Towards competence‐based VET: dealing with the pitfalls

Abstract

This article builds on a previous 2004 Journal of Vocational Education and Training (JVET) contribution by Biemans et al., in which several possible pitfalls in designing and implementing competence-based education (CBE) were discussed. The present article reports on the results of an extensive research programme on competence development and CBE consisting of four empirical studies carried out in schools for secondary and higher vocational education in the life sciences in the Netherlands in the years 2004 to 2008. Based on the research findings, the article examines how the CBE pitfalls have been dealt with in Dutch VET. The conclusion can be drawn that the various pitfalls have received attention during the design and implementation of CBE, but not all problems have been solved yet. The article provides clues as to how the various pitfalls might be further addressed in the future to improve the quality of competence-based VET.

Students’ Learning Performance and Transitions in Different Learning Pathways to Higher Vocational Education

“…In other words, students should be enabled to develop their knowledge, skills, and competencies (required not only for dealing with present and future professional core tasks but also for their own personal development from the perspective of further education, lifelong learning, employability, and citizenship; see also Biemans et al 2004Biemans et al , 2009Wesselink et al 2010a, b;Sturing et al 2011) in seamless pathways without artificial barriers between educational levels (Harris and Rainey 2012).…”

Explicating Students' Personal Professional Theories in Vocational Education through Multi-method Triangulation

“…Competence-based vocational education aims to bridge economic demands and individual learning needs of students in order to stimulate the development and integration of students' knowledge, skills and attitudes (Brockman, Clarke, Mèhaut, & Winch, 2008). However, in competence-based curricula, much explicit attention is paid to the development of vocational skills while explicit attention to the development of knowledge is often neglected (Biemans et al, 2009;Schaap, De Bruijn, Van der Schaaf, & Kirschner, 2009;Tillema, Kessels, & Meijers, 2000). This is remarkable, since personal knowledge, which is a combination of different types of subjective knowledge, is a prerequisite for vocational competence and forms the basis for adequate performance (Billett, 2001;Eraut, 1994).…”

“…The core competences represented national and European standards of vocational competence in the domain and are general in nature (Guile, 2009;Schuit, Kennis, & Hövels, 2009). These competences were used because they are standardised and abstract in nature (Achtenhagen & Grubb, 2001;Biemans et al, 2009). Therefore, it was expected that students would feel the need to clarify and specify these abstract competences and, in doing so, explicate their PPT.…”

Promoting Students’ Transitions to Successive VET Levels through Continuing Learning Pathways

“…This goal is regarded as crucial, both for individuals and for society as a whole, to be able to deal with future challenges. To reach this goal, it is preferable that students are able to proceed from one educational level to the next in seamless learning pathways and that there are no artificial barriers between successive levels of the particular educational system (in this study the Vocational Education and Training, or VET, system) that hamper students' transitions and their individual competence development (Biemans et al 2004(Biemans et al , 2009(Biemans et al , 2016.…”