Objectives and theoretical framework

Generally, higher education focuses on scientific, researchoriented education. However, it is also the universities’ responsibility to teach skills that are required in non-research fields of occupation, promoting the employability of their graduates. This can be achieved especially by strategic acquirement of generic interdisciplinary key competences (Weinert, 2001a; 2001b). The project focuses on such generic competences essential for the professional activities of university graduates and the identification of these fields of competences. The study’s sample consists of university graduates of educational science studies.

Research shows that apart from genuine educational activities such as educating, mentoring and attending, the occupational activities of educational scientists primarily include organizing, planning and coordinating (Fuchs, 2003). Fuchs systematizes educational activities, interdisciplinary activities and non-educational activities as occupational activities of educational scientists. In addition, she distinguishes educational fields of work from non-educational fields of work leading to a systematization of four occupational fields. The activities described by Fuchs will be measured by instruments based on the Job Requirements Approach (JRA) which is also the fundament of a number of international surveys on work activities such as the PIAAC Questionnaire (OECD, 2009). The JRA allows to measure indirect generic competences required in professional practices.

Research Questions

1. Can interdisciplinary non-technical occupational activities for graduate professions of educational scientists be identified? (1. period “professional field survey”)
2. From these non-technical occupational activities, can competence requirements und models as wells as instruments for their measurement be developed? (2. period “graduates survey”)

The presentation will focus on the first period which is addressed in one subproject.

Fuchs, K. (2003). Wissen und Tun. Tätigkeitsprofile und berufsrelevante Kenntnisse [Knowledge and doing. Job profiles and professional knowledge]. In: Krüger, H.-H. et al. (eds). Diplom-Pädagogen in Deutschland. Survey 2001 [Graduate pedagogues in Germany. Survey 2001]. Weinheim: Juventa, 185-204 Mayring, P. (2010). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Grundlagen und Techniken. [Qualitative content analysis. Basics and techniques]. Weinheim: Beltz OECD. (2009). PIAAC BQ JRA V5.0 – Conceptual Framework. Paris: OECD. Weinert, F. E . (2001a). Competencies and Key Competencies: Educational Perspective. In N. Smelser & P. B. Baltes (Hrsg..). International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behav-ioral Sciences, Vol. 4. (S. 2433-2436). Amsterdam: Elsevier. Weinert, F. E. (2001b). Concept of Competence: A Conceptual Clarification. In D. S: Rychen & L. H. Salganik (Hrsg..). Defining and Selecting Key Competencies (S. 45,65). Seat-tle: Hogrefe & Huber.