COMPASS: A framework for theory and research on plurilingual didactic competences

Within the SMS 2.0 project activities, the initiative Didactic Competences in the Multilingual Classroom (COMPASS) was launched in 2020. The initiative aims to scientifically support teams of teachers of German and Italian-speaking schools in South Tyrol in making the most of the increasing linguistic and cultural heterogeneity of their classes.

Plurilingual and intercultural education requires specific skills from teaching staff. For this reason, the team of researchers involved in the COMPASS initiative dedicated their first months of activity to outlining the competences that teachers involved in (or shifting to) plurilingual and intercultural education should possess. These competences were identified through an in-depth examination of education curricula, national and local guidelines, existing models and frameworks related to plurilingual education, as well as through a rich process of consultation with local and international experts.

The fruit of this complex documentation work is contained in the "Framework for theory and research on plurilingual didactic competences" (Guarda & Hofer 2021), now freely downloadable in three languages (Italian, German and English) in open-access mode. The Framework identifies a variety of resources (grouped within three macro-areas, namely Knowledge, Skills, and Commitment) which can contribute to a teaching approach geared towards the features of plurilingual education. As such, the Framework originated as a tool to facilitate theory and research on plurilingual didactic competences, as well as to design professional development programmes for teaching staff involved in plurilingual education.

The "Framework for theory and research on plurilingual didactic competences" is now available at this link.