User menu

Accès à distance ? S'identifier sur le proxy UCLouvain

Vocational education students’ generic working life competencies: developing a self-assessment instrument

Primary tabs

Kyndt, Eva [KUL] Janssens, Ine [Artesis Plantijn University College, Antwerp, Belgium] Coertjens, Liesje [UCL] Gijbels, David [UA, Belgium] Donche, Vincent [UA, Belgium] Van Petegem, Peter [UA, Belgium]

The current study reports on the process of developing a self-assessment instrument for vocational education students’ generic working life competencies. The instrument was developed based on a competence framework and in close collaboration with several vocational education teachers and intermediary organisations offering various human resource services. A first version of the questionnaire was presented to 26 students and 5 recent graduates who were asked to comment on the items. The pilot version of the questionnaire was completed by 826 students. Half of the data were used to explore the structure of the questionnaire (n = 413) and the other half were used to confirm the structure (n = 413). The results showed that 8 factors could be distinguished. Further analysis reduced this to 7 usable factors: empathy, listening, assertiveness, professional attitude, problem solving, cooperation ability and, planning and prioritising. The revised questionnaire containing 44 items was tested a second time to determine the stability and measurement invariance of the instrument. In total, 456 students from the first sample completed the questionnaire. The structure was confirmed and measurement invariance across students with and without working experience was established.

Document type Article de périodique (Journal article)
Access type Accès restreint
Publication date 2014
Language Anglais
Journal information "Vocations and Learning" - Vol. 7, no.3, p. 365-392 (2014)
Peer reviewed yes
Publisher Springer Netherlands (Dordrecht)
issn 1874-785X
e-issn 1874-7868
Publication status Publié
Affiliation UCL - SSH/IPSY - Psychological Sciences Research Institute
Links
  1. Abercrombie, M. L. J. (1972). Non-verbal communication. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 65, 335–336.
  2. Bartram Dave, The Great Eight Competencies: A Criterion-Centric Approach to Validation., 10.1037/0021-9010.90.6.1185
  3. BENTLER P. M., CHOU CHIH-PING, Practical Issues in Structural Modeling, 10.1177/0049124187016001004
  4. Bernaards Coen A., Jennrich Robert I., Gradient Projection Algorithms and Software for Arbitrary Rotation Criteria in Factor Analysis, 10.1177/0013164404272507
  5. Boeve-de Pauw, J., Jacobs, K., & Van Petegem, P. (2012). Gender differences in environmental values: an issue of measurement? Environment and Behaviour. doi: 10.1177/0013916512460761 .
  6. Braun Edith M.P., Sheikh Hammad, Hannover Bettina, Self‐rated competences and future vocational success: a longitudinal study, 10.1080/02602938.2010.534762
  7. Braun Edith, Woodley Alan, Richardson John T.E., Leidner Bernhard, Self-rated competences questionnaires from a design perspective, 10.1016/j.edurev.2011.11.005
  8. Britton Bruce K., Tesser Abraham, Effects of time-management practices on college grades., 10.1037/0022-0663.83.3.405
  9. CEDEFOP (2008). Initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Europe: review. European centre for the development of vocational training. Retreived on June 13 2014 from http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/IVET_Review_08.pdf .
  10. Clayton, D., Blom, K., Meyers, D., & Bateman, A. (2003). Assessing and certifying generic skills. What is happening in vocational education and training? Adelaide: NCVER.
  11. Coertjens Liesje, Donche Vincent, De Maeyer Sven, Vanthournout Gert, Van Petegem Peter, Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of Likert-Type Learning Strategy Scales : Are We Using the Same Ruler at Each Wave?, 10.1177/0734282912438844
  12. Coertjens Liesje, Donche Vincent, De Maeyer Sven, Vanthournout Gert, Van Petegem Peter, Modeling Change in Learning Strategies throughout Higher Education: A Multi-Indicator Latent Growth Perspective, 10.1371/journal.pone.0067854
  13. Crebert * Gay, Bates Merrelyn, Bell Barry, Patrick Carol‐Joy, Cragnolini Vanda, Developing generic skills at university, during work placement and in employment: graduates' perceptions, 10.1080/0729436042000206636
  14. Dallas Heather, ‘Assertiveness is the best form of communication’, 10.1038/vital1330
  15. De Maeyer Sven, van den Bergh Huub, Rymenans Rita, Van Petegem Peter, Rijlaarsdam Gert, Effectiveness criteria in school effectiveness studies: Further research on the choice for a multivariate model, 10.1016/j.edurev.2009.09.001
  16. De Corte Kim, Buysse Ann, Verhofstadt Lesley L, Roeyers Herbert, Ponnet Koen, Davis Mark H, Measuring Empathic Tendencies: Reliability And Validity of the Dutch Version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, 10.5334/pb-47-4-235
  17. Dockrell Sara, An Investigation of the Use of Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Skills by Final-year Physiotherapy Students, 10.1016/s0031-9406(10)63678-4
  18. Drollinger Tanya, Comer Lucette B., Warrington Patricia T., Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale, 10.1002/mar.20105
  19. Dynel Marta, Turning speaker meaning on its head: Non-verbal communication and intended meanings, 10.1075/pc.19.3.03dyn
  20. Eichhorst, W., Rodriguez-Planas, N., Schmidl, R., Zimmerman, K.F. (2012). A roadmap to vocational education and training systems around the world. Discussion paper N7110, Bonn: IZA. Retrieved on June 13 2014 from http://ftp.iza.org/dp7110.pdf .
  21. Epskamp Sacha, Cramer Angélique O. J., Waldorp Lourens J., Schmittmann Verena D., Borsboom Denny, qgraph: Network Visualizations of Relationships in Psychometric Data, 10.18637/jss.v048.i04
  22. Field, A., Miles, J., & Field, Z. (2012). Discovering statistics using R. London: Sage Publications, Ltd.
  23. Fornell Claes, Larcker David F., Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error, 10.2307/3151312
  24. Fox W. S., Grams C. L., Work Ethic as School-Based Behaviors of Adolescent Students, 10.1177/1077727x07303819
  25. Fung, D., & Wong, P. S. L. (2012). Using career education and career services to enhance employability: a case of the Hong Kong polytechnic University. Asian Journal of Counselling, 19, 76–95.
  26. Galassi John P., Delo James S., Galassi Merna D., Bastien Sheila, The college self-expression scale: A measure of assertiveness, 10.1016/s0005-7894(74)80131-0
  27. Gaskin, J. (2012). Confirmatory factor analysis, Gaskination’s Statwiki. Retrieved from http://statwiki.kolobkreations.com/wiki/Confirmatory_Factor_Analysis .
  28. Gijbels David, Assessment of vocational competence in higher education: reflections and prospects, 10.1080/02602938.2011.581859
  29. Gijbels David, Raemdonck Isabel, Vervecken Dries, Influencing Work-Related Learning: The Role of Job Characteristics and Self-Directed Learning Orientation in Part-Time Vocational Education, 10.1007/s12186-010-9041-6
  30. Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B., Anderson, R., & Tatham, R. (2006). Multivariate data analysis (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, Pearson Prentice Hall.
  31. Harrell, F.E. (2012). Hmisc: Harrell miscellaneous. R package version 3.9-3. Retrieved on July 19th, 2012 from http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=Hmisc .
  32. Hu Li‐tze, Bentler Peter M., Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives, 10.1080/10705519909540118
  33. Khaled, A., Gulikers, J., Tobi, H., Biemans, H., Oonk, C., & Mulder, M. (1999). Exploring the validity and robustness of a competency self-report instrument for vocational and higher competence-based education. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. doi: 10.1177/073428914523913
  34. Lai Manhong, Lo Leslie N.K., Perceived workplace competences at three sites on the Chinese Mainland, 10.1080/13636820802042461
  35. Lent Robert W., Hackett Gail, Brown Steven D., A Social Cognitive View of School-to-Work Transition, 10.1002/j.2161-0045.1999.tb00739.x
  36. Lizzio * Alf, Wilson Keithia, Action Learning in Higher Education: an investigation of its potential to develop professional capability, 10.1080/0307507042000236371
  37. Marsh Herbert W., Hocevar Dennis, Application of confirmatory factor analysis to the study of self-concept: First- and higher order factor models and their invariance across groups., 10.1037/0033-2909.97.3.562
  38. Martin Matthew M., Anderson Carolyn M., Aggressive communication traits: How similar are young adults and their parents in argumentativeness, assertiveness, and verbal aggressiveness, 10.1080/10570319709374579
  39. Moely, B. E., Mercer, S. H., Ilustre, V., Miron, D., & McFarland, M. (2002). Psychometric properties and correlates of the civic attitudes and skills questionnaire (CASQ): a measure of students’ attitudes related to service-learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, Spring, 2002, 15–26.
  40. Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2010). Mplus. Statistical analysis with latent variables. User’s Guide. Los Angeles: Muthén & Muthén.
  41. Onwuegbuzie Anthony J., Bustamante Rebecca M., Nelson Judith A., Mixed Research as a Tool for Developing Quantitative Instruments, 10.1177/1558689809355805
  42. R Development Core Team (2012). R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R foundation for statistical computing: Vienna, Austria. Retrieved on July 19th, 2012, from http://www.R-project.org/ .
  43. Revelle, W. (2012). psych: Procedures for personality and psychological research. Northwestern University, Evanston. Retrieved on July 19th, 2012 from http://personality-project.org/r/psych.manual.pdf .
  44. Rosseel Yves, lavaan: AnRPackage for Structural Equation Modeling, 10.18637/jss.v048.i02
  45. Schäfer, J., Opgen-Rhein, R., Zuber, V., Ahdesmäki, M., Duarte Silva, P.A., & Strimmer, K. (2012). corpcor: Efficient estimation of covariance and (partial) correlation. R package version 1.6.3. Retrieved on July 19th, 2012 from http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=corpcor .
  46. Scholten, M. (2011). Loopbaancompetenties bij MBO studenten. De relatie tussen loopbaancompetenties en employability, loopbaangericht gedrag en prestatie. [Career competencies of MBO students. The relation between career competencies and employability, career-oriented behaviour and performance.] Unpublished Master dissertation. Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands.
  47. Taconis * R., van der Plas P., van der Sanden J., The development of professional competencies by educational assistants in school‐based teacher education, 10.1080/0261976042000223051
  48. Tynjälä, P., & Gijbels, D. (2012). Transitions and transformations in education. In P. Tynjälä, M.-L. Stenström, & M. Saarnivaara (Eds.), Changing world – changing pedagogy (pp. 205–222). Dordrecht: Springer.
  49. Tynjälä, P., Slotte, V., Nieminen, J., Lonka, K., & Olkinuora, E. (2006). From university to working life: graduates’ workplace skills in practice. In P. Tynjälä, J. Väloimaa, & G. Boulton-Lewis (Eds.), Advances in learning and instructions, higher education and working life: collaborations, confrontations and challenges (pp. 77–88). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
  50. van de Schoot Rens, Lugtig Peter, Hox Joop, A checklist for testing measurement invariance, 10.1080/17405629.2012.686740
  51. Vlaamse Overheid [Flemish Government] (2005). Competentiewoordenboek Vlaamse overheid [Competence dictionary Flemish Government]. Brussel: Vlaamse Overheid. Retrieved on May 8th, 2013 from http://www.agoweb.be/ontwikkelingeninzetbaarheid/competentiemanagement/ 002.aspx?m Id = 926.
  52. Weinert, F. (2001). Concept of competence: a conceptual clarification. In D. S. Rychen & L. H. Salganik (Eds.), Defining and selecting key competencies (pp. 45–65). Seattle: Hogrefe & Huber.
Bibliographic reference Kyndt, Eva ; Janssens, Ine ; Coertjens, Liesje ; Gijbels, David ; Donche, Vincent ; et. al. Vocational education students’ generic working life competencies: developing a self-assessment instrument. In: Vocations and Learning, Vol. 7, no.3, p. 365-392 (2014)
Permanent URL http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/184343