The Competency Debate in German VET: An Analysis of Current Reform Approaches

Autor/in	Hellwig, Silke
Titel	The Competency Debate in German VET: An Analysis of Current Reform Approaches
Quelle	In: International Journal of Training Research, 4 (2006) 1, S.1-16 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1448-0220
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Vocational Education; Competence; Educational Change; Change Strategies; Cultural Differences; Apprenticeships; Australia; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Ausbildung; Berufsbildung; Kompetenz; Bildungsreform; Lösungsstrategie; Kultureller Unterschied; Apprenticeship; Lehre; Australien; Deutschland
Abstract	Competency-based training (CBT) is inherent in Anglophone vocational education and training (VET) systems. Respective attributes such as outcome-orientation, flexible delivery as well as an individualised and modular culture of learning are characteristic especially of the Australian VET system. Opposed to that, the German VET system is marked by the vocational principle, which leads to an efficient, but rather rigid system. Despite these apparent differences the competency debate has entered current VET research in Germany and various attempts to reform existing VET structures have been undertaken in the past few years. This paper includes an analysis of the competency debate in German VET research against the background of two main principles underlying German VET, namely the principles of dualism and vocationalism. Concepts of competency will be introduced and the problem of defining the term competency and the inconsistent use of the term for example in the concept of key competencies will be looked at. "Professional action competency" and competency-based learning fields are illustrated as two examples of the German competency debate. Finally, the question whether CBT as realised in Australia has potential for the German dual apprenticeship system will be examined by contrasting both approaches. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10