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Competency-based education and training in Namibia: Educational transfer as imitation

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Comparative Vocational Education Research

Part of the book series: Internationale Berufsbildungsforschung ((INBER))

Abstract

The application of competency-based education and training (CBET) in the vocational sector started with the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) in 1986 in the United Kingdom. Shortly after the implementation, the CBET approach was exported within the Commonwealth of Nations to New Zealand (starting in 1987; introduction of the New Zealand National Qualifications Framework in 1990/1991) and Australia (starting in 1990; introduction of the Australian Qualifications Framework in 1995). Australia itself transferred CBET to South Africa (starting in 1992; introduction of the South African Qualifications Framework in 1995/1996), and both countries, Australia and South Africa, finally exported CBET to Namibia (starting in 1996; introduction of the Namibian Qualification Framework in 2006).

In this article, we compare the principles of the original NVQ-CBET of the 1980th with the characteristics of the current CBET approach in Namibia. Our research question is: Are the implemented CBET principles in Namibia an imitation, an adaptation or a transformation in comparison with the original principles? We focus in our comparison on two basic principles of the original NVQ-CBET: behaviourism and functionalism.

The findings show that the current CBET system in Namibia is predominantly an imitation of the original NVQ-CBET of the 1980th. Neither the time span, geographic or cultural distance and nor the domino transfer via Australia and South Africa have initiated a transformation or an adaption of the original principles. The article ends with an assumption why the educational transfer in this case was so resilient.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Technology and Education, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Michael Gessler & Susanne Peters

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  1. Michael Gessler
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  2. Susanne Peters
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Correspondence to Michael Gessler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Economics and Business Education, University of Cologne, Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Matthias Pilz

  2. Chair of Economics and Business Education, University of Cologne, Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Junmin Li

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Gessler, M., Peters, S. (2020). Competency-based education and training in Namibia: Educational transfer as imitation. In: Pilz, M., Li, J. (eds) Comparative Vocational Education Research. Internationale Berufsbildungsforschung. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29924-8_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29924-8_7

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