| Institutions
are essential for shaping the profile of VET and HRD research in individual
countries. The following analysis draws on an initial collection of 'main
research centres, including bodies, departments and units within universities'
(see Overview, aspect 4), with the exception
of institutions undertaking only minor research (e.g. ministries). The
resulting sample (274 institutions of 25 countries) was analysed, on the
basis of the institutions' home pages, with regard to one aspect: the thematic
field of the institution concerned. This analysis is a follow-up of an
earlier study covering European countries as a whole (see Issues
arising from an institutional analysis of HRD/VET research).
The
research fields of institutions, identified for the profile analysis, are
broken down into three types:
-
Focus
on VET/HRD (single or combined);
-
Close
context of VET/HRD (e.g. education, labour market, human resources, work
life);
-
Broad
context of VET/HRD (e.g. economics, sociology, statistics).
The proportions
between institutions belonging to these types, established for every country,
form the basis for defining three thematic patterns of institutional research,
as presented in the map below (see definition of patterns in the legend
on the right).
|
DK
|
FI
|
NO
|
SE
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AT
|
BE
|
|
BG
|
CZ
|
EE
|
|
|
DE
|
FR
|
|
HU
|
LT
|
LV
|
|
|
IE
|
UK
|
|
PL
|
RO
|
SI
|
SK
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CY
|
ES
|
IT
|
MT
|
PT
|
|
|
|
| |
Thematic
patterns of institutional research |
|
I
|
(A)
Mainly focus on VET/HRD |
|
I
|
(B)
Mainly close context of VET/HRD |
|
I
|
(C)
Mainly broad context of VET/HRD |
|
Three
patterns are used in this map to describe the research profile of institutions
in individual countries. In pattern A, the majority of institutions of
a given country is focused on VET/HRD; in pattern B, either the majority
of institutions undertake research in the close context of VET/HRD or there
is a balance between all types of institutions; in pattern C, the majority
of institutions carry out research in the broad context of VET/HRD.
In view of the interdisciplinary nature of both VET and HRD research, it
may be argued, that pattern B stands for a fairly appropriate institutional
environment. In contrast, pattern A may indicate a more narrow research
profile, while pattern C may be understood as a more dispersed research
landscape. In each case, however, the institutional pattern of research
is strongly influenced by various factors including the national system
of education, the socio-economic framework and research traditions.
As the map shows, nearly all countries undertake institutional research
mainly in the context of VET/HRD; the countries associated with the close
context of VET/HRD (AT, BG, CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, HU, IE, IT, LT, MT, PT,
SE, SI) and those related to the broad context of VET/HRD (BE, CY, DK,
EE, LV, NO, PL, RO, SK) are fairly evenly distributed across all regions;
only in one country (UK) institutional research is mainly focused on VET/HRD.
NOTE:
The Profile of national research is based on a comparative analysis of
selected activities in 25 European countries (see Overview).
This data has been compiled from the national reports prepared by the Cedefop
ReferNet in 2006 and subsequently published by Cedefop (see Introduction
and Reference). |