The Importance of Teacher Competencies to the Formation of Students National Identity

Abstract

Over the past few years the education community in Lithuania often discusses the issues concerning the education and formation of national identity of younger generation. Interest in this topic is based on facts that emigration of younger generation in Lithuania is not decreasing, that school-age children and youth feel lack of ethnic self-consciousness and national identity. Assumption that teachers play the important role in the formation of national identity for children and young people isn’t excluded.
 Personal identity as self sensation begins to form in early childhood. In this process the important role performs first of all parents, then other family members and later the school.
 National identity are formed continuously. The societies openness to other cultures, increase of individuals and nations international relations, lifestyle influenced by globalization, wish to learn about other cultures raise new requirements for education process in schools where national identity has important role in the teaching paradigm [2]. It is expected that schools provide not only knowledge and skills necessary for life in knowledge society, but also develop students‘ tolerance for other cultures and help them become aware of the meaning of his national cultural.
 As observed by L. Duoblienė (2009), educational theorists during discussions how to change the educational process under the new circumstances proposes first of all to strengthen students media literacy as well as intercultural education that teach younger generation to resist the influence of ideologies and unconscious misrepresentations, change youth provisions. The teacher’s role in this process becomes significant.
 The purpose of this article is to reveal the  importance of teacher competence to the formation of students national identity.
 The object of this article – teacher competence.
 The scientific literature analysis was used in this article.
 The article consists of two parts: the first part analyses the complexity of the concept of teacher competence, and the second part analyses the teacher competence Framework and it’s importance to the formation of students national identity. After reviewing of scientific literature the following conclusions are formulated:
 The teacher in modern school play in their daily activities not only the role of traditional teacher by giving new knowledge for students. Today teacher is a consultant, an advisor, elder friend, a researcher and so on. It is difficult to list all roles of today teacher. But teachers‘ knowledge, skills, personal qualities and values affects not only students learning motivation and achievement, but also formation of their national identity.
 Teacher competencies can be categorized into the three groups: general competencies, professional competencies and special competencies. The competency framework allow for teacher to become professional in particular teaching subject or sphere, enables him to organize the educational process and feel comfortable in a professional environment.
 To help the teacher to know and be able to help students to form their national identity is very important teachers‘ common-cultural competence. The teacher need to be characterized by ethnic, racial and religious tolerance, to have knowledge about civil liberties, human rights and obligations, and be able to ensure it within its capabilities.