Professors' Competences Through the Perspective of STEM Students (original) (raw)
Tertiary education institutions educate a great number of individuals of all ages every year with the aim to assist them in developing a set of skills, knowledge, competences and attitudes. The overall aim of the education process is dual: employment and contribution to society. Actors with a direct impact in this process are the professors, teachers with various roles, lecturers or heads of laboratories, supervisors or examiners While teachers in all levels of formal education are trained in specialised institutions and acquire formal teaching qualification, higher education professors lack such education in most cases. Consequently, the question raised is what competences a university professor should have in order to reach a quality teaching practice. In modern times, these competences are not limited to teaching, since professors perform multiple roles. Interpersonal competences, designing and implementing the learning process as well as innovation are also in demand. This study will reflect how students in European STEM education perceive professors' competences within the given framework, based on their university, field of study and degree. The conclusion is reached on which competences are of more importance and which should be reinforced in order to improve the quality of transmitting the knowledge in higher educational institutions.