A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts

Competence frameworks in general education environments have emerged to define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that contemporary educators need to acquire. Such frameworks have been less developed within vocational education and training (VET) although this sector is directly impacted by rapid...

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Main Authors: María José Hernández-Serrano, Joe Cullen, Barbara Jones, Noelia Morales Romo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cogitatio 2025-01-01
Series:Media and Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8974
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author María José Hernández-Serrano
Joe Cullen
Barbara Jones
Noelia Morales Romo
author_facet María José Hernández-Serrano
Joe Cullen
Barbara Jones
Noelia Morales Romo
author_sort María José Hernández-Serrano
collection DOAJ
description Competence frameworks in general education environments have emerged to define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that contemporary educators need to acquire. Such frameworks have been less developed within vocational education and training (VET) although this sector is directly impacted by rapid and complex technological changes increasingly embedded in industrial and organisational demands of the working context. Many VET classrooms with dual or flexible contexts, with a range of demographically and culturally diverse learners, now require teachers to be trained with new competences and cross-cutting skills to cope with the resultant wider and deeper changes in knowledge. This article presents the outcomes and data of the design and validation processes of a competence framework combining digital and social skills. It was piloted in five countries (UK, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Spain) to provide a flexible, and needs-based competence framework for VET teachers working with vulnerable learners. After conducting a literature review and a needs assessment of VET teachers and learners, a flexible three-domain framework is presented, with pathways and training methods that account for the so-called poly-contextual skills that combine digital and social skills. The flexible framework and 26 competences were tested with 358 VET teachers using three evaluation tools (self-assessment survey, game-quiz scores, and programme satisfaction survey). Conclusions highlight the need to combine digital and social skills together with media literacy through flexible pathways to achieve better results for teaching, learning, and empowering learners.
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spelling doaj-art-e0866001abee467c9f4504f869e89aed2025-01-23T09:21:16ZengCogitatioMedia and Communication2183-24392025-01-0113010.17645/mac.89743969A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse ContextsMaría José Hernández-Serrano0Joe Cullen1Barbara Jones2Noelia Morales Romo3Department of Theory and History of Education, University of Salamanca, SpainArcola Research, Tavistock Institute London, UKBibliometrica, UKDepartment of Sociology and Communication, University of Salamanca, SpainCompetence frameworks in general education environments have emerged to define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that contemporary educators need to acquire. Such frameworks have been less developed within vocational education and training (VET) although this sector is directly impacted by rapid and complex technological changes increasingly embedded in industrial and organisational demands of the working context. Many VET classrooms with dual or flexible contexts, with a range of demographically and culturally diverse learners, now require teachers to be trained with new competences and cross-cutting skills to cope with the resultant wider and deeper changes in knowledge. This article presents the outcomes and data of the design and validation processes of a competence framework combining digital and social skills. It was piloted in five countries (UK, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Spain) to provide a flexible, and needs-based competence framework for VET teachers working with vulnerable learners. After conducting a literature review and a needs assessment of VET teachers and learners, a flexible three-domain framework is presented, with pathways and training methods that account for the so-called poly-contextual skills that combine digital and social skills. The flexible framework and 26 competences were tested with 358 VET teachers using three evaluation tools (self-assessment survey, game-quiz scores, and programme satisfaction survey). Conclusions highlight the need to combine digital and social skills together with media literacy through flexible pathways to achieve better results for teaching, learning, and empowering learners.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8974competence frameworksdigital skillsself assessmentsoft skillsvocational education and trainingvulnerable learners
spellingShingle María José Hernández-Serrano
Joe Cullen
Barbara Jones
Noelia Morales Romo
A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts
Media and Communication
competence frameworks
digital skills
self assessment
soft skills
vocational education and training
vulnerable learners
title A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts
title_full A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts
title_fullStr A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts
title_full_unstemmed A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts
title_short A Flexible Framework Integrating Digital and Social Competences in Vocational Education Across Diverse Contexts
title_sort flexible framework integrating digital and social competences in vocational education across diverse contexts
topic competence frameworks
digital skills
self assessment
soft skills
vocational education and training
vulnerable learners
url https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8974
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