Teaching and Assessing to the Competence-Oriented Curriculum (Lehrplan 21 / PER / Piano di studio)

Rationale

The HarmoS Agreement (in force 1 August 2009) harmonized the structures and objectives of compulsory schooling across all 26 cantons and defined national educational standards in the school languages, mathematics, and natural sciences. The three language-region curricula that operationalize HarmoS (Lehrplan 21 for the German-speaking cantons, the PER for the French-speaking cantons, and the Piano di studio for Ticino) are the de facto national curriculum standards against which every compulsory-school teacher plans, teaches, and assesses. Curriculum introduction is a common trigger for compulsory CPD, and the competence orientation of these curricula represents a fundamental shift from content-based to outcome-based teaching that requires sustained professional learning. This course anchors every lesson to the specific instruments (HarmoS, the regional curricula, and the EDK recognition regulations) that define what teachers must be able to teach and assess.

Part I: Foundations (Lessons 1-4)

Lesson 1. Why Switzerland harmonized compulsory schooling

The lesson opens with the constitutional and political context that produced the HarmoS Agreement. Participants examine Article 62 of the Federal Constitution, which assigns education primarily to the cantons while requiring the Confederation and cantons to jointly ensure quality and permeability across the system. The lesson traces the problem that HarmoS was designed to solve: the fragmentation of compulsory schooling across 26 cantons created barriers to pupil mobility, inconsistent quality, and incompatible school-leaving credentials. Participants analyze the HarmoS Agreement itself, focusing on its core provisions: the harmonization of school entry age, compulsory schooling duration, and the definition of educational areas and national educational standards. The lesson concludes with a discussion of how HarmoS respects cantonal sovereignty while establishing binding intercantonal obligations. Participants can afterward explain the constitutional and political rationale for HarmoS and identify its key structural provisions.

Lesson 2. One country, three regional curricula

This lesson examines how the HarmoS Agreement is realized through three distinct but structurally equivalent language-region curricula. Participants compare the Lehrplan 21 (adopted by 21 German-speaking and multilingual cantons), the Plan d'etudes romand (PER, in full use since 2015), and the Piano di studio della scuola dell'obbligo ticinese (introduced by 2018/19). The lesson focuses on the shared HarmoS educational areas (languages, mathematics and natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, arts, movement and health) and how each curriculum expresses them in its own language and pedagogical tradition. Participants work with sample pages from all three curricula to identify the common competence descriptors and the region-specific additions. The lesson concludes with a mapping exercise that shows how a teacher moving between language regions can locate equivalent competence targets. Participants can afterward identify the structural equivalence of the three regional curricula and locate corresponding competence descriptors across them.

Lesson 3. The competence model

The lesson defines the Swiss competence model that underpins all three regional curricula. Participants learn that a Kompetenz (competence) in the Swiss framework means the integrated application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes to a specific situation or task. The lesson distinguishes this from a simple content objective or a skill list. Participants examine the structure of a typical competence descriptor in Lehrplan 21 (e.g., "Die Schulerinnen und Schuler konnen ...") and the equivalent formulations in the PER and Piano di studio. The lesson explores the four dimensions of competence that the curricula assume: factual knowledge, procedural skills, strategic reasoning, and dispositional readiness. Participants practice deconstructing a competence descriptor into its constituent parts and reconstructing it as a teaching objective. The lesson concludes with a discussion of why the competence model matters for assessment and for pupil progression. Participants can afterward define the Swiss competence model, deconstruct a competence descriptor, and translate it into a teaching objective.

Lesson 4. The three-cycle structure

This lesson examines the HarmoS-aligned cycle structure that organizes compulsory schooling into three cycles. Participants learn the age ranges and school years of each cycle: Cycle 1 (ages 4 to 8, years 1 to 4), Cycle 2 (ages 8 to 12, years 5 to 8), and Cycle 3 (ages 12 to 15, years 9 to 11). The lesson explores what the cycle structure means for teaching: teachers are responsible for the competence progression across the cycle, not just for their single year group. Participants analyze how the regional curricula specify competence targets at the end of each cycle rather than year by year, and what flexibility this gives teachers. The lesson includes a comparison of how the three curricula handle the transition between cycles, including the role of the cycle-end assessment. Participants practice mapping a competence from its Cycle 1 entry point to its Cycle 3 exit expectation. Participants can afterward explain the three-cycle structure, identify the competence targets for each cycle in their regional curriculum, and plan for progression across cycles.

Part II: Core Practice (Lessons 5-10)

Lesson 5. The educational areas / domaines

This lesson provides a systematic overview of the HarmoS-defined educational areas that structure all three regional curricula. Participants examine the full set of areas: languages (school language, second national language, English), mathematics and natural sciences, social sciences and humanities (geography, history, civics, ethics and religions), arts (visual arts, music), and movement and health. The lesson explores how each area is organized within the regional curricula, including the sub-areas and the competence domains within each. Participants compare how the three curricula weight and sequence the areas, noting that the PER uses the term "domaines" and the Piano di studio uses "aree disciplinari." The lesson includes a practical exercise in locating the competence descriptors for a given educational area across all three curricula. Participants can afterward identify all HarmoS educational areas, locate the corresponding sections in their regional curriculum, and understand the structural equivalence across language regions.

Lesson 6. National educational standards (Bildungsstandards)

This lesson focuses on the national educational standards that HarmoS established as the minimum competence expectations for all pupils. Participants learn that the standards are defined in the school languages (German, French, Italian, Romansh), mathematics, and natural sciences, and that they specify what pupils must be able to do at the end of certain school years. The lesson examines the standard-setting process: how the EDK commissions the development of standards, how they are validated, and how they are embedded in the regional curricula. Participants analyze sample standards from each subject area and discuss the difference between a standard (a minimum expectation) and a curriculum target (a broader aspiration). The lesson explores how the standards are used for system monitoring (e.g., through the national educational monitoring program) and for individual pupil assessment. Participants can afterward identify the national educational standards relevant to their teaching level and subject, and explain how the standards relate to the regional curriculum competence descriptors.

Lesson 7. Planning backward from competences

This lesson introduces the backward-design approach that the competence-oriented curricula require. Participants learn the principle: start with the desired competence outcome, then design the assessment evidence, then plan the learning activities. The lesson contrasts this with traditional content-first planning. Participants practice using the competence descriptors from their regional curriculum to formulate learning objectives, then design assessment tasks that would provide evidence of competence attainment, and finally select teaching strategies that build the required knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The lesson includes a structured planning template aligned to the Lehrplan 21 / PER / Piano di studio competence structure. Participants work through a complete backward-planning cycle for one competence descriptor. The lesson concludes with a discussion of common pitfalls (overplanning content, underdesigning assessment, neglecting the attitude dimension). Participants can afterward apply backward design to plan a unit from a competence descriptor in their regional curriculum.

Lesson 8. Interdisciplinary and transversal themes

This lesson examines the cross-curricular capacities and general education perspectives that the regional curricula embed alongside the subject-specific competences. Participants learn the terminology: Lehrplan 21 calls them "uberfachliche Kompetenzen" (personal, social, methodological competences), the PER calls them "capacites transversales" (collaboration, communication, creative thinking, critical thinking, learning strategies), and the Piano di studio uses "competenze trasversali." The lesson explores how these transversal competences are developed through subject teaching rather than in separate lessons. Participants analyze sample teaching sequences that integrate transversal competences with subject-specific ones. The lesson also covers the general education perspectives (Bildung fur Nachhaltige Entwicklung, Politische Bildung, Gesundheitsforderung, etc.) that must be addressed across subjects. Participants practice identifying opportunities for transversal competence development within their own subject teaching. Participants can afterward identify the transversal competences in their regional curriculum and design teaching sequences that develop them alongside subject competences.

Lesson 9. Competence-based formative assessment

This lesson focuses on making pupil progress against competences visible during the learning process. Participants learn the distinction between formative assessment (assessment for learning) and summative assessment (assessment of learning) within the competence-oriented framework. The lesson presents practical formative assessment techniques aligned to the Swiss competence model: observation rubrics, learning journals, self-assessment against competence descriptors, peer feedback protocols, and strategic questioning. Participants practice designing a formative assessment task that targets a specific competence descriptor and provides actionable feedback to the pupil. The lesson explores how formative assessment data informs the teacher's next instructional moves and how it can be documented for reporting purposes. Participants examine examples of formative assessment practices from Swiss classrooms across all three language regions. The lesson concludes with a discussion of how to balance formative assessment with the time demands of the curriculum. Participants can afterward design and implement formative assessment tasks that provide evidence of competence development.

Lesson 10. Summative assessment and reporting

This lesson addresses the alignment of grades and reports to competence attainment. Participants learn that the regional curricula require summative assessment to reflect the competence descriptors, not merely content coverage. The lesson examines cantonal assessment regulations that specify how grades (Zeugnis / bulletin) must be constructed and what they must communicate. Participants analyze sample report formats from German-speaking, French-speaking, and Italian-speaking cantons, identifying how competence information is conveyed. The lesson explores the challenge of converting qualitative competence evidence into a numerical grade and presents strategies for doing so transparently and defensibly. Participants practice constructing a summative assessment task that yields both a grade and a competence profile. The lesson also covers the legal weight of grades for transition decisions (Selektion / orientation) and the teacher's accountability for fair, competence-based grading. Participants can afterward design summative assessments aligned to competence descriptors and construct reports that communicate competence attainment.

Part III: Application and Mastery (Lessons 11-15)

Lesson 11. Differentiation within the competence framework

This lesson explores how to stretch and support pupils against the same competence targets within a mixed-ability classroom. Participants learn that the competence-oriented curriculum does not mean uniform expectations for all pupils; rather, the competence descriptors define the target, and the teacher differentiates the pathway, the support, and the depth of attainment. The lesson presents the individualized-learning provisions embedded in the regional curricula: Lehrplan 21's "individuelle Lernziele," the PER's "adaptations curriculaires," and the Piano di studio's "personalizzazione." Participants practice designing differentiated learning activities that allow pupils to work toward the same competence descriptor at different levels of complexity and with different levels of scaffolding. The lesson includes strategies for pupils with special educational needs (linked to the Sonderpadagogik-Konkordat) and for gifted pupils. Participants can afterward design differentiated teaching sequences that maintain the competence target while adjusting the pathway and support for individual pupils.

Lesson 12. Curriculum-aligned teaching materials

This lesson addresses the selection and use of teaching materials (Lehrmittel / moyens d'enseignement / materiali didattici) that are approved against the regional curriculum. Participants learn that cantons maintain lists of approved materials that have been vetted for alignment with the competence descriptors. The lesson examines the approval process: how publishers submit materials for review, what criteria are applied (competence alignment, language correctness, age appropriateness, freedom from bias), and how teachers can supplement approved materials with self-created resources. Participants practice evaluating a teaching resource against the competence descriptors of their regional curriculum. The lesson also covers digital teaching materials and the criteria for their selection, including data protection considerations under the revised Federal Act on Data Protection. Participants can afterward evaluate teaching materials for competence alignment and select resources that support the curriculum.

Lesson 13. Transition and selection decisions

This lesson examines how competence data informs the high-stakes transition decisions at the end of primary school (Cycle 2 to Cycle 3) and within lower secondary (orientation to different school types or tracks). Participants learn the cantonal rules for Selektion / orientation, which vary by canton but are all built on curricular attainment. The lesson explores the teacher's role in providing competence-based recommendations, the use of standardized assessments in some cantons, and the legal framework for parental appeals. Participants analyze sample transition dossiers and practice writing a competence-based recommendation that is both informative and defensible. The lesson also covers the transition from compulsory schooling to upper-secondary education (vocational or baccalaureate) and how competence data from Cycle 3 feeds into that decision. Participants can afterward produce competence-based transition recommendations that comply with cantonal regulations and support fair pupil placement.

Lesson 14. Communicating competence to families

This lesson focuses on explaining competence-based assessment and reporting to parents and legal guardians. Participants learn that the shift from content-based to competence-based reporting requires a different kind of communication with families, who may be unfamiliar with the competence model. The lesson presents strategies for parent-teacher conferences, written reports, and digital communication platforms that make competence information accessible. Participants practice explaining a competence descriptor to a parent, describing what their child can do, what the next steps are, and how the family can support learning at home. The lesson also covers the legal requirement to inform parents about pupil progress and the teacher's duty to document that communication. Participants examine sample parent communication materials from all three language regions. Participants can afterward communicate competence-based assessment results to families in a clear, constructive, and legally compliant manner.

Lesson 15. Auditing your teaching against the curriculum

This lesson provides a structured self-review process that maps a teacher's current practice to the applicable regional curriculum. Participants use a self-audit instrument that covers all elements of the course: competence orientation in planning, formative and summative assessment, differentiation, material selection, transition support, and family communication. The lesson guides participants through collecting evidence of their current practice, identifying gaps against the curriculum requirements, and developing a personal action plan for improvement. Participants share their audit results in small groups and receive peer feedback. The lesson concludes with a discussion of how the audit can be used for the cantonal CPD obligation and for professional development planning. Participants produce a written self-audit and action plan that they can submit as part of their CPD documentation. Participants can afterward conduct a systematic self-audit of their teaching against the regional curriculum and produce a targeted professional development plan.

This syllabus was designed from primary-source research of this nation's official teacher requirements and passed independent verification. The full course, its lessons, assistant, and materials are live for enrolled educators.