Study of academic competence models & challenges in Germany
Structuring and gaining academic and teaching skills inside an education framework can be the influencing factor to design and develop a competency-based curriculum and a comprehensive education framework. This research highlights:
competence-based education, gives an overview of various competence models in different countries, a summary of key features of CBE and challenges of CBE in Germany.
It also supplements the list of standards, tools and reaching resources researched along the process
Competence-based education
In competency-based education, competencies are associated skills or abilities that a pupil gains after successful completion of a course. CBE is focused on students’ mastery of these competencies and learning outcomes. In such a scenario, a competence framework ensures:
- Guidance, clarity & flexibility to teachers and students in keeping track of what is completed and needs to be done.
- Real-world skills are focused on bridging the gap between academia and industry.
- Quality assessment is done with possible outcomes with help of assessment tools.
Competency frameworks are still a relatively new topic in education but are slowly picking up the pace in education. A lot of countries are already implementing it or some aspect of it in their education framework. This research studies some inspiring examples in depth.
Overview of various competence models
In the following examples, we examine the internal structure, features and key highlights of the competence models.
To give a bit of context CBE models are usually structured as Core competencies at a higher level and grade and subject level competencies at the local level. The interconnection and dependencies are usually documented with different competencies at different levels. At the local level eg Municipalities, schools also develop the framework by adding missing competencies.
These frameworks or models are usually developed by ministry, education policymakers and research organisations.
Norway 🇳🇴
The education ministry of Norway sets a good example of defining details in competencies at a higher level in a flat structure with hierarchy and interconnections. With open to access information, The education ministry of Norway sets the hierarchy by defining the overall core curriculum to elaborate on the fundamental core and objectives. It is followed by defining a curriculum or a subject’s core values, elements and basic skills. Interdisciplinary topics are also connected to the relevant subject at this level which gives a good foundation for the competence model to exist in this framework. These can act as high-level competencies as well.
The education ministry of Norway further develops based on high-level competencies curating every subject by year levels and tracking its status/level of implementation. These competencies exist mostly in a flat structure with no sub-levels and can also be filtered that contain high-level competencies. However unique thing about this model is what is termed ‘progression’ which is used to show a tree of competencies by mapping previous and future linked competencies. This depicts a well thought out competency hierarchical structure. Moreover, Formative assessment to validate competencies is also mentioned.
The Directorate of Education has developed several competence packages in collaboration with the university and college sector. Competence packages are online offers for competence development in the professional community. They can be used together with a university or college in a regional and decentralised scheme.
In Norway, we have competency-based curricula. It is structured with an overarching core curriculum that states the values and principles of education. In addition, we have curricula for each subject that states what we expect each student to be able to do after each year. We manage our curricula in the in-house developed software. All our curricula are stored in a database and the website reads the database and composes the curricula online. This makes it possible for us to for example make progression threads that you can look at in our different curricula
Education ministry of Norway
Finland 🇫🇮
EQF stands for education qualification framework.
Finland is known and reputed for its educational standards.FiNQF(Finnish national framework for qualifications) is developed and mapped to EQF for internationalisation and mobility. It defines all level descriptors and a lifelong learning model where the competence model is developed further.
Their competency model follows the development of 7 generic competencies followed nationally around which all the subject competencies are developed at the local level eg with municipalities and schools, hence supplementing the development of transversal competencies.
This is a way of combining competency-based and subject-based teaching and learning. The core curricula for subjects have been written in a way that the most important competence objectives are linked to the subject’s learning goals. The competencies are also assessed as a part of the subject assessment. So, every school subject enhances the development of all seven competence areas.
Local supplements to the national curriculum
Local authorities and schools are encouraged to promote the development of these competencies and to consider their own innovative ways to reach the set goals. The education providers — most often municipalities — and the schools themselves prepare their own more detailed curricula according to the national core curriculum. In the local curriculum, the objectives and contents specified in the national core curriculum are specified. It could be interesting to look further at how exactly these relations are drawn. Eg unique identifiers so that a local curriculum references a certain objective of the national core curriculum or a common database to store the relations.
We gave during the reform of Basic education more emphasis on the broader competences as an outcome of different school subjects together with the school culture of basic education. Each school subject together with the school culture promotes the development of transversal competences.To plan and implement multidisciplinary learning modules, cooperation is required between subjects. All subjects are involved in implementing the learning modules as required.
The Finnish National Agency for Education
Scotland 🏴
SCQF is the national qualification framework of Scotland that compares Scottish qualifications to other qualification frameworks. It has a total of 12 levels that are also referenced in the European Qualification Framework (EQF). These levels indicate the level of difficulty of a particular qualification.SCQF is a lifelong learning framework that covers qualifications from school, university and work. The introductory video below explains the basic concepts of the framework.
Credit Rating Bodies (CRBs) and the SCQF Partnership have equal responsibility for ensuring the quality and integrity of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.
Level descriptors
Each level contains a description that acts as a guideline for learning outcomes which are characterised by 5 high-level competencies.
5 high-level competencies
- Knowledge and understanding;
- Practice (applied knowledge and understanding);
- Generic cognitive skills (e.g. evaluation, critical analysis);
- Communication, numeracy and IT skills; and
- Autonomy, accountability and working with other
Subject level competencies
Each subject is mapped to an appropriate SCQF level (Equivalent EQF level) with associated credits. For all the subject competencies, SQA has a searchable track record of qualification type, subject area, approval time, responsible organisation, competence version and percentage of implementation of that particular competency.
Each subject has a course specification which defines the core skills, knowledge and understanding that are mapped to the appropriate SCQF level. The SCQF level descriptors give information on the expected performance of that particular subject.
Subject competencies are divided into the Core competency framework and the Generic skills framework. Course assessment or evaluation is also bundled into this document.
Core competency framework
Core competencies are defined under sub-competencies mapped to learning and working in today’s world: Communication, Numeracy, Information and Communication Technology, Problem Solving and Working with Others. These competencies are developed per subject per SCQF level for all the standard National qualification subjects. This is comparable to german ‘Kernkompetenzen’.
Higher mathematics SCQF 6 example
Generic Skills framework: Learning, Life and Work
These skills complement the core skill framework by defining generic competencies that can be included in each subject.
- Literacy- 1.1 Reading, 1.2 Writing,1.3 Listening and talking
- Numeracy- 2.1 Number processes,2.2 Money, time and measurement,2.3 Information handling
- …..
Local support
These skills are the responsibility of all practitioners such as individual teachers and lecturers who can formulate these skills through teaching and learning activities naturally.
There is no formal assessment of these skills by SQA. It gives the opportunity to develop additional skills based on methods used by teachers, hence improving the competence framework through local development and support
Mapping SCQF to EQF :
As a general rule, a comparison of frameworks and detailed level to level descriptions are carried out to associate SCQF level with EQF level.Each SCQF is mapped to only one level which seems the best fit.SCQF level is associated with three specific components of EQF: knowledge, skill and competence
This is helpful since EQF helps bridge different qualification frameworks of various countries and thus help people move for work and education.
British Columbia, Canada
British Columbia, a province in Canada curriculum combines concept-based learning with competency-based learning and sets a good example to provide flexibility and address diverse needs. The competence model can be broadly classified into the Core competency framework and the Curriculum competence framework.
Core competence framework
This follows a generic framework with a tree of 3 core competencies sub divided into sub-competencies for each curriculum.
In each of the sub-competencies, there are the following elements-
Facets: These are interrelated components of the sub-competency.
Profile: 6 progressive level descriptors that measure a student’s competence level of the sub-competency. It is independent of any grade level and promotes lifelong development.
Connections: It defines interrelations of sub-competencies to other core and sub-competencies. It also establishes relationships with specific Big ideas that sub-competency might relate to.
Illustration: Examples of work that demonstrates the developing competence.Eg student work samples, reflections, teacher observations etc,
Check the example here to view all elements in sub-competencies
Curriculum competence framework
Curriculum competencies consist of big ideas and curriculum competencies bundled with content.
Big Ideas: The big ideas consist of generalised key concepts that are learnt by the student at curriculum completion of their grade. It helps students conceptualise holistic views and understand more sophisticated ideas. For each curriculum, big ideas are characterised by a set no of components progressed by grade levels.
Curriculum competencies: These are subject-specific competence lists developed for each curriculum segregated by grade levels. These competencies are skills that can be developed over time and linked to core competencies.
Content: It contains actual subject topics that are to be covered at each grade level.
See the example here to see the curriculum competence framework
Structure
Check out the full example here
Summary: Key features for a competence model
In all the international models above, competencies are being integrated flexibly ie. fully or partially based on the approach taken by the concerned authority of a country. The approach follows a top-down approach of creating a broad list of competencies which are to be developed, updated and linked as we progress the different levels. To establish a competence model, some important features would be-
Well-connected model definition
Building a strong foundation through a generic model of key competencies, levels of competencies, core concepts, objectives and linking curriculum or subject level competencies. Refer to Norway & BC, Canada.
I think Germany has these core competencies defined by the KMK. The problem is referencing these in their different adaption levels, i.e. from KMK to states and from there to the schools. there is no standardised way of how these references are made visible, therefore it is quite hard to follow them. Besides, we have no common database where we could look this up”
Steffen Rörtgen, Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, GWDG
Qualification to Competencies
Most European national qualification frameworks are mapped to EQF for better international recognition and mobility of learners. Eg. DQF for Germany but it important is also map these qualifications to core or subject level competencies. Eg. SCQF elaborates comprehensively on what level of national qualifications are connected to what subjects. Hence a level description from a specific SCQF level act as a guide for a specific subject competency.
It was also seen that qualification frameworks were revised to promote a lifelong learning model.
Bottom-up approach
The top-down tree approach of reference might be justified only to an extent, but for having a well inter-connected competence structure, both ends should meet. The feedback loop from local support like schools, institutions, universities etc plays a crucial role in forming better connections to other competencies and keeping a centralised workflow. It might not be enough just to test or verify the quality of implementation. Refer to Finland’s and Scotland’s models where basic guidance is given but schools, teachers, and educators develop their own ways to reach goals and develop the framework further.
Curriculum competence model
This includes a systematic breakdown of core and sub-competencies per grade level per curriculum. This is more subject-specific Eg. Scotland's approach to separate national qualification subjects. Core concepts and key competencies developed in the generic model definition are often linked in a curriculum or a subject competency. hence, establishing important associations. Norway tracks ‘progressions’ of curriculum competencies and defines inter-dependencies between various subjects and levels.
Support & Maintenance
Since the world is inevitably changing so are the competencies. It is obvious to keep a track of updates and versions of the competencies. A platform where qualification, subject competencies, and associated content can be searched and tracked helps teachers, students and educators to be at the same level.
Challenges of CBE in Germany
There is no hiding the fact that establishing a good competence framework takes effort and time. Although some form of CBE exists in Germany, inspiration can be derived from the above competence models to formulate a better well defined, connected and maintained framework in Germany that could be useful for teachers, students and educators. In the long run, this can also decrease the friction between the different authorities.
Standardised centralised process
The biggest area of improvement in the german competence structure would be formulating a standardised centralised process in building a national curriculum followed and supplemented through the local level. The KMK defines, the states pick up and then there is local development in the schools. The problem is that there is no standardised way of linking these relations. The current process is mostly linked to each state in Germany having its own version of curriculum/framework to follow. In such an environment if a competence framework has to be implemented, it would increase the challenge to build on a foundation of complexities of loosely coupled education models of each state.
Communication between states
Based on the prior reason, it is obvious to imply a communication process to collaborate and arrive at common grounds between federal states of Germany plays a crucial role but can be a challenge given the political situation.
Mapping associations
Although most of the states in Germany follow KMK for educational standards, at the local level (eg. schools) different states can have very different curricula for the same grade and subject. There is a lack of common terminology in an educational framework which makes it difficult to form associations in the network, hence building a competence model is more challenging. Eg. A teacher teaching ‘Algebra’ for grade 5 mathematics in Bavaria could have different competencies to deal with than a teacher teaching the same course in Thüringia.
Version control
In modern-day education, competencies bridge the gap between academia and industry, hence it has to be adapted to the needs of the industry from time to time. A system in place to track changes through versioning would be one of the challenges as well. Eg. the Scottish competence model.
Standards, Tools & Teaching resources
This research also supplements the list of competence standards and frameworks, national authorities maintaining competencies, competency management tools and teaching resources using competencies, all of which can be found in the miro board below.
Acknowledgement
This study is based on the research funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research(BMBF) in the JOINTLY project, an organisation that supports the development and dissemination of open educational resources. I also would like to thank the project members and the following organisations for their support and cooperation-
- The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training
- Finnish National Agency for Education and the Ministry for Education and Culture
- Scottish qualification authority(SQA) & Scottish credit and qualification framework (SCQF)
- Ministry of education, British Columbia
- European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations(ESCO)
Special thanks to Steffen Rörtgen for valuable inputs throughout the research.
Additional references
https://www.udir.no/lk20/saf01-04?lang=eng
https://scqf.org.uk/media/nizmn1eu/scqf-diagram-2017-a6-web.pdf
https://europa.eu/europass/system/files/2020-06/Scottish%20Referencing%20Report.pdf
https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/index_en.php_en
https://www.refernet.de/dokumente/pdf/Artikel_DE_Key%20competences.pdf
