The workshop will address the various methodological problems that we confront when researching innovative forms of apprenticeships and other VET. The most important of these problems lies in comparing the effectiveness of the transfer of competences to the learner. To describe the competence level reached by a person and to compare this with the level of another person, we need to identify a whole set of variables: we need a model of competence transfer, a comparable set of indicators for domain-specific competences, and indicators for the learning process and its context (teaching and learning (e.g. to what extent does the way an apprenticeship is carried out sustain the development from novice to expert - work-process orientation, communication between learners and experts etc., and - where applicable - fitness of co-operation between vocational schools and enterprises), student's motivation and commitment as well as factors enabling and constraining it (organisational commitment, occupational commitment, work ethics etc.), development of professional identity (e.g. socialisation into a community of practice)). An additional difficulty here lies in the fact that all these indicators interact in various ways. In this workshop we will present and discuss various strategies to overcome these problems that lately have been developed in national and European research projects. The two main sets of research instruments to be discussed in the workshop address the two problems of measuring effectiveness of competence transfer and learners' motivation. To measure competence transfer, we present a model for the interaction of variables describing the learning possibilities at the workplace and development of competence in terms of functionality, processuality, use value and client orientation, societal relevance. To measure learners' motivation, we will present methodological challenges and findings of a recent study analysing the degree of different forms of commitment of German apprentices (occupational commitment, organisational commitment, job involvement, occupational identity) and their relation to the different ways apprenticeship is carried out in different professions. Furthermore, we will discuss the methodological challenges to combine these findings with possibilities to measure competencies and background data on workplaces, vocational schools and the learners' biography. The expected outcome of this research workshop will be a model to describe and analyse various forms of apprenticeships in terms of their consequences on learners' motivation, the development of a professional identity and the effectiveness of competence transfer. Bauer, W. (im Druck). Einstellungsmuster zum Selbst-, Aufgaben- und Fachverständ-nis von Gewerbelehrern. Ausgewählte Befunde einer Befragung in der beruflichen Fachrich-tung Elektrotechnik. Zeitschrift für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, Beiheft. Berufsbildungssteuerung Zentralschweiz. (2004). Fachprojekt QUALIZENSE. Hand-buch Qualitätskarte: Zentralschweizer Berufsbildungsämter-Konferenz. Bremer, R., & Haasler, B. (2004). Analyse der Entwicklung fachlicher Kompetenz und beruflicher Identität in der beruflichen Kompetenzentwicklung. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 50(2), 162-181. Bremer, R., & Jagla, H.-H. (2000). Berufsbildung in Geschäfts- und Arbeitsprozessen : Dokumentation und Ergebnisse der Fachtagung vom 14. und 15. Juni 1999 in Hannover. Bremen: Donat. Pätzold, G., Drees, G., & Thiele, H. (1998). Kooperation in der beruflichen Bildung : zur Zusammenarbeit von Ausbildern und Berufsschullehrern im Metall- und Elektrobereich. Baltmannsweiler: Schneider-Verl. Hohengehren. Pätzold, G., & Walden, G. (1995). Lernorte im dualen System der Berufsausbildung. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann. Prenzel, M., Kristen, A., Dengler, P., Ettle, R., & Beer, T. (1996). Selbstbestimmt motiviertes und interessiertes Lernen in der kuafmännischen Erstausbildung. Zeitschrift für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik(Beiheft 13). Rauner, F., Heinemann, L. (2006) Berufliches Engagement von Auszubildenden, Bremen: ITB. Ripper, J., Weisschuh, B., & DaimlerChrysler AG. (1999). Ausbildung im Dialog : das ganzheitliche Beurteilungsverfahren für die betriebliche Berufsausbildung. [Kostanz]: Chri-stiani. Skule, S., & Reichborn, A. N. (2002). Learning-conducive work. A survey of learning conditions in Norwegian workplaces. Luxembourg: Off. for Official Publ. of the Europ. Communities Zimmermann, M., Wild, K.-P., & Müller, W. M. (1999). Das "Mannheimer Inventar zur Erfassung betrieblicher Ausbildungssituationen" (MIZEBA). Zeitschrift für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, 95, 373-402.