Measuring professional knowledge - book overview

 This book provides a good in-depth outline of one European approach to better understanding vocational learning. The authors are Professor Felix Rauner and Professor Martin Ahrens. 

The book has 11 chapter, bracketed by an introduction and conclusion, organised into two sections.

The first section has 6 chapters centred around 'professional knowledge'.

The first chapter, 'competence development in vocational training courses and action contexts' rationalises the importance of vocational education. In particular, how vocational education is now only based on the subject/theory component but has contributions into how work is practiced. The differences between practical knowledge and practical concepts are discussed.

In the next chapter, the work of Matthew Crawford who philosophised about the value of work in 'Shop Class as Soulcraft (see here for my summary), is used to discuss the concepts of craftsmanship and professional knowledge. 

Then chapter 3 describes and critiques the current development of school curricula by the German Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMM).

Then the chapter ' methods of occupational scientific knowledge research' provides the framework for how various proposals / models / frameworks are developed through the book.

Chapter 5 then focuses on professional scientific knowledge and work process studies, carried out within the German context.

The last chapter in this section, sets out the details of the COMET competence and measurement Model. 

The next section has 3 chapters on 'knowledge as a dimension of professional competence'.

The section begins with discussion on the 'competence diagnostics and competence development with the COMET method'. Provides a summary of work, carried out over the last three decades on using COMET to trace how it has been applied to vocational education practice. Subject/content knowledge is replaced with the 'learning field' concept (similar to graduate profile outcomes but more detailed).

The next chapter provides examples of applying the KMK framework curriculum to vocational training programmes/.

The last chapter in the section, looks at the evaluation of the validity and robustness of the COMET method.

The book concludes with acknowledgement of the work undertaken thus far and the continuation of research and evaluation of the COMET model.