Csapó, B. (2004). Knowledge and competencies. In: Letschert, J. (Ed.). The integrated person. How curriculum development relates to new competrencies (pp. 35-49). Enschede: CIDREE. (original) (raw)

In the past decades, cognitive research has resulted in a vast amount of empirical findings on the nature, organization and development of students' knowledge. This new understanding allows scientifically based curriculum development, which is not the case in many educational systems yet. This paper argues for a more sophisticated and differentiated conception of knowledge for educational design and evaluation. It identifies the organizing principles, which create durable and working cognitive systems out of the distinct elements like facts, figures and skills. Three different types of knowledge organization are discussed and compared: expertise, determined by the values of a profession or discipline; literacy, the broadly applicable and socially valuable knowledge; and competence, that is still a vague, but on the long run a promising conception for education.