Research at the Institute of Vocational Education, Work and Technology
The overall approach of the institute is based on the three dimensions - occupational/vocational training, work and technology.
Our main areas of research are established within these dimensions and are associated with more general areas of research as follows:
- Occupational training and development processes
- Changes of work, technology and occupational training and connected development within the areas of qualification, occupation and fields of occupation
- Creation of occupations and systems of occupational training in a national and international context
- Development and revision of a curriculum
- Organisational development and design of the place of learning
- Development of research approaches pertaining to occupational science and further development of commercially/technologically oriented study programmes
As places of learning, the work place and the vocational school are particularly relevant in this context. Developments that ensue and the design of occupational training processes form the institute's long term, central focus of research. As part of our research we also evaluate and carry out an international comparison from a structural and a didactic perspective and draw relevant consequences for teacher training.
Design of Work and Technology
As the definition of the areas of research show, we identify areas of study that are relevant to occupational training whilst, at the same time, remaining flexible. Consequently, the central idea of a humane, ecological, economical and sustainable organisation of work and technology, that provides a developmental understanding of occupational education, serves as a research integration field.
The focal points of our research are the development of work and technology in industry and trade, a reinforced development of services in the commercial and technological fields, changes in organisational and personnel developments and the design of occupational learning/teaching processes in schools and companies as well as in vocational education and training. In this context the development of our own research methods to support the occupational sciences plays an important role. The elements and forms of skilled labour seen in occupations and occupational areas also play a vital.
We particularly focus on examining the correlation between the objectives of (skilled) labour (e.g. technology, work organisation, tools etc.) and the resulting educational and qualification potentials.
