yuvaan Research & Educational Trust

[2] Affiliated with: Indira Gandhi National Open University

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Assessing Teacher Competencies | Educational Excellence