Dem Kompetenzbegriff kommt spätestens seit der ersten PISA-Studie eine fundamental wichtige Rolle zu. Letztlich hat er dafür gesorgt, dass die Bildungslandschaft nicht mehr input-, sondern outputorientiert ausgerichtet ist.
Schule soll heute in erster Linie nicht mehr im Sinne des Nürnberger Trichters möglichst viel lernbares Wissen vermitteln, sondern Schülerinnen und Schüler dazu befähigen, individuelle Kompetenzen aufzubauen.
Die verbreitetste Definition des Kompetenzbegriffs stammt vom Kognitionspsychologen und Bildungsforscher Franz E. Weinert:
"Dabei versteht man unter Kompetenzen die bei Individuen verfügbaren oder durch sie erlernbaren kognitiven Fähigkeiten und Fertigkeiten, um bestimmte Probleme zu lösen sowie die damit verbundenen motivationalen, volitionalen und sozialen Bereitschaften und Fähigkeiten um die Probemlösungen in variablen Situationen erfolgreich und verantwortungsvoll nutzen zu können."
aus: Weinert, Franz E. (2001): Vergleichende Leistungsmessung in Schulen – eine umstrittene Selbstverständlichkeit. In: Franz E. Weinert (Hrsg.): Leistungsmessungen in Schulen. Weinheim und Basel: Beltz Verlag, S. 17–31; hier: S. 27f.
"The concept of competency implies more than just the acquisition of knowledge and skills; it involves the mobilisation of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to meet complex demands. Future-ready students will need both broad and specialised knowledge. Disciplinary knowledge will continue to be important, as the raw material from which new knowledge is developed, together with the capacity to think across the boundaries of disciplines and “connect the dots”. Epistemic knowledge, or knowledge about the disciplines, such as knowing how to think like a mathematician, historian or scientist, will also be significant, enabling students to extend their disciplinary knowledge. Procedural knowledge is acquired by understanding how something is done or made – the series of steps or actions taken to accomplish a goal. Some procedural knowledge is domain-specific, some transferable across domains. It typically develops through practical problem-solving, such as through design thinking and systems thinking.
Students will need to apply their knowledge in unknown and evolving circumstances. For this, they will need a broad range of skills, including cognitive and meta-cognitive skills (e.g. critical thinking, creative thinking, learning to learn and self-regulation); social and emotional skills (e.g. empathy, self-efficacy and collaboration); and practical and physical skills (e.g. using new information and communication technology devices).
The use of this broader range of knowledge and skills will be mediated by attitudes and values (e.g. motivation, trust, respect for diversity and virtue). The attitudes and values can be observed at personal, local, societal and global levels. While human life is enriched by the diversity of values and attitudes arising from different cultural perspectives and personality traits, there are some human values (e.g. respect for life and human dignity, and respect for the environment, to name two) that cannot be compromised."
OECD 2018: The Future of Education and Skills. Education 2030.