IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/zbw/ijrvet/263261.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Input from the grassroots level: Reflecting challenges and problems for VET professionals in Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Anselmann, Sebastian
  • Harm, Stefan
  • Faßhauer, Uwe

Abstract

Context: Often, vocational education and training (VET) professionals are not systematically prepared for their demanding, mostly diverse and complex tasks. Professional development can be understood as an enlargement of competencies that arise as opportunities in daily work. This study, embedded in a funded research project, focuses on VET professionals and their professional development. The research question is as follows: What challenges and problems regarding their professional development, as well as possible solutions, are described by training professionals in VET in Germany? Approach: The goal of this study is to discover what challenges VET professionals face and how they cope with them. Accordingly, this research was formalised with the following components: (A) An explorative study with group discussions (N = 53 participants in six groups) and (B) result validation with German VET experts (N = 10). The data were recorded, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Using a theory-based category system, the group discussion results were summarised in 12 systematic, organisational- and individual-level statements. The statements indicated that despite the necessity of formal professional development in the area of further training, most VET professionals must still be able to profit from offers at or below the German Qualification Framework (DQR) level 5. Many VET professionals ultimately sought visible recognition of their activities or personal commitment with regard to pedagogical and company-economic functions. The 10 VET experts also evaluated the 12 statements as important. Conclusion: The results of this study show that there is a huge need for qualification and learning opportunities for VET professionals. The demand is mostly for modern, tried-and-tested concepts and central themes, such as action and competency orientation, practice and transfer orientation, individual and structural reflection, media competency and learning support in all formats and at all levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Anselmann, Sebastian & Harm, Stefan & Faßhauer, Uwe, 2022. "Input from the grassroots level: Reflecting challenges and problems for VET professionals in Germany," International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET), European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (VETNET), European Educational Research Association, vol. 9(2), pages 239-268.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ijrvet:263261
    DOI: 10.13152/IJRVET.9.2.5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/263261/1/1814970797.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.13152/IJRVET.9.2.5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Solga, Heike & Protsch, Paula & Ebner, Christian & Brzinsky-Fay, Christian, 2014. "The German vocational education and training system: Its institutional configuration, strengths, and challenges," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Skill Formation and Labor Markets SP I 2014-502, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pardesi, Mantej, 2024. "Productivity convergence and firm’s training strategy," ROA Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    2. Dutta, Sujoy, 2015. "An uneven path to accountability: A comparative study of MGNREGA in two states of India," Discussion Papers, Inequality and Social Policy SP I 2015-201, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    3. Fedor Dudyrev & Olga Romanova & Alexey Shabalin, 2018. "Dual Education in Regions of Russia: Models, Best Practices, Growth Prospects," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 117-138.
    4. Neugebauer, Martin & Daniel, Annabell, 2021. "Higher Education Non-Completion, Employers, and Labor Market Integration: Experimental Evidence," SocArXiv evm74, Center for Open Science.
    5. Simone R Haasler, 2020. "The German system of vocational education and training: challenges of gender, academisation and the integration of low-achieving youth," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 26(1), pages 57-71, February.
    6. Nancy Kracke & Margarida Rodrigues, 2020. "A Task-Based Indicator for Labour Market Mismatch," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 399-421, June.
    7. Künster, Ralf, 2017. "TrueTales View-Manual: A tool to visualize life course data using the scientific use files of the National Educational Panel Study NEPS, starting cohort 6 - adults," Discussion Papers, Project Group National Educational Panel Study: Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning SP I 2017-502, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    8. Chengming Yang & Franz Kaiser & Hui Tang & Pujun Chen & Junfeng Diao, 2023. "Sustaining the Quality Development of German Vocational Education and Training in the Age of Digitalization: Challenges and Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Alhusen, Harm & Bennat, Tatjana, 2019. "Innovation modes in SMEs: Mechanisms integrating STI-processes into DUI-mode learning and the role of regional innovation policy," ifh Working Papers 21/2019, Volkswirtschaftliches Institut für Mittelstand und Handwerk an der Universität Göttingen (ifh).
    10. Ruggero Cefalo & Vittorio Sergi & Nicola Giannelli, 2015. ""We are not NEET": How categories frame (mis)understanding and impede solutions," Working Papers 1508, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2015.
    11. Mahmut Ozer & Matjaž Perc, 2020. "Dreams and realities of school tracking and vocational education," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-7, December.
    12. Solga, Heike, 2015. ""A fault confessed is half redressed": Review essay on low-achieving school leavers' access to apprenticeships and their returns to participation in prevocational training measures," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Skill Formation and Labor Markets SP I 2015-501, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    13. Olasehinde, Toba Stephen & Jin, Ye & Qiao, Fangbin & Mao, Shiping, 2023. "Marginal returns on Chinese agricultural technology transfer in Nigeria: Who benefits more?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    14. Achim Schmillen, 2019. "Vocational education, occupational choice and unemployment over the professional career," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 805-838, September.
    15. Guo, Dong & Wang, Anyi, 2020. "Is vocational education a good alternative to low-performing students in China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    16. Alhusen, Harm, 2020. "Experience-based know-how, learning and innovation in German SMEs: An explorative analysis of the role of know-how in different modes of innovation," ifh Working Papers 27/2020, Volkswirtschaftliches Institut für Mittelstand und Handwerk an der Universität Göttingen (ifh).
    17. Pardesi, Mantej, 2024. "Productivity Convergence and Firm’s Training Strategy," Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    18. Kirui, Oliver K. & Kozicka, Marta, 2018. "Vocational Education and Training for Farmers and Other Actors in the Agri-Food Value Chain in Africa," Working Papers 274536, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:ijrvet:263261. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://vetnetsite.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.