Within the framework of the research project KoDiA (Competencies for the digital world of work - Enabling for digitalization") the German Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) in collaboration with project partners and vocational schools explore digital environments in classrooms of dual vocational education and training (VET).  

An inclusive education in VET and beyond is fundamental to foster social participation by alleviating social inequalities as well as special needs (vgl. Steil et al. 2023, p. 3f.). Since digital tools are increasingly used in classrooms, it appears therefore crucial to ensure that students equally develop the digital skills necessary to enhance their learning experience.  In order to explore student needs and digital skills, the BIBB research team focuses mainly on two research questions: 1.) How do teachers at vocational schools view the digital skills of students? 2.) What interests and needs do vocational students have when it comes to the use of digital media in the classroom and the advancement of their own participation in a digitalized world?

The research team developed a mixed methods design consisting of focus group discussions with VET teachers, followed by an online questionnaire sent out to vocational students. The latter focusing mainly on the self-perception of vocational students’ digital skills and their digital practices.

The self-determination theory (SDT) by Deci and Ryan (2008) serves as the general theoretical background, promoting the idea that experiencing autonomy, competence and social relatedness promote self-determined, and ideally intrinsically motivated, learning (cf. Deci & Ryan 2020). Therefore, the SDT is suitable for researching perceptions of digital skills among vocational students in dual VET, as it allows for a critical view of adolescents and young adults as supposed "digital natives". In addition, the SDT offers a view on learning as action-oriented, as is generally encouraged in VET (vgl. Frank 2016).

In accordance with the self-enhancement approach, a positive self-perception of an individual’s skill set is interrelated with an individual’s positive performance (cf. Möller & Trautwein 2015, S. 193). Therefore, the research team explored the digital self-concept of vocational students for the second part of the research, assessing digital skills (cf. Schauffel et al. 2021), and using the DigComp Framework of the EU (cf. Vuorikari et al. 2022), which is also the basis for the digital competence framework of the German Ministry of Education (cf. KMK 2016, p. 16ff.).

The group discussion analysis shows that, according to teachers, students begin their vocational training with differing levels of digital skills, but experience an increase in skills as their training progresses. Teachers assign these initial differences in students’ digital skills to the differing availability of digital tools and support at home, as well as to differences in students’ school qualifications, their chosen vocational training courses and personal interests. Teachers consider all vocational students as experienced smartphone users. Finally, teachers link students experiencing autonomy, competence and social relatedness in the classroom with their motivation and self-determination in the learning process, as described by Deci and Ryan (2008).

The analysis of the online survey uncovers that the majority of students (81.9%) have a rather positive digital self-concept, regardless of social factors, such as gender. Differences in learning performance as well as school qualifications seem to impact the digital self-concept of vocational students (cf. Möller & Trautwein 2015, p. 187ff.). Students with higher school qualifications (high school diploma) generally have a more positive digital self-concept and view themselves as more digitally competent, compared to students who have an intermediate school qualification. However, regardless of their school qualification, an affinity to use digital devices in everyday life has a positive effect on all students’ digital self-concepts.

In spring 2023, the research team conducted four exploratory focus group discussions (cf. Kuckartz & Rädiker2022; Przyborski & Wohlrab-Sahr, 2021) with twenty teachers from eleven different vocational schools in the federal state of Hamburg. Discussions were structured along topics, such as the digital skills of students at the beginning and during their vocational training as perceived by teachers, as well as teaching methods and digital tools used in the classroom. In addition, discussions focused on the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social connection in accordance with the self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan (2008), student motivation and the role of heterogeneity among students in classrooms. Focus group transcripts were analysed using a qualitative content analysis (Kuckartz & Rädiker 2022). Following the focus group discussions, the research team developed an online questionnaire, which was then sent out to vocational students in the winter of 2023/2024. 2329 questionnaires were completed by vocational students. The structure of the questionnaire was based on the results of the group discussion analysis. Questions focused largely on vocational students’ self-assessed digital competencies and their motivation to use digital tools. Along with questions on the social data of respondents, questions additionally concerned digital technologies in vocational schools and students’ everyday life, as well as the perceived support students receive from parents. The data represented approximately 8.3% of all vocational students in the German federal state of Hamburg.

In summary, it can be said that intrinsically motivated experiences with digital technologies in everyday life, which include access to digital tools at home and at vocational school, as well as higher school qualifications have a positive effect on the digital self-concept of vocational students. Accordingly, social inequalities, such as a difference in financial resources at home or lower school qualifications may negatively impact students’ digital skills. In order to ensure an inclusive education in VET classrooms using digital tools, students need to be encouraged to use digital tools through experiencing autonomy, competence and social relatedness, as defined in the self-determination theory by Deci & Ryan (2008). This ultimately helps them develop a high intrinsic motivation to use digital tools in the classroom and develop digital skills, regardless of their background and education level. At this point, the SDT also supports a ‘modern’ understanding of learning, in which trainees largely acquire the necessary knowledge and skills themselves within the framework of projects with a high degree of autonomy (Heister/Pickl, p. (322). The presentation will provide insights into these results in two ways. First, it will shine a light on the perspective of vocational teachers on the digital competencies of vocational students explored through focus group discussions. Next, it will summarize vocational students’ interests and needs revolving around digital media and their perceived digital competencies as explored though the online questionnaire.

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