Projects / Programmes
Development of higher education systems and labour marker – sociological perspective
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.03.00 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S210 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
labour market, competences, higher education, sociology of professions
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
24382 |
PhD Samo Pavlin |
Sociology |
Head |
2010 - 2012 |
217 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
This post doctoral project seeks to understand the role of higher educational systems in the development of professional expertise. On the basis of classical and contemporary Sociological theories and several state-of-the-art European research projects, it looks beyond the short term educational goal of preparing higher educational graduates to enter the labour market and jobs towards assuring the best basis for a long and complex labour market transition process and career development.
Within this framework the project focuses on four interrelated questions:
(1) What is the role of higher educational and training systems in developing professional expertise?
(2) How is competence development in education best complemented by learning at work and career development?
(3) How to use the knowledge on competence development for ensuring permeability and transparency between VET and HE and related occupations of both systems in the world of work? And lastly but most importantly;
(5) What is the scientific state-of-the-art response to these trends particularly in sociological theory.
Outcomes of the project encomphase:
· A final report for the Agency and HE community in Slovenia and Europe wide;
· Four scientific working papers. These papers will be in the time frame of duration of the project developed as a working papers and in the pdf. format published on the web page. Experts from the international networks of the REFLEX projects will be asked to give expert recommendations before these papers will be published in international journals.;
· Scientific book for Slovenian higher education community. This monography will integrate and expand scientific papers into comprehensive unit of around 200 pages. It will well balance between theoretical and empirical part.
· Integration of findings to several project web pages in Slovenia and EU
countries;
· Series of public releases in Slovenian press.
Key methodological steps of the project are:
1) Literature and data base review;
2) Multivariant analyses and methodology develpment. This includes analyses and aggregation of the data related to HE systems from the Reflex (6FP) and Hegesco (Erasmus) surveys and Eurostat Labour Force Survey;
3) Semi-structured evaluation interviews with 10 emloyers and 10 higher education managers in Slovenia;
4) Integration of results: preparation project outcomes.
The scientific contribution is reflected in the follwing points:
1) Development of Sociological Theory and Theory on Sociology of Professional groups from the Perspective of Skills and Competencies Development in Higher Education
2) Focus on competence development and relation between professional expertise and generic competences
3) Methodological focus and qualification framework
4) Addressing needs of higher education management
5) Considering the link between methodology of skill measurement and policy making
6) Dissemination and linking project outcomes to Slovenian and European scientific community
The main hypothesis in this post doctoral project hence presumes that the actual role of higher education institutions (as well as vocational training institutions) has only a limited impact on fostering professionally relevant competences – as compared to socio-biographic background, “credentialism” and reputational ascriptions, initial training and learning. The impact of higher education institutions to competence development hence significantly varies across fields of studies, sectors and countries.
Significance for science
The project has been completed with the conclusion that in Slovenian higher education graduates career success is significantly affected by factors that are not directly in the domain of curriculum. It is therefore necessary to study this area in connection with question, what higher education system can to improve employability of its graduates. Assumptions for the development of higher education system are the following:
first, higher education should determine how it would be possible to improve the quality of teaching and how to make connections between theory and practice;
second, it should pay special attention to the training of teachers, as they have a significant impact on the employability of its graduates. Following the example of some higher education institutions at home and in the world some teachers could act as mentors in seeking employment, and the career centers could provide more administrative than professional support;
third, finding that demanding study program does not affect the career success should be furhter explored - especially because the results from other European countries indicate that the complexity of the study has a positive effect on employability. We assume there are two possible interpretations. The first is related to the low knowledge absorption capacity of Slovenian organizations. The other shows that demanding study lower the time graduates would otherwise spent to acquire relevant work experiences;
fourth, grades in higher education system should relfect the acquisition of relevant work experiences. Relevant work experiences are having a strong impact on career success, what is not the case when students strive for higher grades. In addition, students should be alerted to the need for performimg work, which is related to their own study areas, even if earnings are lower;
fifth, the logic of the development of professional and general competencies should be carefully explored and on this basis ensure mechanism for differentiation between short-term and lifelong preparation of graduates to work;
sixth, higher education institutions should establish a systematic contact with employers both in terms of information about what to expect from study programs and graduates, as well as in the joint planning of study programs and work practices.
With the preparation of three monographs (as sole author and co-author), organization of two international conferences, editiong of special number of the international SSCI journal (publication will be in 2013/2014), and establishment of international project in the area, this post-doctoral project demonstrated that development of the theory urgently requires strong links with the empirical work - only this places the sociological theory of education and work at the forefront of current employment developments.
Significance for the country
The importance of employment and employability of higher education graduates in Slovenia and in the EU is significantly increasing due to economic crisis. Hence, the research questions and results are setting an important reference point for any development and integration of European directives and policies. In this context, results of the postdoctoral project (books, conferences, articles, ...) have attracted both domestic and international audiance. Postdoctoral researcher has during the implementation of the project participated in the development of an international network DECOWE (Developing skills in the world of work and education) and gained international project of the European Commission EMCOSU (Emergin modes of cooperation between private enterprises and universities) and became member of Slovenian part of the international OECD survey PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult).
By surveying acquired and required competencies of higher education graduates, the project offers an important platform for the development of higher education in Slovenia and in the EU; both from the view point of curriculum organization with a focus on appropriate teaching methods, as well as from the view point of the procedures for sustainable monitoring of the higher education quality.
In the future, one can expect further development of research models in this field from the bottom up – both in terms of study fields and professional groups as well as in terms of individual higher education institutions and their programmes. An excellent example, of how such research works in practice, offers the University of Kassel, which conducts these studies for more than 50 higher education institutions in Germany. In its applicative surveys it follows graduates one, two, five and ten years after graduation. These surveys have been an important reference point already in this project.
For Slovenian higher education system it is particularly important to follow how the development of higher educational programs should balance between generic and professional competencies. One can also raise an important question to what extent should policies of lifelong learning and career development be strengthened in order to support (de)regulation of labour markets aging population and migration flows. This would strenghten expectations for greater importance of qualification frameworks, that should in a transparent way support matching of practical with theoretical learning and in this way provide legislative framework for recognition of acquired competencies.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
