Preliminary results from the field trials in Poland
TRANSVAL-EU partner Educational Research Institute (IBE), in cooperation with the Centre for Education Development, invited 23 counsellors working mostly with young people (ages 14 and up) to take part in the field trials within the TRANSVAL-EU Project in Poland. The counsellors from various educational institutions (e.g. schools, universities, psychological and pedagogical counselling centres but also freelancers) were called to identify and document up to 3 transversal competences of at least one person by the 3rd of March 2023.
The process was preceded by and concluded with a survey measuring the increase of competences regarding the validation of transversal competences.
Subsequently, research interviews were conducted with 6 chosen counsellors to gather additional insights, among others, on the following topics:
- training leading to the field trials,
- tools and materials facilitating validation of transversal competences developed within the project,
- the overall experience of identifying and documenting those competences.
What distinguishes this field trial is its main beneficiary – young people (from upper-secondary schools and universities), although we also had participants up to 50+ years – and the fact that is was focused on the identification and documentation stages of validation; the counsellors followed the steps laid out in the Skills Audit Method developed in Poland.
At the end of the field trials, the Polish team will prepare a lesson scenario on transversal competences and their validation for schools. It will be an additional result of the project.
Preliminary results show, among others, that:
- the field trials increased overall awareness of the transversal competences among both the counsellors and their clients;
- the people whose competences were identified and documented were very interested in the process; one of the counsellors stated: “I made the student realise that it all comes together in different areas of life”;
- the participants greatly appreciated methods and tools developed within the project, especially the Transversal Competence Framework and the Polish Skills Audit Method;
- the counsellors we interviewed would be happy to act more in this area; one of them stated “I would be very happy to organise a transversal competences workshop for teachers. I believe it’s crucial they understand this topic well.”, while another is already talking with their university about including validation of transversal competences in the career office providing guidance for students.