Research Group "Vocational Education with a Focus on Empirical TVET Research"

The working group pursues a research perspective that places the human being at the centre of complex, non‑linear interactions with the environment. In doing so, complexities are identified systematically, cause‑and‑effect relationships are analysed, and the resulting insights are employed to shape these multifaceted tension fields.

To capture this complexity, a multi‑level perspective with selected thematic focus areas is applied:

The graphic shows a three-level model with the macro, meso, and micro levels, depicted as nested layers (from outer to inner). Macro level (outer layer): International comparative vocational education and training research Meso level (middle layer): School organizational development; Vocational education and migration Micro level (inner layer): Task-based didactics; Learning in the workplace The illustration highlights that the three levels are interconnected and build on one another.

Together with other research groups of the department, we are responsible for teaching varying courses.

Since summer semester 2026,  Prof. Dr. Junmin Li has been head of this research group. From the 2009 to 2023, Dr. Thomas Bals was professor for Vocational Education and head of this research group.