Reflexive competencies—importance and recognition in the context of adult educational professionalization and professionalism

Abstract The article focuses on reflexive competencies, their importance in the context of adult educational professionalization and professionalism, and their embedding in existing procedures for the validation of competencies. Reflexive competencies are a key component of adult educational professionalism. Their recognition and certification, however, is particularly challenging because it cannot be based on detailed descriptions of these competencies. Therefore, it will be examined how the recognition and formulation of reflexive competencies has been done so far and can be further developed on an empirical basis in the future. First, it will be shown that reflexive competencies are early situated in the discussion of adult educational professionalism and professionalization. Subsequently, two current procedures for the certification and recognition of competencies from German-speaking countries will be presented, highlighting in particular the embedding of reflexive competencies in the corresponding competency models. Finally, first results of an ongoing research project are presented. This project aims at the reconstruction and formulation of the (self-)reflection competence. On the basis of an exemplary case study, a deeper insight is given into the existing practice of an established procedure for the recognition and validation of reflexive competencies. Thus, the strengths and weaknesses of this procedure for the reconstruction of reflexive competencies can be explored and conclusions can be drawn on how to further develop it on an empirical basis.