Rychen, Dominique Simone

2006-02-03
Rychen and Salganik, A holistic model of competence

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 41: Reviews of various initiatives (Oates, 2003; Trier, 2003; Weinert, 2001) reveal a lack of rigor and consistency in the use of terms related to competence. ... there is a tendency to use terms such as skill, qualification, competence, and literacy, either imprecisely or interchangeably ... p. 42: A review of theory-grounded approaches to the concept of competence (Weinert, 2001) reveals that there is no single use of the concept of competence and no broadly accepted definition or unifying theory. Multiple and varied definitions of competence exist in social science literature.

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 42: ... DeSeCo begins by taking a step back to define the concept of competence. OECD constituencies, recognizing the need for solid theoretical and conceptual foundations for defining, selecting, and assessing competencies that matter socially and economically, welcomed and supported DeSeCo's theory-oriented approach to competence. ... notions and concepts ... are social constructs that can facilitate the understanding of reality while also constructing it in a manner that reflects and reinforces prevailing ideological assumptions and values. Thus, defining explicitly the meaning and nature of competence constitutes a crucial step in enabling a coherent and substantial discourse on competencies from a lifelong learning perspective. ... In line with Weinert's recommendation and subsequente discussions within the project, we opted for what he called a "conceptual pragmatism" in the sense of defining the term competence in a scientifically plausible and pragmatically relevant way.

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 43: A competence is defined as the ability to successfully meet complex demands in a particular context through the mobilization of psychosocial prerequisites (including both cognitive and noncognitive aspects). This represents a demand-oriented or functional approach to defining competencies. The primary focus is on the results the individual achieves through an action, choice, or way of behaving, with respect to the demands, for instance, related to a particular professional position, social role, or personal project.

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 43: ... a demand-oriented approach ... does require a typical or specific characterization of classes of demands, performance criteria, and indicators of competencies. For this, curriculum theory, measurement models, task profiles for vocations, and task profiles for typical life situations provide valuable information.

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 44: ... the demand-oriented approach needs to be complemented by a conceptualization of competencies as internal mental structures in the sense of abilities, dispositions, or resources embedded in the individual. ... these various dynamically inter-related components are defined by the characteristics of complex demands encountered in life (Weinert, 2001).

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 45: The components of the internal competence structure encompass a wide range of attributes. There is no question that cognitive skills or intellectual abilities ... and the knowledge base constitute crucial mental resources that need to be mobilized for competent performance or effective action. However, there is a broad agreement that meeting a demand or accomplishing a goal also requires the mobilization of social and behavioral components such as motivation, emotions, and values. ... Possessing a competence means that one not only possesses the component resources, but is also able to mobilize such resources properly and to orchestrate them, at an appropriate time, in a complex situation (Le Boterf, 1994, 1997). ... "The theoretical construct of action competence comprehensively combines those intellectual abilities, content-specific knowledge, cognitive skills, domain-specific strategies, routines and subroutines, motivational tendencies, volitional control systems, personal value orientations, and social behaviors into a complex system (Weinert, 2001, p. 51)."

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, pp. 45-46: ... Action always take place in a socio-cultural environment, in a context that is structured into multiple social fields (such as the political field, the fields of work, of health, of family), each consisting of a structured set of social positions dynamically organized around a given set of social interests and challenges. If is within these fields that demands and the criteria for effective performance and action take form and manifest themselves, and individuals act to meet them. ... situated learning theory, which views competence as inseparable from the context in which it is developed and used. ... competence is a product of the interaction off attributes of individuals and the context in which they operate ...

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 46: the underlying model of competence ... combines complex demands, psychosocial prerequisites (including cognitive, motivational, ethical, volitional, and social components), and context into a complex system that makes competent performance or effective action possible. Thus, competencies do not exist independently of action and context. ... they are conceptualized in relation to demands and actualized by actions ... taken by individuals in a particular situation.

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 47: ... whether an individual who is competent to meet a demand in one context or situation would be able to meet a similar demand in another context. ... this topic is addressed in terms of transfer, the benefit obtained from having had previous experience in acquiring a new competence or performing successfully in a new situation. ... adaptation [is] a concept in which existing skills or competencies are adapted to meet the demands of new contexts. ... because of the contextual nature of competence, competence in one context cannot be inferred from evidence gathered in a different context.

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 49: competencies and competence-related components are assumed to exist on continua. ... Whenever judgments are made about competence, it is therefore not a matter of finding out whether an individual does or does not possess a particular competence or component, but rather of determining where along the continuum from low to high an individual's performance falls.

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 55: ... competence cannot be directly measured or observed, but must be inferred from observing performance to meet a demand in a number of settings. ... large-scale assessments ... are only approximations of the demands individuals face in real life. ... most assessments of competence ... have traditionally been restricted to the cognitive components of competence. ... competence must be inferred from performance

Rychen and Salganik, 2003, p. 58: ... Effective learning strategies include using a wide range of contexts, inductive rather than deductive processes, problem-based learning contexts in which problems are integrated rather than broken into discrete, artificial elements, and encouragement of self-directed learning and self-reflection on learning styles (Oates, 2003, section 3.2).