Browsing by Subject "Vocational identity"

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Berufliche Identitätsentwicklung und Laufbahnadaptabilität
Zentrale Faktoren der beruflichen Entwicklung kaufmännischer Auszubildender
(2023) Kirchknopf, Sebastian; Kögler, Kristina
Against the background of the challenges for individual career development, with regard to increasing work-related flexibilization, self-direction, and subjectification, vocational identity and career adaptability have been established as central variables of modern career development (Savickas 2011). In this context, both constructs are often depicted as interrelated, with (vocational) identity having a certain orientation function with respect to career adaptation and career development processes, while (career) adaptability encompasses the necessary dispositions and resources for the required adaptation and reorientation efforts (Hall 2004; Fugate et al 2004). The construct of vocational identity has long been an integral part within the discourse of vocational and business education, as it is considered to be of high importance for the development of professional competence as well as for the socialisation of vocational learners (Lempert 2009). In contrast, the concept of adaptability has received much less attention from the perspective of vocational and business education, although its importance for the understanding of vocational adaptation and integration processes has been discussed in the international context for a long time (Savickas 1997, 2005). In relation to vocational identity, it seems essential to consider whether career adaptability in the VET context can be understood as a beneficial element of vocational integration (Savickas 2013) or rather as a professional flexibility and mobility orientation that tends to be associated with low work-related attachment (Briscoe/Hall 2006). For a closer look at the interaction of both constructs in the context of commercial vocational training, however, a clarification of the conceptual approach to vocational identity as well as the content-related specifics of the identity construction and development of commercial trainees is also indicated. In order to investigate the relevance of vocational identity and career adaptability for the professional development of commercial trainees, several research questions were derived. In addition to a theoretical clarification of the respective conceptual understandings, these include an empirical approach in qualitative and quantitative terms. To answer the research questions, a cumulative research design was chosen, comprising a total of four papers. From a theoretical and conceptual perspective, it was possible to deduce that – beyond previous reference points of the field of vocational and business education – there is a high significance of career adaptability especially for the professional development processes of learners within initial vocational training. In the course of the subsequent examination of its empirical suitability for the context of vocational education, Savickas concept of career adaptability proved to be particularly promising. Its four-dimensional structure could be replicated among commercial apprentices, and it could be distinguished from more disintegrative conceptualisations of adaptability. With regard to the development of vocational identity among commercial apprentices, an overarching characteristic identified was a decline in occupational and organisational identification during the course of their apprenticeship, which in turn affect their occupational and organisational dropout intentions. The qualitative analysis also revealed occupation-specific characteristics that suggest that identification potentials can be found in both generalised and more specialised commercial apprenticeships, but that these potentials can differ significantly (e.g., career perspectives vs. affectively significant activities). Ultimately, the positive correlation between career adaptability and the professional identity of commercial apprentices could be demonstrated, which points to the beneficial effect of career adaptability for professional development and for building work-related ties in the context of vocational learning.
Career adaptability and vocational identity of commercial apprentices in the German dual system
(2020) Kirchknopf, Sebastian
The construct of career adaptability has recently gained importance in research on vocational development and has led to a variety of theoretical and empirical approaches. Alongside with vocational identity it has been theorised as the crucial meta-competency of modern career construction. Due to its roots in adolescent career development, career adaptability is not limited to the vocational adjustments of working adults, but is also highly relevant for the pre-occupational orientation processes of adolescents initially developing a vocational identity. Despite the recent increase in empirical research on career adaptability, the field of vocational education has been largely neglected so far. Therefore, a quantitative survey among nearly N = 400 commercial apprentices within the German dual system of VET has been conducted. This study focuses on the replication of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) among commercial apprentices within the German dual system, and its discrimination against alternative operationalisations of career adaptability. Furthermore, the relationship between career adaptability and vocational identity (operationalised as occupational and organisational identification) was explored. Results showed that the four-dimensional structure of career adaptability covered by the CAAS could be largely replicated in the dual system. In addition, it was found that the CAAS can in part be separated from alternative operationalisations. Finally, the results confirmed career adaptability positively predicts both foci of identification in a cognitive and affective manner. This indicates that career adaptability can be seen as a beneficial factor for vocational education and training as it fosters the vocational ties of apprentices in terms of their identity.