Die Bedeutung beruflicher Erfahrungen und fachsystematischen Wissens fr die Bewltigung fachlicher Problemstellungen - eine Analyse bei angehenden Technikern und Technikerinnen

摘要

Research on vocational competence has presented ample evidence that cognitive factors usually are the most powerful predictors of achievement, whereas professional experience often does not add explanatory power to a?model and if so, usually to a?smaller extent. A?potential reason for this finding might be related to how professional experience is measured; common measurements in use are the number of years of work experience on the job or participants’ self-assessments on their level of experience. The following article aims at comparing the predictive power of cognitive factors and professional experience, using two different measures for the latter: (1)?number of years of work experience after completing the apprenticeship and (2)?the actual frequency of carrying out tasks or activities that are considered typical for the profession. The sample for this analysis includes between 272 and 208 persons enrolled in an education program for electrical engineering technicians. Results show that both cognitive variables (here IQ and domain-specific knowledge) and professional experience significantly contribute to explaining professional achievement albeit only when professional experience is measured by taking into account the actual activities (here combined into different groups of activities) carried out by the participants.