Competencies or capabilities What’s in a name? Rosemary Hipkins

However, what is missing in a “personality trait” interpretation is the idea that strengthening and stretching of capabilities can be supported by the provision of appropriate opportunities to learn. Capability development can be a collective enterprise (a shared journey) given the appropriate learning conditions. All students have the potential to become more capable when teachers support them to use and stretch their existing capabilities. The context in which learning takes place needs to enable students to do the sorts of things that could stretch their capabilities. Teachers need to bring their deep expertise to bear when setting up enabling learning possibilities. Many dimensions of the learning context have the