Research Article ROLE OF THINKING ON TEACHING COMPETENCY – PRE SERVICE TEACHERS PERSPECTIVE N.Sasikumar* 1 , M.Parimala Fathima 2 , M.Panimalar Roja 3 1 Research Scholar Center for Research in Education Thava Thiru Kundrakudi Adigalar College Campus,Kundrakudi,Sivagangai District - 630 206 Tamil Nadu India. 2 Assistant professor Alagappa University College of Education Tamil Nadu, India. 3 Research Scholar, Center for Research in Education Thava Thiru Kundrakudi Adigalar College Campus,Kundrakudi,Sivagangai District - 630 206 Tamil Nadu India Email: sasismile25@gmail.com Received: 6 August 2013, Revised and Accepted: 18 August 2013 ABSTRACT The teacher competence includes a thorough knowledge of the content. A teacher competence mainly includes the strategies, understanding of student psychology and the process of thinking. With regard to the former, plenty of resource material is available. But, the latter has been a continuous experimentation throughout the world. Cognitive Psychology contributes substantially in enhancing teaching competence. In recent times, cognitive neuroscience researches have demanded the teaching competence to be redefined to meet the challenges. Naturally, the learning process depends on the effective functioning of the brain. Thinking refers to the process of thought. To consider, judge or believe. The process of exercising the mind in order to make a decision, to remember or recollect, to make the mental choice between options. A focus on the development of thinking competencies within specific areas of the curriculum and across it not only serves as a core integrative function, it also has the potential to provide continuity in approaches to learning ,the view that such knowledge, skills and behaviours are important to lifelong learning. To emphasis’ this, teachers model skilful and , and make their own thinking explicit as part of their everyday practice. The impact of thinking on class room activities and other educational activities is more to enhancing the teaching competency. Keywords: Cognitive Psychology, teaching competence, effective thinking and cognitive neuroscience INTRODUCTION The teacher competence includes a thorough knowledge of the content [5]. A teacher competence mainly includes the strategies, understanding of student psychology and the process of thinking. With regard to the former, plenty of resource material is available. But, the latter has been a continuous experimentation throughout the world. Cognitive Psychology contributes substantially in enhancing teaching competence. In recent times, cognitive neuroscience researches have demanded the teaching competence to be redefined to meet the challenges. Naturally, the learning process depends on the effective functioning of the brain. Thinking refers to the act or practice of one that thinks or thought, a way of reasoning and judgment. A focus on the development of thinking competencies within specific areas of the curriculum and across it not only serves as a core integrative function, it also has the potential to provide continuity in approaches to learning ,the view that such knowledge, skills and behaviours are important to lifelong learning [4]. To emphasis’ teaching competency among pre service teachers, effective thinking is important to explicit as part of their everyday practice. THINKING AND TEACHING COMPETENCY Competency means the right way of conveying units of knowledge, application and skills to students. The right way includes knowledge of content as well as the process, methods and means of conveying them in an interesting way. It is applied to an ancient human value, for example, the right way to do things is the competent way, the right way to perform a job, the right way to live and work in association and cooperation with others. In other words, it means a desired quality of job performance. The training for competency has always been training for creating abilities or qualities that are placed in actual job situation / context. Clearly, teaching will be more effective if it uses methods which are aligned with how the brain best attends to understand and retain information. The search is: Which are the teaching methods most brain-compatible? Although some have warned that it is too early at this point to make valid inferences about teaching methods based on brain science, many make an attempt to build bridges between theory and practice, and educators are motivated through books and workshops to make classrooms (brain-compatible). Many principles of Brain-based learning have been derived, and educators are attempting to practices these principles. Teaching practices undergo a natural selection process - those which work survive those which do not drop away. Effective teaching practices are effective precisely because they are brain based. Thinking skills can be defined in a variety of ways. Many different taxonomies and models for teaching thinking have been developed. Each classification scheme has its strengths and weaknesses. However, whatever the system or systems being used, all seek to improve the quality of student thinking. This domain encompasses a range of cognitive, affective and metacognitive knowledge, skills and behaviours which are essential for effective functioning in society both within and beyond school. The study of thinking enables students to acquire strategies for thinking related to enquiry, processing information, reasoning, problem solving, evaluation and reflection[8]. DIMENSIONS OF THINKING Thinking Processes domains are organized in three dimensions:  Reasoning, processing and inquiry  Creativity  Reflection, evaluation and metacognition. REASONING, PROCESSING AND INQUIRY The Reasoning, processing and inquiry dimension encompasses the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to enable students to inquire into the world around them, and to use critical thinking to analyse and evaluate information they encounter. Students learn to assemble and question information and develop opinions based on informed judgments. They also develop the capacity to transform information into coherent knowledge structures. Vol 1, Issue 2 , 2013