The professional knowledge of students at the technical school for civil engineering

Abstract

The article focuses on students (N = 503) of the only little-researched post-secondary continuing training. The longitudinal study with three measuring points provides a connectable scaling and structural modeling of the professional knowledge at the beginning, during and at the end of the further education of students at technical schools for civil engineering in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse. For this purpose paper-pencil based test instruments were developed, piloted and applied. The data was evaluated using multivariate statistical and IRT-based methods. The study provides an empirical description and explanation of the vocational knowledge of learners at technical schools. The specialized knowledge can be modeled three-dimensionally in the basic and specialized levels. Interrelationships and factors of influence relevant to specialist knowledge as well as interstate and comparative analyses are presented, discussed and limitations are addressed.