Comparing the demand of syllabus content in the context of vocational qualifications : literature, theory and method

Abstract

Our literature review considers the methods used in studies comparing the demands of vocational syllabus content in England. Generally, categories of demands are either derived from subject experts' views or devised by researchers. Subsequently, subject experts rate each syllabus on each demand category and comparisons can be made. However, problems with the methods include: i) Some studies over-focus on the cognitive domain rather than the affective, interpersonal and psychomotor domains; ii) Experts vary in their interpretations of rating scales. Therefore, we suggest creating a framework of demands which includes all four domains, based on a variety of subject experts' views of demands. The subject experts might rank each syllabus on each type of demand, thus avoiding the problem(s) of rating scales, and facilitating comparisons between syllabuses.