4 | SBESS Journal / XI (2) 2014 / www.upit.ro/SBESSJournal Approaching competence as a situational construct and its impact on learning Emanuel Soare (*) University of Pitești [Romania] Abstract The present paper deals with the problem of competence, as it is found in the specialty literature in the area of educational sciences. There are analyzed various perspectives which can contribute to the clarification of the problem tackled and to the identification of different traits displayed by this major concept of postmodern pedagogy. The author highlights the specificity of the process of integrating the concept of competence from the labor area in the school context and its impact on the traits the concept is to present in this new context. There are identified and analyzed several explanatory theories of competence and the ways they can be integrated into a convergent view on competence relevant to the educational field Key words: competence, PSR skills, mobilization, ability construct Introduction n our contemporary, postindustrial and global society, the raise of the exigencies and expectancy regarding the outcomes of educational systems and of students learning leads to a serious discussion about the complex issues of the concept of competence. Education cannot anymore be analyzed only through the quantity of the specialized knowledge a person has in different domains, but, more often, it is raising the questions about competences and life skills, about alphabetization, adapting to problematic situations etc. (*) Associate professor PhD, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Pitești. Email: emanuel.soare@upit.ro I