For the development of a common European space of Vocational Education and Training, international comparative research has always been pivotal in the past and present of European VET research.

As we witness an ongoing trend to outcome-based evaluations of the results of VET (e.g. in terms of professional competence and occupational commitment), here international comparisons may prove extremely helpful as well.

This is still not at all a trivial undertaking. Even when using standardised models and surveys, different understandings on the nature of skilled work and thus the qualities of an expert worker play in important role in evaluating competence in different contexts. These often implicit understandings (often causing a hidden agenda in national VET systems) have to be made explicit in order to be able to modify models in a way that they really are suited for international comparisons - if possible.

The symposium will elaborate on 5 years of international comparative research on occupational compatence in Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, China and South Africa as well as on occupational commitment and identity and discuss the various obstacles that emerged. This way, we want to highlight factors enabling and constraining this research of direct comparison of VET outcomes.

References:

Rauner, F., Heinemann, L. et al. 2012: Competence development and Assessment in TVET. Theoretical Framework and Empirical Results. Dordrecht: Springer.

Rauner F., Heinemann, L., Maurer, A., Li Ji, Zhiqun Zhao (2012): Messen beruflicher Kompetenzen. Bd. 3: Drei Jahre KOMET-Testerfahrung.