Quality Assurance and Development in VET

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1 Quality Assurance and Development in VET International Quality-Café Gevelsberg, Gerald Heidegger, Wiebke Petersen biat, Universität Flensburg

2 Quality Development Transcultural aspects Copenhagen Process: No unification of systems in VET and CVT but subsidiarity principle (partly in contrast to Bologna process for higher education) Reason: VET and CVT systems too strongly embedded in cultural and economic conditions Therefore reduction of the aims to the following four fields:

3 Quality Development Transcultural aspects Copenhagen priorities European Dimension ---- transcultural mutual learning Accreditation of non-formal and informal learning ----also accreditation of CVT which includes non-formal learning Quality (of processes and outcomes) ---- self reliant quality assurance and development Transparency ---- recently: EQF NQF s; ECVET

4 History of quality management and its tranfer to the educational sector - The idea of quality management stems from production industry (ISO 9000) - During the last decade the idea of quality management has been broadly transfered to non-profit organisations (EFQM European Foundation for Quality Management) - The first non-profit sector that has taken over quality management was the care sector soon stressing selfevaluation (because a lack of hard outcomes) - Today a lot of schools go through evaluation processes - For trainers of disadvantaged people: Our methods QSED (Quality through Self-Evaluation and Development) and Reflective Evaluation

5 The European Quality Assurance Reference framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQARF) designed to promote better vocational education and training by providing authorities with common tools for the management of quality. -to facilitate labour mobility and improve quality in VET - respecting the rich diversity of national education systems. - fostering transparency, mutual trust and recognition of competences and qualifications. -part of a series of European initiatives: Europass, the European principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning, ECVET and the European Qualification Framework for lifelong learning (EQF).

6 Content of the EQARF The reference framework is based on the quality cycle which comprises the four phases: setting of policy goals/objectives and planning, implementation phase, evaluation phase which deals with the design of the mechanisms for evaluation and the assessment of achievements/outcomes at individual, provider and system levels, review, based on a combination of internal and external evaluation results, processing of feedback and organisation of procedures for change.

7 List of indicators 1. Relevance of QA systems for VET providers 2. Investment in training of teaches and trainers 3. Participation rate in VET programmes 4. Completion rate in VET programmes 5. Placement rate in VET programmes

8 List of indicators 6. Utilisation of acquired skills at the workplace 7. Unemployment rate 8. Prevalence of vulnerable groups 9.Mechanisms to identify training needs in the labour market 10. Schemes to promote better access to VET

9 Output indicators or personal development common understanding of the phenomenon that should be evaluated historical and cultural embeddedness of the phenomenon of evaluation Contexts of QM and evaluation national annd international evaluation discussions From ISO 9000 via EFQM to QSED Figure 4.1: Contexts of evaluation different evaluation interests, fears and, targets

10 Carried out by OECD, CEDEFOP Carried out by IDEA, IOCE Indicator centered evaluation Evaluation trends innovative evaluation approaches strict, highly structured procedures Measuring soft outcomes targeting empowerment or participation

11 Input, Output, Outcome Aims, standards ->Input ->Processes ->Output (-> Efficiency: to do things right ) ->Transfer ->Outcome (-> Effectivity: to do the right things ) Interaction and feedback between Input, Output and Outcome

12 Outcome-Orientation Achievements (happiness and success) later in life and at the workplace und bei der Arbeit Not only effective and efficient work, also Shaping of a professional career, democratic competences, general (not only professional) satisfaction in life Competences (also: attidudes!), but difficult to measure, because often no direct performance Also: consequences with respect to different learning cultures: societal acceptance of medium level professional status, structuring of the labour market This also not dirctly measurable

13 Output control of quality Traditional: combination with input control: exams and success rates as standards for quality of input and processes, although -- causality input prozess - output limited. Thus control capacity limited Advantage: clear standards, but sensible, strictly speaking, only with causality output -> outcome, this however uncertain Problem: teaching then not outcome or processes oriented learning for exams, not for (working) life ->Learning (and teaching) determined from outside, therefore strong criticism Nevertheless, in the context of customer orientation and the neoliberal economic model, advertised as core of modernisation while (implicitly) assuming a causal relation towards outcome

14 External evaluation for assessment of quality Advantages Seemingly objective, reliable outcomes Easily transferable results No self-deception No cheating(???) Should be combined with (internal) selfevaluation In order to. Disadvantages To measure soft outcomes is very difficult/impossible Processes are aiming at the targets of the external evaluation In this way processes are severely narrowed down Practitioners are objects of external powers They become disempowered They become passive avoid these

15 Existing European evaluation approaches: example EFQM leadership (1) company results (9) societal responsibility and image (8) policies and strategy (2) staff orientation (3) resources (4) criteria of EFQM processes (5) staff contentedness (7) customer contentedness /satisfaction (6) Figure 6.1: Criteria of EFQM

16 European standard: the EFQM Example for the criteria Processes This criterion is defined as follows: How does the institution recognise, identify, carry through tests and improve its processes? It is divided into five subsections which deal with the following questions and for which several starting points are given: 5a How are processes identified which are significant for the company results? Starting points could be, how the institution... defines core and support processes (1) identifies core and support processes(2) values repercussion on the business results(3)

17 European standard: the EFQM Using the EFQM as an evaluation tool In the first step it takes place through self-evaluation The second step includes the coming in of external evaluators Underlying assumptions and targets of evaluation according to EFQM Is the client content with the product which is given?.- Is it the Customer, that is the Labour office??? Advantages of the EFQM in comparison with other evaluation tools: it tries to take care also of soft outcomes

18 A Self-Evaluation instrument for schools: A different idea of quality Basic ideas of Q2E : Quality though Evaluation and Development ( Entwicklung ) with a focus on selfevaluation awareness of the own quality promise aspects of the new quality understanding optimizing through error recognition Figure 6.3: Aspects of the new quality understanding client orientation

19 Example of a criterion in Q2E: Shaping of teaching and learning processes (methodical-didactical arrangements) - to be ticked from 1(weak) to 4 (strong) - 1)The teacher attaches importance to the goal that aims and intentions of the lessons are understood by the pupils. The learners see the importance of learning aims and contents. 2)The teacher arrives at explaining complex learning processes and difficult facts in relation to experiences and knowledge of learners. 3)The teacher arrives at initiating the pupils interest for the contents and engaging them for participation.

20 Example of a criterion in Q2E: Shaping of teaching and learning processes(methodical-didactical arrangements) - to be ticked from 1(weak) to 4 (strong) -) 4)Space of active participation and self-directed learning of the pupils in the lessons is offered 5)The teacher arrives at making the pupils aware of their responsibility for their learning and he supports this through adequate measures. 6)The teaching is shaped in a way that pupils could create a strong relation between theory and their own experiences.

21 as basis for a quality comparison between schools as basis for the development of a quality handbook Figure 6.4: Options for using Q2E basic instrument for the development of a quality model Q2E can be used as... help for the development of a school specific profile of strengths and weaknesses...basic instrument for the development of a school specific evaluation instrument basic instrument for focus evaluation

What is the added value of a Qualifications Framework? The experience of Malta.

Meeting The Latvian Qualifications Framework, Riga 2011 What is the added value of a Qualifications Framework? The experience of Malta. Dr James Calleja Chief Executive Malta Qualifications Council National