Représentations sociales de l’approche par compétences (APC) et pratiques docimologiques en sciences économiques et sociales : Le cas des enseignants du secondaire

Abstract

Introduced in secondary education for more than a decade already, the docimological pratices of the skills-based approach in secondary education in general and particulary in economic and social sciences remain a challenge for pratitioners to take up. Based on the principle of integration of acquired knowledge, in particular through the regular exploitation of integration situations and learning to solve complex tasks, Competency-based Approach (CBA) attemps to combat the lack of effectiveness of educational systems which too often leads to functional illiteracy. The general objective of this thesis is to analyze the way in which the socially constructed representations of CBA by these practitioners influence their docimological practices. And to achieve this, the study relied on methodological triangulation legitimized by the integrative character (not only of the CBA but also) of the social representations’ approach. The study is based on restricted sample of twenty-five participants obtained after having defined both the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After the collection of data and their analysis, it appears that, although the CBA remains a reference framework for public policies in education in Cameroon, the component characteristics of the social representations of this pedagogy among these trainers do not fall within its scope, fundamental educational principles, standards and values. Furthermore the hierarchical structuring of the characteristic elements of the social representations of the CBA with regard to its fundamental practicies is significantly linked to the docimological pratices in economic and social sciences among these teachers. Moreover, attitudes relating to the fundamental educational principles, standards and values of CBA are significative linked to docimological pratices would benefit from taking into account the silence areas of social representations of the CBA flooded by implicites theories of personality.