An orientation meeting was held last week for the regional study on ‘Assessment of Transversal Competencies in the Asia Pacific’. The study has been convened by UNESCO Bangkok’s Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific (NEQMAP) and involves nine countries of the Asia Pacific, including the Philippines. The study will explore different approaches or practices that countries and jurisdictions of the Asia Pacific adopt or have already adopted in assessing transversal skills (otherwise known as 21st century skills). Challenges countries have faced and lessons learned will be shared and recommendations will be drawn up to inform future directions.
Dr Esther Care, ACTRC Co-Director, was the facilitator for the orientation meeting and will coordinate the research and reporting activities for the study. Dr Therese Bustos, ACTRC’s Philippines-based Co-director, will act as the Philippines Country Researcher on behalf of the Philippines Department of Education.
The study will involve analysing qualitative and quantitative data, reviewing policy and implementation documents as well as carrying out interviews, questionnaires and observations at the system, school and teacher level in each country. Country reports and regional reports will then be compiled. The study is expected to be completed by mid-2016.
