The manuscript ‘Developing and Validating a Competence Framework for Improving the Productivity of Smallholder Farmers: A Case Study from Ethiopia’ of Chalachew Aniteneh is accepted for publication by the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension (JAEE). The paper is part of the PhD project of Chalachew on agricultural education and extension in Bahir Dar in the region Amhara in Northern Ethiopia. Once the paper is published, the full details will be shared. For now: congratulations Ato Chalachew, and co-authors Dr Renate Wesselink and Dr Harm Biemans!

Despite all challenges worldwide, I am wishing you a Healthy and Happy 2021!!!

Paul Koot, working at Avans University of Applied Sciences, successfully defended his Master thesis in Education entitled Education with Impact. The theme of his research was professional development of teachers in the field of ICT. He distributed questionnaires, interviewed teachers, and did observations in classrooms. He expects that more time for and cooperation between teachers will lead to better results. Advisor of the thesis was Dr. Joachim Wetterling. Thanks Joachim. Congratulations Paul, and lots of success with your work!

As indicated earlier, since the LinkedIn Competence Studies group grew over 100 members, we are going to have an online meeting. The theme of the meeting is Corona Coping Competence. With the outbreak of the highly contagious COVID-mutant ‘SARS-COV-2 VUI 202012/01’, this theme seems to be highly relevant; Corona viruses will probably disrupt our global societies even further and longer.

Continue reading Corona Coping Competence – flash meeting – March 22, 2021, 19:00 – 20:00hrs CET

Linda van Elderen successfully defended her thesis on transfer of a community of researchers and practitioners on signalling and coaching of gifted students in secondary education. The study was linked to an NRO-project funded by the government of the Netherlands. The study resulted in recommendations on transfer climate, transfer design and individual transfer factors.

The concept of competence is conceptualized in different ways. Examples of theories in which competence is integrated:

• Performance Theory: The AMO Model (Appelbaum et al.)
• Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan)
• Alignment Theory (Mulder)
• Theory of Domains of Occupational Competence (Billett)
• Shaping Competence Theory (Rauner)
• Instructional Theory (De Corte et al.)
• Capability Theory (Cairns and Malloch)
• Human Development and Capabilities Theory (Nussbaum)

For an elaboration on this, see Mulder, M. (2019). Foundations of Competence-based Vocational Education and Training. In: McGrath, S., Mulder, M., Papier, J., & Suart, R. (Eds). Handbook of Vocational Education and Training for the Changing World of Work. Cham: Springer, pp. 1167-1192.

Vandaag heeft Annemiek Viergever op succesvolle wijze via MS Teams haar eindscriptie voor de opleiding Master Onderwijskunde afgerond. Het onderwerp van de scriptie betrof de verschillen in self-efficacy ten gevolge van verschillen in zelfregulerend leren van leerlingen in de onder- en bovenbouw in het voortgezet onderwijs. Begeleider: Dr. Martijn van Schaik.

Due to the Corona pandemic this news slipped through. Earlier I posted that I would share the full reference of this publication: Osagie, E.R., Wesselink, R., & Mulder, M., & Blok, V. (2020). Learning Organization for Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation; Unravelling the Intricate Relationship between Organizational and Operational LO Characteristics, Organization & Environment, May, 1-24. doi.org/10.1177/1086026620933915. Enjoy.

Yared Nigussie Demssie (University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and PhD candidate at Wageningen University) conducted research on the role of worldviews and indigenous knowledge in curricula on sustainability in higher education. His article ‘Combining Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Education to Foster Sustainability Competencies: Towards a Set of Learning Design Principles’, is now published open access in the journal Sustainability (2019 Impact Factor 2.576). It is part of the Special Issue on Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development II. Continue reading Design principles to foster sustainability competence in non-western regions

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a highly valued objective in the world of business administration. However, it is not easily achieved. We were thinking that Learning Organization (LO) theory could help establishing more responsibility in organizations, because these principles stimulate members of the organization to be critical, learn from the past and embrace change. In a study of Eghe Osagie, Renate Wesselink, Vincent Blok and myself, the relationship between organizational and operational characteristics of the learning organization was explored in relationship with establishing CSR. A total of 280 CSR professionals completed a survey, and bootstrap mediation analyses were conducted on the data. Three LO principles emerged from the study as important facilitators of increasing CSR: 1. encouragement to learn and positively perceive change; 2. to see the organization as an open system, and give co-workers room for adapting their working practices; 3. engagement in higher-order learning processes. This piece of research is accepted for publication in Organization & Environment (IF=8.50). The tentative reference is  Osagie, E., Wesselink, R., Blok, V., & Mulder, M (2020). Learning Organization for Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation; Unravelling the Intricate Relationship between Organizational and Operational LO Characteristics, Organization & Environment. Once the paper is published online more information about the reference will be posted.