Using an instrument to analyse competence-based study programmes: Experiences of teachers in Dutch vocational education and training

Competence-based education is becoming increasingly popular. Competencies are used more and more as the starting point for designing curricula and instructional methods, especially in vocational education and training, to realize authentic and self-steering study programmes. Despite its popularity in both research and educational settings, there is no shared understanding of what competence-based education should look like. Earlier work developed a model for competence-based education that outlines eight features that are important for competence-based education. This paper presents a study designed to determine the extent to which the model for competence-based education can be understood and perceived as useful by teachers in vocational education and training in the Netherlands. The study included 12 teams of teachers in the process of designing or re-designing their study programmes to be more competence-based. Teachers reported that the instrument helped them understand the state of affairs of their study programmes, and empowered them to make decisions about the extent to which they want to make these programmes more competence-based.