4. An interdisciplinary approach to key competencies
Starting from the assumption that identifying key competencies calls for scientific
discussion and analysis, but implies practical considerations and political negotiations
as well, DeSeCo opted for an interdisciplinary and policy-oriented approach. A wide
range of stakeholders were engaged in the process of defining and selecting key
competencies at the international level. DeSeCo involved and linked sociologists,
economists, anthropologists, philosophers, psychologists, a historian, education
researchers, statisticians, assessment specialists, policy-makers and policy analysts,
unionists, employers and stakeholders representing various sectors and national and
international institutions.
DeSeCo's work program consisted of several major activities:
- The project started with an analysis of international studies
conducted during the 1990s in OECD countries related to indicators
of education outcomes (Salganik, Rychen, Moser and Konstant, 1999),
followed by a study reviewing scholarly work on the concept of
competence (Weinert, 2001), and expert opinions by scholars from five
different academic disciplines, who each was asked to construct a set of
theoretically grounded key competencies, and comments from policy
and practice (Rychen and Salganik, Eds. 2001).
- A first international symposium in 1999 brought together
academics and stakeholders from various fields. The conclusions from
these and subsequent discussions represented a first step towards
interdisciplinary insight. Then, a country consultation was organized
within the OECD to review national experiences in defining, developing,
and assessing key competencies (Trier, 2003). The second international
symposium provided an opportunity for working towards a consensus
on key competencies among a wide range of countries, stakeholders, and
interest groups (Rychen, Salganik and McLaughlin, Eds. 2003).
- DeSeCo's main conclusions and recommendations were submitted
in form of a strategy paper (OECD, 2002) to the relevant OECD
Committees, and the elaborated findings have been published in
DeSeCo's final report entitled "Key competencies for a Successful Life
and a Well-Functioning Society" (Rychen and Salganik, Eds. 2003).
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