Functional Skills
The emphasis of Functional Skills is on the development of skills that the learner can select and apply in a range of different contexts. Having developed the skills demonstration at mastery level is being able to ‘transfer’ and apply them in a wide range of different contexts. They need to be aware of the skills they need to practise and develop in order to be able to select and apply them ‘independently’.
The embedding of Functional Skills sets out to develop the aptitude, attitude and behaviour encouraging an individuals’ positive contribution to their community.
When teaching Functional Skills
* Incorporate the three stage process in planning
* Identify objectives that are skills focused
* Make explicit the skills that are being developed, their purpose and where else they might be applied
* Know when to support learning through scaffolding and when to withdraw that support to enable independence
* Adopt active, collaborative and problem solving approaches to learning
Implications for learners
* Functional skills are much more than a set of technical competencies in English, mathematics and ICT.
* ‘Mastery’ involves selection and application of a range of skills to tackle tasks and problems.
Learners need to know:
* what skills are available
* when to use the skills
* why the skills are appropriate for the task
* how to apply the skills to achieve appropriate outcomes.
Contexts and outcomes can vary; the functional skills do not.
The emphasis of Functional Skills is on the development of skills that the learner can select and apply in a range of different contexts. Having developed the skills demonstration at mastery level is being able to ‘transfer’ and apply them in a wide range of different contexts. They need to be aware of the skills they need to practise and develop in order to be able to select and apply them ‘independently’.
The embedding of Functional Skills sets out to develop the aptitude, attitude and behaviour encouraging an individuals’ positive contribution to their community.
When teaching Functional Skills
* Incorporate the three stage process in planning
* Identify objectives that are skills focused
* Make explicit the skills that are being developed, their purpose and where else they might be applied
* Know when to support learning through scaffolding and when to withdraw that support to enable independence
* Adopt active, collaborative and problem solving approaches to learning
Implications for learners
* Functional skills are much more than a set of technical competencies in English, mathematics and ICT.
* ‘Mastery’ involves selection and application of a range of skills to tackle tasks and problems.
Learners need to know:
* what skills are available
* when to use the skills
* why the skills are appropriate for the task
* how to apply the skills to achieve appropriate outcomes.
Contexts and outcomes can vary; the functional skills do not.
