Conference:
ECER 2008
Format:
Paper
Session Information
PRE_M2a, Paper Session
Paper Session
Time:
2008-09-09
15:00-16:00
Room:
C E38
Chair:
Airi Rovio-Johansson
Contribution
Theoretical Background: Following four years of primary school for all, educational paths are divided in the German “subdivided school system”, consisting of lower secondary general schools (Hauptschulen), intermediate schools (Realschulen), grammar schools (Gymnasien), and comprehensive schools (Gesamtschulen). This separation has strong effects on the future (occupational) prospects of the youngsters.
PISA not only points out German pupils to be on a lower level than expected, but also describes the partly enormous differences within the subdivided school system! “Berufsbildungsberichte” complete the picture – regarding future occupational prospects, those with a certificate of lower general education (after grade 9) have far lower chances to merge into the dual system. This is, even though, “in lower secondary education, an initial introduction to the world of work takes place” (Hippach-Schneider, Krause, Woll (2006): “Vocational education and training in Germany”, p. 23). The curriculum for lower secondary education contains:
- independent subjects preparing for working life (Arbeitslehre)
- periods of work experience in the last two classes (internships)
- ….
However, this meets with a discordant reality: The majority of trainees in the dual system hold either the intermediate certificate or an entitlement to higher education. In the meantime, those with certificates in lower secondary education constitute the majority of those who have not yet entered an apprenticeship by the end of the year or end up in the “foundation vocational training year” (BGJ) or “pre-vocational training year” (BVJ), which are often nothing more than waiting loops. But how can that problem be solved? Two important factors can be determined – an external and an internal one:
1) The number of interested youngsters exceeds the number of apprenticeships offered and, as a matter of course, companies select the more highly qualified ones. Within schools we can hardly influence that. Politics and economy try to better the situation with agreements like the “Nationaler Pakt für Ausbildung und Fachkräftenachwuchs in Deutschland” (increasing the number of apprenticeships).
2) The second factor refers to the formation of occupational wishes. Those youngsters who have specific ideas of their desired future occupation and their market opportunities, and who “possess the ability to access themselves realistically” (Bergzog (2006): Occupations begin at school - pupil work experience programmes in the vocational orientation phase, Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis - BWP 35 (2006) 3, p. 28) clearly have better chances to succeed in job applications.
Topic: My field of interest is how to support pupils at lower secondary schools. Therefore I research networks of schools and their influence on school vocational orientation in general and in one specific case: I have access to data from a project called KÜM – “cooperative transitional management” (cooperative management for a successful transfer into vocational training) - a project recently started that wants to build up and guarantee a long-lasting and all-embracing network in 15 lower secondary schools in Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. KÜM will begin (in schools) in March 2008. The network it will provide is between all participating partners: parents, school, chambers, ministries, supporters, the public employment agency; and will employ mentors to accompany the pupils for three years (until they leave school)… to ensure every single pupil’s completion of school and to integrate them into working life. The transfer into occupation (vocational training) is prepared in a systematic way from grade seven on. This should prevent a sudden, ill-considered decision by accompanying and fostering the development process.
Research question: Which influences do networks have on the occupational orientation and qualification of pupils at a low level?
To answer this question, several steps need to be taken. My chosen research instruments reflect that it is necessary to combine methods and data.
Method
Methods/Research Instruments:
As stated above my research is characterized by triangulation.
The first step is to ascertain data from headmasters of all lower secondary schools in Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. A web-based questionnaire enquires about
- existing cooperations/network partners
- duration & intensity of cooperation
- communication between partners
This information should provide an overview of the value of building up or maintaining a network.
This is the basis for continuing research within KÜM (see description above)! Here I intend to use both quantitative and qualitative methods. As KÜM demands not only continuing but also documenting counselling, all data are collected in a monitoring system. Each “pilot” (mentor) lists his/her pupil’s situation and development, each company lists information about pupils they have got to know in internships, exhaustive tests (geva) and their results are listed. Career counselling at the employment agency and much more can also be found in this monitoring system.
So it is possible to
a) evaluate all information together and find the appropriate form of support for each youngster
b) follow the individual development step by step
c) map the project’s success
and of course:
d) evaluate the project’s success along the development within one year and until the pupils leave school
e) evaluate single “bricks” of the network
An important indicator is the rate of successful entries into occupation (vocational training).
In my eyes it is necessary to deepen the results with some qualitative data. To evaluate the network as a whole and also each partner within, I plan to interview each participating group (see description above) with a focus on pupils (group discussion) and their judgement.
I will evaluate my entire data by using SPSS (multivariate analysis) and MaxQDA (content analysis). For the presentation at ECER I will present the results of the survey on existing networks and their attributes and the theoretical background of KÜM. That leads to the following broad structure:
1) theoretical background
2) a – networking
b – survey on existing networks (methods, results)
c – example KÜM
d – further plans (short)
Expected Outcomes
It is proven, that the vocational orientation phase is important for a successfull transfer into vocational training - and will grow in importance in future. Therefore the expected outcomes are:
1. to take stock on existing instruments in the named phase
2. the innovation of KÜM
3. to point out the necessary time to begin with vocational orientation in school
References
-no own publications so far (diploma thesis not published)
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