Topic and research question
This proposal addresses the challenge of implementing competence-based approaches in initial teacher education in ways that are pedagogically meaningful and developmentally appropriate. Although professional competence frameworks have become central to teacher education policy across Europe, their translation into assessment and training practices in pre-service contexts often remains limited, relying on summative or self-report measures with reduced formative potential (Eurydice, 2013; Sultan & Yaman, 2022). The guiding research question is: how can competence-based assessment and pedagogical tools be adapted to foster reflective awareness and early professional development in pre-service teachers?
Objectives
The IniProficiency project aims to support the acquisition of key professional competences during initial teacher education, with a particular focus on inclusive and high-quality teaching practices. Building on previous research highlighting the impact of teachers’ competences on educational quality and student learning (Darling-Hammond et al., 2005; López-Martín et al., 2023), the project seeks to strengthen what can be achieved during initial training, rather than assuming that competence development occurs primarily during in-service practice (Montero, 2022).
This proposal focuses on Phase 2 of the project, which pursues three specific objectives:
1. to identify which professional competences can be meaningfully addressed during initial teacher education;
2. to adapt and validate competence-based assessment and training tools for pre-service teachers;
3. to analyse the contribution of these tools to professional awareness and early competence development.
Theoretical and conceptual framework
The project is grounded in research on teacher professionalism, competence-based teacher education, and reflective practice. At the policy level, it aligns with European and national competence frameworks, including recent developments such as the Spanish Professional Teaching Competence Framework (MEFP, 2024), which reflect broader European trends in quality assurance and professional standards in teacher education (Eurydice, 2013).
Conceptually, IniProficiency adopts a developmental and formative understanding of professional competences. Competences are conceived not as fixed outcomes to be mastered, but as evolving constructs that develop through reflection, guided practice, and increasing professional awareness (Körkkö et al., 2020). This approach responds to critiques of rigid or decontextualised applications of competence frameworks that overlook the realities of initial teacher education and early professional identity formation (Zabalza, 2022).
The project builds on two previous funded initiatives, PROFICIENCyIn+E and PROFICIENCyIn+EDU, which identified and validated eleven key teaching competences related to inclusion and excellence and developed the ProficiencyIn+E® self-assessment rubric and associated formative training modules (Biencinto et al., 2021; Carpintero-Molina et al., 2020; Beunza-García et al., 2024). While these tools have demonstrated strong psychometric properties and positive effects in in-service teacher professional development, their direct transfer to initial teacher education would neglect important differences in experience, opportunities for practice, and professional socialisation.
European and international dimension
IniProficiency is situated within international research on teacher education and responds to challenges shared across European systems, such as strengthening coherence between university-based training, practicum experiences, and competence development (Darling-Hammond et al., 2005; Eurydice, 2013). By focusing on the adaptation of competence-based tools for pre-service teachers, the project aims to generate knowledge that is transferable beyond the Spanish context.

The project follows a mixed-methods design combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to ensure both depth and rigour. This proposal focuses on Phase 2, which involves the adaptation of assessment and pedagogical instruments for initial teacher education. Phase 2 builds on evidence generated in Phase 1, which included analysis of policy documents, teacher education curricula, and qualitative data from focus groups with three stakeholder groups: pre-service teachers, university teacher educators, and school-based practicum mentors. This participatory design reflects research emphasising the value of collaborative reflection and multiple perspectives in teacher education (Durán & Giné, 2017; Susinos et al., 2022). Based on these data, the original set of eleven competences is being critically reviewed to determine which competences can be meaningfully addressed during initial teacher education and which are more appropriately developed through sustained professional practice. This step aims to avoid a mechanical application of competence frameworks detached from authentic learning contexts (Zabalza, 2022). The adaptation of the ProficiencyIn+E® self-assessment rubric focuses on: – reformulating competence descriptors to reflect realistic expectations for pre-service teachers; – emphasising reflective awareness, intentionality, and learning orientation rather than professional mastery; – adjusting performance levels to capture developmental progression within initial training. The adapted rubric is implemented in an online format that supports guided self-assessment and personalised feedback, building on previous digital applications shown to facilitate reflective evaluation (Biencinto et al., 2021). In parallel, the formative training modules are redesigned to align with the structure of initial teacher education programmes. While retaining core features such as case-based reflection, theoretical grounding, and guided questioning, the modules are explicitly linked to practicum experiences and implemented as guided reflection seminars. Validation procedures include expert review, pilot testing with pre-service teachers, and iterative refinement. Quantitative analyses of the psychometric properties of the adapted rubric are planned for subsequent phases.

At the time of submission, Phase 2 of the IniProficiency project is ongoing, and final empirical results will be available after the completion of pilot testing and validation procedures. However, we expect the following outcomes. Beyond the specific characteristics of the tools, the main contribution of IniProficiency lies in the formative value of the competence assessment process itself. By framing self-assessment as a structured and guided reflective activity, evaluation becomes a pedagogical space for learning rather than a summative judgement of professional readiness. This approach supports pre-service teachers in developing awareness of what professional competences involve, how they evolve over time, and how their current learning experiences relate to future professional practice (Körkkö et al., 2020; Sánchez-Tarazaga & Manso, 2022). In this sense, the project demonstrates how competence-based frameworks can be operationalised as formative and reflective pedagogical tools, rather than functioning solely as normative or accountability-oriented references (Darling-Hammond et al., 2005; Zabalza, 2022). By promoting reflection, intentionality, and early professional learning, IniProficiency contributes to research on assessment and pedagogy in initial teacher education and aligns with broader European efforts to strengthen the quality and coherence of teacher education programmes (Eurydice, 2013).

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