Dispositional approaches for measuring professional competence

Abstract

Based on a description of the lineages of the competence-construct, in the following essay different empirical approaches are accounted for and analyzed with regard to their specifics. Hereby, the dispositional facet of professional competences is regarded as a basic characteristic. Afterwards, the development and verification of a knowledge-accentuated and dispositionally orientated competence-theory is presented with reference to a validation-study. In the constitutive work-pattern - regarding subject-specific methodical competences - the comprehension of professional objects and processes is viewed as a central determinant of functional profession-competence. This dispositional modeling is diagnostically realized by using a reconstructive procedure. Hereby, different facets of comprehension are reconstructed in complex professional activities, being part of the profession of “carpenter“. The findings presage that the hereby developed reconstructive procedure is suitable for a dispositional and therefore didactically orientated competence-diagnosis in the area of science and practise.

Keywords: competence, disposition, didactical theory of competence, reconstructive diagnostic, comprehension-accentuated.