PROFESSION: artS teacher. Competencies and qualifications in theory and practice
Cultuur + Educatie 11 (2004)

What makes an arts teacher a good teacher? In recent years profiles and competencies have been developed for educational programmes in the arts. The authors explain the circumstances in which profession profiles, programme profiles and competency-based programme qualifications were defined. But in practice, is it even possible to live up to these profiles and competencies?

Developments
In the first article, Jos Herfs (music teacher, publicist) describes the developments that have influenced teachers and the teaching profession in the past ten years. He makes a distinction between societal, educational and subject-specific developments. Herfs also shows how they led to the changing requirements as regards the teacher’s initial competencies in an arts subject.

Competencies
Required competencies for an arts teacher who is just starting out on his career have been formulated for each arts subject. In the second article, Jaap Vinken (of Vinken en Van Kampen text agency) discusses these competencies and indicates why this particular selection was made.

Practice
In the third contribution, theory and practice come together in a report on an expert meeting, organised by Cultuur + Educatie. In four panel discussions – on visual arts and design, dance, drama and music – students, trainers and teachers debated the practical implications of the new competencies.

Epilogue
Bearing the outcomes of these discussions in mind, in the epilogue Piet Hagenaar's attempts to find an answer to the key question: what makes a person a good arts teacher?
Dutch overview