Key competences were introduced into the curriculum of elementary education to give young students the knowledge and key competences for full participation in society (European Commission, 2005). All started with the DeSeCo Project. Under this proposal made by the European Union, at the Spanish level, it was defined eight key competences to be delivered along Elementary and Secondary Education: (1) Communication competence, (2) Mathematical competence, (3) Knowledge and interaction with the physical environment, (4) Data processing and digital competence, (5) Social and civic competence, (6) Cultural and artistic competence, (7) Lifelong learning, and (8) Autonomy and personal initiative. It is important to noted that the incorporation of competences in the curriculum should not be understood as a single element to be developed, but should be considered as the axis around which all curricular elements must turn around. This is essential for a conceptual and methodological shifting the educational community. However, to date, the perceptions of elementary teachers on student achievement in terms of key competences are unknown. At present, Spain is above the average of the countries evaluated (INEE, 2016), but it´s the first time that the Spanish students achieve these results. Given that teachers are the agents to bring the change, it is necessary to see how this process is being developed. However, few data have been collected on how this process is unfolding, and what is the perception of the teachers as important pieces. The purpose of this study is to know the perception of elementary education teachers about the inclusion of the key competences in the Spanish educational context.

Arbuckle, J. L. (2003). Amos 5.0 update to the Amos user’s guide. Chicago, IL: Small Waters. European Commission. (2012). Developing Key Competences at School in Europe: Challenges and Opportunities for Policy. Eurydice Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. IBM. (2013). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. INEE. (2016). Resultados del Estudio Internacional de Tendencias en Matemáticas y Ciencias TIMSS 2015. Disponible en: http://www.mecd.gob.es/prensamecd/actualidad/2016/11/20161129-timms.html Meroño, L., Calderón, A., Arias-Estero, J. L., & Méndez-Giménez, A. (in press). Design and validation of the Questionnaire of Perception of Elementary Education Teachers on the Inclusion of Key Competences (#ICOMpri3). Estudios sobre Educación, X(X), X-X. Royal Decree-Law 1513/2006, de 7 de diciembre, por el que se establecen las enseñanzas mínimas de la Educación Primaria (BOE 293, de viernes 8 de diciembre de 2006), pp. 43053.