Students in vocational education - the detection of individual deficits in basic mathematical competences
Kathrin Winter
University of Münster
Basic mathematical competences are relevant requirements for a successful vocational education. One of the main problems in advanced vocational education in Germany is the abolition of formal mathematics lessons in favour of situated learning: Mathematical competences shall now be embedded in the context rather than taught as an explicit and isolated topic. As a consequence, students are responsible for their own mathematical competences. However, many vocational trainers lack special mathematical didactical education and while they notice gaps in the mathematical competences of the students they cannot diagnose the mistakes and problems in any detail. Also many students do not know what mathematical competences are needed to be successful and if their own competences are well grounded.
The aim of the project 'Mathe-Meister' (University of Münster, Germany) is the development of a web-based self-assessment centre for vocational education. This centre is intended to make people aware of the importance of mathematics in vocational training, to show hidden mathematics in the workplace, and to give mathematical or diagnostic information to vocational teachers. It will help students to appreciate their own mathematical competences in view of their chosen vocation, and detect and remediate their individual mathematical deficits.
The lecture will show the results of empirical studies with students in basic and advanced vocational training. A presentation of typical mistakes and how to identify them by special designed items will be focussed.