Effects of training and assessment in vocational education and training (VET): Reflections on the methodology of assessing the development of traits of self-regulation

This article focuses on the development of traits of self-regulation within vocational education and training (VET). This perspective is in accordance with the general objective of VET within the German speaking countries and is addressed in the objective “education and training for the ability of self-directed planning, regulation and evaluation of vocational performance”. In order to foster these and other relevant abilities, specific vocational training programs were developed and implemented in a training center in Switzerland. One such program was evaluated in a longitudinal study. From 1999 to 2003, a cohort of more than 100 aprentices was monitored with respect to the development of vocational skills and traits. One of the instruments used was a German-language version of the Trait Self-Regulation- Questionnaire (TSRQ) by O'Neil and Herl (1988). Participants filled out the questionnaire 5 times in the course of their 4-year apprenticeship. In this article, a first focus of the data analysis is on the development of the traits of self-regulation over time, looking especially at self-efficacy according to Bandura (1997). Results indicate differential effects for subgroups among the trainees. In a second focus, the analysis reflects on the effects of using a self-evaluation instrument within the longitudinal study. In this respect, the issue of validity of measurement is under consideration.