Professionalism of Trainers in Further Education – Competencies, Working-profiles and Further Education of freelance Trainers in vocationial training

Author(s):

Sandra FuchsAiga von Hippel Kollmannsberger Markus

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

2. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

02 SES 11 A, Developing personnel in different settings: from training of trainers up to vocational higher education

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-30

16:45-18:15

Room:

HG, HS 23

Chair:

Magdolna Benke

Contribution

Diverse current scientific papers and committees reflect the increased interest in the topics of professionalization and professionalism in further education (for example the „innovation circle for continuing education“ or the survey of the „wbmonitor“ has also been dedicated to the topic of personnel development in institutions of further education (BIBB/DIE 2008, S. 1). The connection between questions of quality and professionalization efforts and development can be observed since the 1990’s (cf. Gieseke 1997; Meisel 2005). The continuing education sector in the Federal Republic of Germany is characterized by a low-level of formalization of the systems, complex diversity of diverging task descriptions and a low-degree of transparency (Schäffter, 1988, S. 88). This situation can also be transferred to the present-day. Topics which are of interest in the context of professionalization and professionalism can be considered as tasks for those involved in continuing education (cf. Kraft 2006). In an international context there are also discussions taking place regarding the competency requirements for those working in continuing education (cf. Nuissl 2005). In the following contribution professionalism of personnel in further education will be defined as skilful professional competency as an indicator for qualitative high-level work (Nittel, 2000, p.15). Therefore further training for personnel in vocational education is an important element as part of quality assurance. In the subjective perception of the participants, those who are part of the pedagogical personnel (especially those directly involved in arranging the courses) are given a special role in developing „adequate quality“ (Ehses/Zech 2002, S. 118) (cf. Tippelt et. al. 2008). The ability of personnel to act competently in individual work situations and as a result to assure the quality of offers can therefore be seen as an aspect of the continual promotion of competencies and further training of professionals. Considering the studies which have taken place in the last years within the german-speaking region, a disregard of the topic of further training for continuing education personnel can be observed (cf. Gieseke 2005). Additionally, a deficit in the results regarding task fields and necessary qualification and competency demands of personnel becomes clear (cf. Kraft 2006). Especially the large group of freelance trainers, which make up approximately 80% of the continuing education personnel, is often not considered closely in empirical works. Accordingly, the research situation regarding competencies, task profiles and the needs for further training especially regarding freelance trainers must be improved.

Method

The theoretical and empirical foundation of the study consists of profession, professionalization, professionalism theories and competency debates. By means of methodological triangulation the central questions of this project allow for a multi-level inter-related research method (cf. Flick 2004). On the macro-level (executives) 15 expert interviews (cf. Häder 2002), on the micolevel (trainers) 3 group discussions (cf. Loos/Schäffer 2001) and 15 problem-centered individual interviews (cf. Witzel 2000) are being conducted. In addition to that 200 trainers could be surveyed by means of an online survey. Supported by the results of the qualitative research the results of the written survey can be interpreted. The methods of data collection and analysis are based on Grounded Theory (theoretical sampling) (cf. Strauss/Corbin 1996) and the variable-oriented content analysis according to Gläser/Laudel (2006). The analysis contains individual case analyses, case study comparisons, as well as the development of typical patterns and comprehensive results.

Expected Outcomes

The contribution planned for the convention focuses on the perspective of the microlevel – trainers - as well as the perspective of the macrolevel – leading experts of institutions of vocational Training. The comparison of these two levels allows an integration of the perspectives and important comparisons due to competence profiles. Results of central working profiles and needs on further education of this group are an important step among the promotion of competences and professionalism among teachers in further education. The results could also be important within an international discussion about actual necessary competence profiles of trainers and about personnel development of staff in further education (cf. Nuissl 2005). In addition to that the research project “KomWeit” (2007 – April 2009) – sponsored by the BMBF - focuses on the self-identification as a protagonist of adult education in the field of professionalization, quality development, and competence promotion for teachers in further education.

References

BIBB/DIE (2008): wbmonitor 2008: Personalentwicklung bei Weiterbildungsanbietern. http://www.bibb.de/dokumente/pdf/wbmonitor_umfrage-2008_ergebnisbericht.pdf Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (ed.) (2006): Berichtssystem Weiterbildung IX. Integrierter Gesamtbericht zur Weiterbildungssituation in Deutschland. Bonn. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) (2008): Empfehlungen des Innovationskreises Weiterbildung für eine Strategie zur Gestaltung des Lernens im Lebenslauf. http://www.bmbf.de/pub/empfehlungen_innovationskreis_weiterbildung.pdf Ehses, C./Zech, R. (2002): Organisationale Qualitätsentwicklung aus der Perspektive der Lernenden – eine Paradoxie? In: Heinold-Krug, E./Meisel, K. (eds.): Qualität entwickeln – Weiterbildung gestalten. Bielefeld. pp. 114-126. Emminger, E./Gieseke, W./Nuissl, E. (2001). Professionalität der in der Weiterbildung Tätigen. In: Arbeitsstab Forum Bildung (ed.): Lernen – ein Leben lang. Vorläufige Empfehlungen und Expertenbericht. Bonn. pp. 190-207. Flick, U. (2004): Triangulation – Eine Einführung. Wiesbaden. Gieseke, W. (1997): Die Qualitätsdiskussion aus erwachsenenpädagogischer Sicht. In: Arnold, R. (Hrsg.): Qualitätssicherung in der Weiterbildung. Opladen: Leske + Budrich. S. 29-47. Gieseke, W. (2005). Fortbildungsbedarfe bei Planer/inne/n und Dozent/inn/en in der Weiterbildung. Empirische Befunde einer Befragung in Berlin und Brandenburg. Report 4/2005. Gläser, J./Laudel, G. (2006): Experteninterviews und qualitative Inhaltsanalyse als Instrument rekonstruierender Untersuchungen. Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. Häder, Michael (2002). Delphi-Befragungen. Ein Arbeitsbuch, Wiesbaden. Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften (2007): Mitteilung der Kommission an den Rat, das Europäische Parlament, den Europäischen Wirtschaft- und Sozialausschuss und den Ausschuss der Regionen. Aktionsplan Erwachsenenbildung. Zum Lernen ist es nie zu spät. Brüssel. KOM(2007) 558 endgültig. Kraft, S. (2006): Aufgaben und Tätigkeiten von Weiterbildner/inne/n – Herausforderungen und Perspektiven einer weiteren Professionalisierung in der Weiterbildung. DIE-Reports zur Weiterbildung. Loos, Peter/Schäffer, Burkhard (2001): Das Gruppendiskussionsverfahren. Theoretische Grundlagen und empirische Anwendung, Opladen Mayring, P. (1995): Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Grundlagen und Techniken. Weinheim. Mayring, P. (2002): Einführung in die qualitative Sozialforschung. Weinheim: Beltz. Meisel, K. (2005): Qualitätsentwicklung in der Weiterbildung erfordert Professionsentwicklung. In: Kompetenzentwicklung in der Weiterbildung: Neue Herausforderungen an Weiterbildungsanbieter – Eine Dokumentation zur Veranstaltungsreihe. Berlin: Schmohl & Partner. Merkens, H. (1997): Stichproben bei qualitativen Studien. In: Friebertshäuser, B./Prengel, A. (Hrsg.): Handbuch Qualitative Forschungsmethoden in der Erziehungswissenschaft. Weinheim. S. 97-106. Nittel, D. (2000): Von der Mission zur Profession? Stand und Perspektiven der Verberuflichung der Erwachsenenbildung. Bielefeld: W. Bertelsmann Verlag. Nuissl, E. (2005): Professionalisierung in Europa. In: REPORT, Heft 4, S. 47–56. OECD (ed.) (2002): Bildung auf einen Blick. OECD-Indikatoren 2002. Paris 2002. Strauss, A./Corbin, J. (1996): Grounded Theory: Grundlagen Qualitativer Sozialforschung. Weinheim. Tippelt, R./ Hippel, A. von (2007): Kompetenzförderung von ErwachsenenbildnerInnen im Bereich Teilnehmer-, Adressaten- und Milieuorientierung als Beitrag zur Professionalisierung in der Erwachsenenbildung. In: Heuer, U/Siebers, R. (eds.): Weiterbildung am Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts. Festschrift für Wiltrud Gieseke. Münster. Witzel, Andreas, Das problemzentrierte Interview, Volume 1, No.1 – Januar 2000, onlineabrufbar unter: www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-00/1-00witzel-d.htm

Author Information

Sandra Fuchs

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität

Pädagogik und Rehabilitation

München

Aiga von Hippel

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Germany

Kollmannsberger Markus

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Germany

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