Pedagogical Conditions for Developing the Metacompetencies of Prospective Teachers Through Modular Education

The article examines how modular education can be organized so that it deliberately fosters the metacompetencies of prospective teachers, that is, the higher-order capacities which enable a professional to plan, monitor, evaluate and redirect his or her own activity under changing conditions. Based on a theoretical analysis of research on competence, metacognition, self-regulated learning, reflective practice and modular instruction, the study conceptualizes teacher metacompetence as an integrative construct comprising metacognitive, self-regulatory, reflective, communicative-collaborative and adaptive-creative components. Five pedagogical conditions are substantiated under which a modular course turns into an environment for metacompetence growth: outcome-oriented module design with explicit metacompetence indicators; systematic reflective activity embedded in every learning element; problem- and project-based methods that confront students with uncertainty; formative, criteria-based assessment involving self- and peer evaluation; and tutorial support combined with the professional development of teacher educators. Criteria, indicators and levels for diagnosing metacompetence are proposed, and a design for experimental verification is outlined. The results can be applied when updating credit-module curricula in pedagogical higher education institutions.