Transnational methods and models
for self-evaluation of non-formal
personal competencies
Wiebke Petersen and Gerald Heidegger
(biat/ Universität Flensburg, Germany)
Leonardo da Vinci Project, Reference Material
Aims of the
Self-Evaluation Project
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Investigate and improve support for people in
evaluating their own possible competences through
new methods of self-evaluation of personal
competences of adult learners on a transnational
basis
Improving opportunities to re-enter the labour
market possibly in a different field:
- more suitable to personal interests and wishes
- higher success, better options to stay in the job
Target group
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learners with interrupted occupational or
learning careers who embark on various
courses in colleges of further education with
the purpose of returning to work or learning
self-evaluation and self-recognition of their
personal skills and competences are crucial to
broaden their career plans
Partners and processes
of the project
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Partners: United Kingdom, Portugal, Greece, Romania, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Germany (co-ordinator)
Processes: Investigation of societal/economic/political conditions
for
- labour market re-entry
- self-evaluation methods
- pro´s and con´s of accreditation of non-formal and
informal learning
- developing model projects (culturally adapted, European
dimension)
- implementing and evaluating model projects
Valorisation of results
The German Model-Project for an
Adult Course Module for
Self-Evaluation
Wiebke Petersen
(biat/ Universität Flensburg, Germany)
Experiences, Self-Evaluation and SelfDevelopment
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Three stages of the process of personal
development in the context of broadening the
career plans of the participants:
experiences through formal, non-formal and informal learning
before the self-evaluation phase
module as an incentive for self-evaluation
further self-development of the personality with respect to
occupational competences
social competences
personal competences („self-competences“)
Self-Evaluation of experiences, interests and
wishes – the „German module“
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through
 experiencing activities with different characteristics/demands
based on Holland ´s theory of types
of personality
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common reflection in groups (possibly with support)
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using an independently usable IT-tool
with greatly extended possibilities of
interactivity
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creative thinking out new possible fields of occupation (and
even „recreation“ – for the longterm unemployed)
Six types of personality according to
HOLLAND´s theory (including combinations)
Holland´ s theory of types of personality
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Created in the 1960s
Based on behaviourist personality theory
Six types defined through factor analysis
Since then extensive further development
Application to job finding processes, biographical
planning of occupational career
For that development of a typology of job profiles
according to the same six dimensions
Matching of types of
personality and dimensions
of job profiles ( R=realistic, I=investigative, A=artistic,
S=social, E= enterprising, C=conventional)
Characteristics of personality:
three main dimensions (first, second, third):
e.g.
IAS for university professor
RCE for car mechanic
SCI for teachers
Issues for criticism:
Conventional understanding of the types e.g.
enterprising close to salesmanship
social close to education (even mainly of children)
realistic close to male handicraft
investigative close to academic endeavours (Implicit influence of
bourgeois prejudices)
Matching of types of personality and dimensions
of job profiles
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Dimensions of job profiles
In the US the ca. 20 000 job profiles each get a 3
letter type description (drawing on official job
descriptions, job advertisements, experts
judgements)
Nowadays adapted worldwide (commercially
available)
E.g. for Germany EXPLORIX for the ca. 350 middle
level „Berufe“ and also the academic professions
Matching of types of personality and dimensions
of job profiles
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Dimensions of job profiles – Critical issues:
Very different types of activities within one occupation are
neglected, e.g. for car mechanic: focus on
repetitive repair work
investigative diagnosis of faults
counselling of customers
leading work group
salesmanship
We try to change this fundamentally!
Matching of types of personality and dimensions
of job profiles
Basic idea of matching: Individuals with a
certain „Holland code“ supposed to be
optimally suitable for occupations with the
same code
 The idea of self-realisation during leisure
activities is neglected
 The individuals are subject to seemingly
objective procedures (although often
additional counselling is recommended)
We try to change that!
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Defining and matching types of
personality according to EXPLORIX
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Individuals fill in short questionnaires (Ten questions
for each dimension)
Two methods of self-investigation
What am I able to do?
What would I like to do?
Results evaluated online by the EXPLORIX-Company
(10 €)
Outcome: Suggestions for job search according to
the matching process
Instead we offer an approach based on
independent self-judging!
The Flensburg-method for searching your
„self“ and thinking out a new future
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Based on Holland ´s six dimensions (R, I, A, S, E, C)
Experiencing your main features through carrying
through real activities oriented to the types
Reflecting on and thinking out new possible
occupations but also suitable leisure activities
(importance of work-life-balance)
We also give the hint to think about
What am I able to do?
What would I like to do?
People are advised to thinking but also to listening to their
emotions.
The Flensburg-method for searching your
„self“ and thinking out a new future
 Examples for the activities:
2-3 alternatives for each main type of personality
Additionally one can be created by the participants
themselves
Realistic:
model railway
sewing
model ships or steam engines
Investigative: comparing and choosing an office chair
for people with a bad back
investigating a fault in a car
researching into the cheapest ingredients
for a meal
The Flensburg-method for searching your
„self“ and thinking out a new future
artistic:
social:
enterprising:
Conventional:
building an object for a model railway landscape
preparing and decorating a plate with bread roles
(Canapés)
???
role playing – intervention in a conflict
???
organising a political manifestation
organising the preparation of a large meal in a team
with a limited budget
???
Book keeping about expenditures for a household
filling in transfers for one´s own bank account
???
The Flensburg-method for searching your
„self“ and thinking out a new future
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Combinations of Holland codes are obviously built in into the
activities
Additional ideas still to be analysed according to the Holland
code
Further possible self-evaluation activities, at the same time
options for suitable recreational activities for times of
unemployment
sports (table tennis, football, etc.)
gardening
making music (playing in a band)
dancing
….
Conventional activity: Calculating expenditure for food
Christina (shop assistant): no hope to experience something new
Tim (plasterer Meister): is familiar with calculations
Realistic activity: building a model railway
Milan (roma, showman on a fairground, low literacy and numeracy
skills): no special interests, but high motivation
Artistic activity: Landscape for the model railway
Barbara (without qualification): likes being creative
Common reflection in groups (possibly with support)
Barbara (without qualification): difficulties in oral expression
Vladimir (electrician, from Russia): speaks nearly no German
The interactive tool for the Flensburg method
In cases where participants have some IT-skills:
 To be filled in on a computer
 Participants answer questions which relate to
the six Holland dimensions
according to three levels
 Additional interactivity:
Not only individual answers but
The questions themselves can be adapted to
one´s experiences, interests, wishes and
desires.
This can also be done with a pencil.
Second step: The IT-tool
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The matrix definig the
dimensions of the SelfEvaluation IT-tool:
Holland´s dimensions of interests, wishes and abilities
Learning contexts:
 formal: e.g. school
 non-formal: e.g. apprenticeship, work placement
 informal: e.g. family, sports club
Competences:
 Occupational
 Social
 Personal
interests
interests
interests
wishes
wishes
wishes
Possible future activities
 individual activities
 networking activities in groups
 activities for furthering „civil society“(citizenship)
R I
A S E C
The Flensburg-method for searching your
„self“ and thinking out a new future
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experiencing activities with different
characteristics/demands
common reflection in groups (possibly with support)
using an independently usable IT-tool, the interactive
tool for the Flensburg method
creative thinking out new possible fields of
occupation (and even „recreation“ – for the long term
unemployed)