Measurement of vocational competences: an analysis of the structure and reliability of current assessment practices in economic domains

Abstract

Background: Both fostering and measuring action competence remain central targets of vocational education and training research; adequate measurement approaches clearly are prerequisites for international, large-scale assessments. For the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, competence assessments of industrial managers rely mainly on final examinations that attempt to measure not just knowledge but also action competence. To evaluate this test instrument, this article considers two questions: (1) Can the test assess action competence with validity, and (2) how reliable are the corresponding assessment results? Methods: The study relied on statistical procedures (e.g., IRT scaling), applied empirically to a sample of 1,768 final examinations.Results: As a result the current examination appears neither adequate nor accurate as an instrument to capture action competence. Conclusions:We conclude that several improving steps have to be undertaken to improve the economic assessment.

Prototype of Science Literacy Instruments on the Competence of Construction and Property Technology Expertise

“…The data analysis technique used descriptive statistics and the Aiken-V consistency test. The measurement criteria for the prototype of this tool consist of the contents of mechanical mechanics and test construction in accordance with the concept of scientific literacy using a Likert scale (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Descriptive analysis with the following criteria:…”

Humanistic Elements in the Educational Practice at a United States Sub-Baccalaureate Technical College

“…To measure vocational competencies in particular, Winther and Achtenhagen (2009) argued that knowledge situated in real-world environments be assessed, integrating general academic and specific occupational skills with problemsolving as the ultimate achievement. Winther and Klotz (2013) further recommended that such assessments focus on the process and move from simple to complex and from general to specific tasks, an approach that aligns with Fürstenau's (2003) attitude toward situated learning. Both Winther and Achtenhagen's and Winther and Klotz's arguments for assessment and measurement thus support the notion that cognitive apprenticeships, situated learning, and anchored instruction are appropriate for vocational education pedagogy because all encourage problem-solving in a step-by-step learning process that includes self-assessment, formative evaluation with frequent feedback, and revision of one's performance.…”

Assessing and Improving Vocational Teachers’ Education and Training in Ukraine

“…A significant challenge is the need for large-scale assessments of VET in Europe as a whole (Winther and Klotz, 2013) and in particular in Ukraine. Also, researchers emphasise the heterogeneity of the content of VET (Moodie, 2002) not only depending on the country (Baethge, Arends, and Winther, 2009), but also on the specifics of definite jobs (Billett, 2006).…”

“…Many studies applicable to our research were devoted to various types of competencies of graduates of VET institutions within the context of improving education and training of graduates from colleges on the basis of a competence-based approach: social competencies (Monnier et al, 2016), economic-civic competence (Schumann et al, 2017) and vocational competencies (Winther and Klotz, 2013) etc.…”