“4cyourway”: A competence framework for measuring competence growth from secondary vocational to higher education and curriculum design

Abstract

The development of a competence framework (4Cyourway) which is meant to give insight in the consecutive stages of competence development is described. The development of the framework followed a design-based research approach. Generic competence statements derived from behavior-related competency frameworks (Bartram and SHL Group 2005) can be applied at different levels of vocational and professional education. The question is what is the meaning of those statements at those different levels? For example, analysis competence means quite different things at secondary vocational education versus bachelor or master education. Three studies are described using the framework. In the first study, the frame work is used to develop a student self-diagnosis competence instrument. The instrument was sensitive to determine the competence level between higher education students at the start of their final year of their bachelor program and students at of this year. The second study used a similar kind of instrument. This instrument was sensitive to determine the difference in competence growth between secondary vocational students involved in elaborating research questions of enterprises and organizations and those who were not in this program. The third study concerns the development of rubrics, based on 4Cyourway, to measure competence growth in every day practice of pre-secondary vocational students (VMBO schools) with life science programs. The studies show that the framework can be used as an instrument to determine the development level of competence. A description of an example of a practical application, its impact, and the usefulness of the framework complement the chapter.