NEW EU-Project “Bequal.app” – Benchmarking for Quality Assurance in Apprenticeships and Work Based Learning (granted for 2 years)

The central idea of the Bequal.app project is to develop, test and mainstream two online benchmarking tools for quality assurance in apprenticeships and work-based learning, one addressing VET providers and one addressing companies providing apprenticeships.

The specific objectives of this project are the development of quality assurance frameworks, two self-assessment questionnaires and two online benchmarking tools for quality assurance in apprenticeships and work-based learning. In addition, the Bequal.app badge will be established for VET providers and companies providing apprenticeships and work-based learning and demonstrate good practices. Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (KCCIC), Lithuania; IDEC, Greece; Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training (CPI), Slovenia; Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education (ASOO), Croatia; Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK), Croatia; Finance & Banking, Organisational & HR development Association (Effebi), Italy; European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB), Germany.

Dear colleagues, It is a pleasure for me to inform you with this newsletter about the first output of the “BEQUAL.app” project. Our goals were the development of a framework of quality indicators for quality assurance in work-based learning and benchmarking-questionnaires for educational institutions and companies providing work-based learning. In a first step, we conducted a literature search with the help of all project partners, which led to a collection of various documents and Erasmus+ projects on quality and quality assurance in work-based learning. Based on the analysis of the collected information, quality indicators for quality assurance in work-based learning were derived. Afterwards, these quality indicators were validated with the support of relevant stakeholders from each partner country. Further elaboration involving all project partners then led to a final framework of quality indicators for both educational institutions and companies. This framework served as a basis, on which two benchmarking-questionnaires were developed, in a second step. The benchmarking-questionnaires, one for educational institutions and one for companies, were developed in close collaboration with all project partners. We are proud that after the third partner meeting in Zagreb the preliminary version of the questionnaires was completed. We completed the testing by the end of October. The final English version of the benchmarking-questionnaires is now available for translation and technical implementation. Many thanks to all our stakeholders for their support in this important step of the project!

You can find further information on the project homepage: www.bequalapp.eu

Sincerely, Verena Watzek

Part of a BMBF-project (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung/ Federal Ministry of Education and Research) granted for 3,5 years (read more)

DFG-project (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ German Scientific Foundation) granted for 2,5 years (read more)

Completed Projects

Project EXITE "Experiencing International Teacher Education" as part of the BMBF projects "KOLEG" (granted for 3,5 years)

(Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung/ Federal Ministry for Education and Research)

This research project, which is carried out in cooperation with the International Office and the Europaeum of the University of Regensburg, is focusing on the improvement of student teachers competence regarding dealing with cultural and performance diversity within the classroom. The effects of the internships at school outside Germany of teacher education students of all kinds of subjects of the University of Regensburg will be investigated. The activities of the students will be investigated as well as the effect of the increased mobility of student teachers on dealing with cultural and performance diversity.

DFG-Project granted for 2,5 years

(Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ German Scientific Foundation)

"Dynamics of team learning processes, products, and their determinants in the work of vocational teachers"

Research on team learning lacks studies addressing temporal and multilevel aspects of learning in teams, as well as insights into affective and socio-cognitive elements of relevant intrateam communication processes. The project at hand aims at closing these research gaps. Based on the integrative, systemic model of team learning it relates dynamic aspects of contextual factors to dynamics in team learning processes, shared mental models, and innovative work behaviour of innovation teams consisting of teachers in vocational education. By means of a cross-sectional and a longitudinal field study, which will be accompanied by a qualitative study combining observations and video analyses, the project at hand aims at clarifying the relationship between contextual factors and team learning processes, as well as the relationship between team learning processes, shared mental models, and innovative work behaviour of innovation teams in vocational schools. With vocational education, this project focuses on an underrepresented domain in research on team learning. Based on the results of the three studies it is planned that an intervention program will be developed in order to support vocational schools in fostering successful team learning and teamwork.