Digitalisation in the Curricula of Vocational Schools: Text Mining as an Instrument of Curricula Analysis

Abstract

The influence of digitalisation on society and the workplace require stakeholders in school development to incorporate digital competencies into school curricula. This study examines the occurrence of digital components in 831 curricula of the vocational schools in Baden-Württemberg, Germany with a text mining approach and the analysis of keywords in context. In total, 200 curricula containing digital features could be identified. The occurrence of digital terms differs notably between the different types of vocational school. The distinct characteristics of digital competencies are represented to a varying degree within the curricula, with a strong focus on the usage of tools for profession-specific tasks and the deployment of the internet as a gateway to information. Ongoing reforms of school curricula need to widen their view on digital competencies and integrate these competencies more broadly into the different types of vocational schools.