Transversal Skills in TVET (Pedagogies and Assessment) - UNESCO

9
Asia-Pacific
Education System Review Series
Transversal Skills in TVET:

Pedagogies and Assessment
Edu ion Sys

Tra Ski TVE
Ped Asse tion
Asia-Pacific
Education System Review Series No. 9

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Preface to the Series
The Asia-Pacific Education System Review Series is published by the

Education Policy and Reform Unit of the UNESCO Asia and Pacific
Regional Bureau for Education (UNESCO Bangkok). The series aims
to summarize what is known, based on research, about selected
contemporary policy issues relating to the national education systems
of countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The series provides practice-oriented guidance for those engaged
in the review of education policy and systems, as well as in the
implementation of reforms related to the specific topics that the
booklets address.
The booklets are designed to serve as rapid and credible reference
materials for education policy makers, planners and managers, offering
busy readers (a) an overview and quick analysis of pertinent education
issues; (b) a choice of approaches and options to address these issues
based on experiences of countries in the region; and (c) a set of
recommendations or guiding questions to consider when preparing a
sector or sub-sector review and reform.
i
Transversal Skills in TVET: Pedagogies and Assessment
Contents
Preface to the Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
List of Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Section 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Section 2: Review of Policies Related to Transversal Skills in TVET 4
Brunei Darussalam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Republic of Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Thailand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Section 3: Pedagogical Practices Related to Transversal Skills in
TVET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Thailand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Section 4: Assessment Practices of Transversal Skills in TVET . . 19
Thailand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Section 5: Key Policy Challenges and Recommendations . . . . . 25
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
ii
Asia-Pacific Education System Review Series No. 9
List of Tables
Table 1: Life skills in Brunei Darussalam . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 2: Examples of Meister Schools Referring to VBC in School
Visions/Education Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 3: Reference to Transversal Skills in the Thai NQF
at Levels 3-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 4: Teachers’ Perception on the Approaches to Imparting
Transversal Skills in Brunei . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table 5: Type of Pedagogies Adopted by Teachers in Brunei . . . 13
Table 6: Pedagogies Applied to Impart Transversal Skills in TVET in
Thai Colleges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Table 7: Types of Measures to Assess Life Skills According
to Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Table 8: Types of Assessment of Life Skills according to Teachers . 20
Table 9: Practice of Storing and Sharing Assessment Data
according to Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Table 10: Assessment Practices of Transversal Skills in Thai Colleges 23
iii
List of Abbreviations
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ATC21S Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills
BDTVEC Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational
Education Council
IBTE Institute Brunei Technical Education
HNTec Higher National Technical Education Certificate
ICT Information and Communication Technology
ISQ Industrial Skills Qualifications
KRIVET Korea Research Institute for Education and Training
NQF National Qualification Framework
NTec National Technical Education Certificate
NVQF National Vocational Education Qualifications
Framework
OVEC Office of the Vocational Education Commission
P21 Partnerships for 21st Century Skills
SEAMEO VOCTECH Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical
Education and Training
SC+EP School Creative Career Education Programme
TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
VBC Vocational Basic Competency
VBCAT Vocational Basic Competency Assessment Test
iv
Acknowledgements
The synthesis report was prepared by Young Sup Choi, Senior Research
Fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and
Training (KRIVET). It is primarily based on three country studies:
Brunei Darussalam
Paryono, SEAMEO Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical
Education and Training (SEAMEO VOCTECH)
Republic of Korea
Misug Jin, Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training
(KRIVET)
Kingdom of Thailand
Siripan Choomnoom, Office of Vocational Education Commission
(OVEC)
Members of the review team within UNESCO included
Barbara Trzmiel, Cheol Hee Kim, Mark Manns and Miki Nozawa. Margaret
Appel-Schumacher, Ace Victor Aceron, and Najung Kim assisted in the
review and finalization of this booklet.
v
Foreword
This is the ninth booklet in the Asia-Pacific Education System Review

Series. It is a follow-up to its predecessor in the series which explored
the extent to which transversal skills are defined in policies and curricula
in selected countries of the Asia-Pacific region, and which presented
some key issues related to their implementation. One of the main
findings from the eighth booklet points to challenges in pedagogies
and assessment of transversal skills in TVET. To explore these issues in
more depth, this current booklet looks at experiences in these areas in
relation to transversal skills in three countries, namely Brunei Darussalam,
Thailand and the Republic of Korea. It identifies both good practices
and remaining challenges in effective pedagogies and assessment.
The purpose of this booklet is to add to the existing literature on
transversal skills and shed light on TVET practices in the Asia-Pacific
region. Despite the remaining challenges to the implementation of
innovative pedagogies and effective assessments, this report highlights
ongoing initiatives in developing transversal skills in the region. We
hope that it will encourage policy makers and educators to seek out
further information when making informed decisions on policies
that can contribute to giving their TVET graduates the comparative
advantage needed in today’s competitive labour markets.
Gwang-Jo Kim
Director
UNESCO Bangkok
vi
Section 1:
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to provide insight into transversal skills
education in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
by examining teaching and assessment of these skills in selected
countries of the Asia-Pacific region. There are different understandings
and conceptualizations of transversal skills across countries but in
general these skills refer to a number of important competencies for life
and work (namely communication, entrepreneurship, problem-solving,
innovation, collaboration skills, etc.) that can be acquired through
education and training and can help people better progress through
pathways between education levels and across employment sectors.
In an effort to prepare young people to live meaningful, sustainable
and responsible lives in the 21st century, a shift of focus has taken
place in education from cognitive skills towards a recognition of the
importance of non-cognitive skills and competencies (UNESCO, 2013).
In that context, several initiatives have been established to examine
transversal skills, such as the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) and
the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S). Likewise,
UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (UNESCO
Bangkok) conducted a collaborative regional research on transversal
skills in general education which identified a number of common
transversal skills and competencies1 among ten participating countries
and economies.
The current report is a follow-up to a previous study conducted by
UNESCO Bangkok entitled Transversal Skills in TVET: Policy Implications
(2014) and relies on this study’s findings in relation to key policy issues of
transversal skills. Bearing in mind different understandings of transversal
skills across countries, this study adopted the same definition as the
previous study, which follows UNESCO’s EFA Global Monitoring Report
(2012) outlining three types of skills: (1) foundation skills, (2) transferable
(transversal) skills, and (3) technical and vocational skills. The report
refers to foundation skills, fundamentally as ‘literacy and numeracy
skills necessary for getting work that pays enough to meet daily needs;
transferable/transversal skills as ‘a broad range of skills that can be
1 1) creative and innovative thinking domain: critical thinking, innovative thinking, reflective
thinking and reasoned decision-making; and
2) inter-personal skills domain: communication skills, collaboration
1
transferred and adapted to different work needs and environments’,
and technical and vocational skills that can be considered ‘specific
technical know-how’ (UNESCO, 2012, p. 171-172) After examining policy
documents in several countries of the Asia-Pacific, UNESCO (2014)
found five transversal skills —communication, collaboration, problem-
solving, entrepreneurship, and learning to learn— that are referred to in
the majority of the examined national policy documents. It is important
to note however that despite this initial analysis, policies on transversal
skills in the Asia-Pacific region need further in-depth analysis.
After examining policy documents in relation to transversal skills, the
study (UNESCO, 2014) clearly identified pedagogies and assessment
as key areas that need further consideration for effective policy
implementation on transversal skills. The current study is therefore
an effort to examine concrete ways of improving teaching and
assessment of transversal skills in TVET. It consolidates major findings
from national studies in formal TVET conducted between early 2014
and late 2015 by researchers in Brunei Darussalam, the Republic of
Korea and Thailand. Country researchers based their studies on surveys,
interviews and case studies of teachers, students and principals. In
Brunei Darussalam, researchers from the SEAMEO Regional Centre for
Vocational and Technical Education and Training (SEAMEO VOCTECH)
conducted a survey among school managers, teachers and students
in seven schools under the Institute Brunei Technical Education (IBTE).
In the Republic of Korea, an expert from the Korea Research Institute
for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET) reviewed the status of
transversal skills education mainly through school visits, face-to-face
and phone interviews with teachers and students of twenty vocational
and Meister schools,2 and desk research on national and school policies.
In Thailand, six TVET colleges were selected by a researcher affiliated
with the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) to
analyse transversal skills education in Thailand by using information
gathered from schools visits, interviews and national policies.
In contrast to the previous report, this study explores concrete country
cases focusing on specific issues related to teaching and assessing
transversal skills in TVET schools. In particular, the current study
2 Meister schools are a new type of vocational high school in the Republic of Korea which
attempts to train ‘young Meisters’, those students who can be characterized as excellent
vocational professionals. These schools are requested to innovate the vocational education
through close cooperation with industry partners and well-resourced quality vocational
education. Since 2010, 42 schools have been designated as Meister high schools.
2
examines the following key questions:
Teaching of transversal skills:
yy How should transversal skills education in TVET be designed?
Should it be integrated into existing subjects (infusion model),
offered as a separate subject (diffusion model) or delivered in
the form of extra-curricular activities?
yy What types of teaching methods should be used?
yy What additional measures should be taken for effective
transversal skills education in TVET?
Assessment of transversal skills:
yy What are the challenges in measuring and assessing transversal
skills in TVET?
yy What measures should be taken to ensure valid and objective
assessment?
yy How can assessment results of transversal skills in TVET be
effectively used?
By addressing these questions in relation to the country studies
conducted in Brunei Darussalam, Thailand and the Republic of Korea,
it is expected that concrete practices related to transversal skills in
TVET can be revealed, challenges and opportunities identified and
recommendations formulated. However, practices in the three countries
should not be regarded as best practices that can be adopted without
further consideration. The main purpose of this study is to contribute
to experience-sharing in transversal skills education in the Asia-Pacific
region and to advance development of policies and practice.
3
Section 2:
Review of Policies Related to
Transversal Skills in TVET
It is worth reviewing policy frameworks of transversal skills in each
country prior to discussing pedagogy and assessment. Among
the three countries reviewed in this study, Brunei has the most
sophisticated policies related to transversal skills education. There are
detailed national guidelines, including definitions of specific transversal
skills, as well as teaching and assessment modules. In Thailand, the
National Qualification Framework (NQF) defines competency levels
for certain transversal skills. However, detailed guidelines for teaching
and assessment are yet to be developed. The Republic of Korea is
less developed in relation to transversal skill policies since it does not
have clear guidelines but only basic articulation of the importance of
transversal skills and some initiatives related to these skills. Even though
the Republic of Korea has launched a national examination of transversal
skills (referred to as Vocational Basic Competency) as an alternative to
the academic ability test, this exam does not test transversal skills per
se but rather general skills such as literacy and numeracy in a slightly
modified form in the vocational context. All these issues will be
examined in more detail in the following sections.
Brunei Darussalam
In Brunei Darussalam there are guidelines for teaching and assessment
of transversal skills (currently referred to as ‘life skills’) which have been
implemented in technical and vocational schools and colleges since
2012. The Guide on Life Skills and the Brunei Technical Education Life
Skills Implementation Guide, published by the Brunei Darussalam
Technical and Vocational Education Council (BDTVEC), lists eight life
skills (Table 1).
4
Table 1: Life skills in Brunei Darussalam
Life Skills
1. Self-management
2. Planning and organizing
3. Communication skills
4. Working with others
5. Problem- solving
6. Initiative and entrepreneurship
7. Application of numeracy and IT skills
8. Ability to learn
In Brunei there is a compulsory module on life skills for all levels of

technical and vocational education. These skills are divided into two
components: (1) ‘personal and interpersonal skills’ which include self-
management, planning and organizing, working with others, problem-
solving, initiative taking and entrepreneurship, and ability to learn;
and (2) ‘workplace skills’ covering communication skills, application of
numeracy, and IT skills. As outlined in the Brunei Technical Education Life
Skills Implementation Guide, ‘workplace skills’ carry ten credits and are
taught and assessed in a formal way while ‘personal and interpersonal
skills’ do not carry any credits.
Out of the eight life skills, the development of numeracy/ IT skills,
communication skills, and initiative/entrepreneurship is especially
encouraged through specific subjects. The other skills are embedded in
subjects as part of assignments or class activities. They are therefore not
the focus but are still expected to be monitored and assessed.
In addition to the compulsory module, the Institute of Brunei Technical
Education (IBTE) produced modules for life skills in the workplace for
additional programmes3. Each module describes the credit value,
passing mark, and module structure. It also gives information on teaching
and assessment of life skills that includes teaching hours and details
on assessment weighing. The module structure covers the objectives,
teaching-learning strategies, assessment methods, recommended
facilities and materials as well as reference books, among others.
3 The programmes resulted in the Industrial Skills Qualification (ISQ), the National Technical
Education Certificate (NTec), and the Higher National Technical Education Certificate
(HNTec).
5
These modules are used by teachers as reference in their teaching and
assessment of students’ life skills.
At the school level, implementation of the guidelines and modules
varies from school to school, and only a few schools seem to have
integrated life skills based on these tools. Most schools integrate life
skills into courses to varying degrees and rely heavily on teachers’
own initiatives. Teachers are required to incorporate life skills into their
teaching. Teaching and assessment of life skills are in fact considered as
part of their job – meaning that teachers are not offered any incentives.
Another challenge is that teachers do not have a clear understanding
of life skills which prevents them from fostering these skills in their
students. Many new teachers are not being briefed or are unaware of
the guidelines/modules on life skills.
Other evidence shows differences of opinion regarding transversal
skills between teachers and school principals. For example, 100
percent of surveyed principals responded that guidelines provided by
the government are fully reflected in their school plans and policies
while about half of their teachers agreed. Such results show that life
skills education seems operational on the surface but there are still
challenges in implementing them in practice.
Republic of Korea
In the Republic of Korea, the term Vocational Basic Competency (VBC)
is commonly used to refer to what could be understood as transversal
skills. VBC is composed of communication skills, numeracy, self-
management skills and problem-solving skills (Jin, M. 2014).
In relation to VBC, the Vocational Basic Competency Assessment
Test (VBCAT) for vocational high schools was introduced in 2012.
It was developed and implemented as a substitute to the national
standardized academic achievement test for vocational high school
students. VBCAT assesses skills, focusing on communication, numeracy,
and problem-solving, which were added to the vocational school
curriculum with the introduction of VBCAT. However, it seems that the
test is more likely to assess the knowledge of these skills rather than
students’ ability to exert these skills in the workplace.
6
At the school level, transversal skills education is not widespread. For
example, out of 450 webpages of vocational high schools, only very
few display clear descriptions of VBC in school visions or educational
plans. The exception are Meister high schools which make reference to
VBC education in their schools’ mission and vision statements as shown
in Table 2.
Table 2: Examples of Meister Schools Referring to VBC in School
Visions/Education Plans
Meister High Schools Vocational Basic Competency in School
Plan
Seoul Robot Meister High School To provide English classes that emphasize
practical language competency and can
thereby enhance VBC
Busan National Mechanical and To equip young Meister students with
Technical High School problem-solving
To strengthen VBC to achieve educational
objectives
Busan Marine High School for To provide an experiential VBC programme in
Technicians a life-culture centre where marine technicians
learn how to deal with everyday work
situations
Incheon Marine Technician High To strengthen VBC to meet the demand of
School the industry
Daeduck Software Meister High To systematically develop VBC
School
Suwon High-Tech High School To develop VBC and other professional skills
through innovative teaching methods
PyeongTaek Mechanical and To develop students’ VBC through creativity
Industrial High School and intellectual stimulation
Hapduk Steel and Industrial High To certify and continue developing students’
School VBC
Korea Port Logistics High School To develop students’ VBC through learning
school debates and the study of harbour
management practices and logistics;
Koomi Electronic Engineering To develop Meister students with a ‘good’
High School character and VBC
Kumo Industrial High School To develop students with creativity, talent
and VBC
Youncheon Business High School To strengthen VBC for employability
7
Based on this analysis, it seems that Meister high schools consider
transversal skills education more than regular vocational schools.
However, beyond mission statements, there is little reference to policies
or practices which shows that transversal skills education is still new to
many TVET schools in the Republic of Korea
Thailand
In Thailand, transversal skills can be identified in the learning objectives
of the National Education Act (1999) and the Vocational Education Act
(2008). In addition, these skills are included in the National Qualification
Framework (NQF) which was approved in 2013. The main objectives of
the Thai NQF are to (1) ensure harmonization of learning outcome levels
with competency levels set by industries, and (2) to provide pathways
for those with skills but without formal qualifications.
The Thai NQF has nine levels with each level divided into three
components of learning outcomes: knowledge, skills, and desired
characteristics. Transversal skills can be identified at every level of the
NQF – starting from basic to advanced levels (1-9) - and in all three
components of learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, and desired
characteristics). TVET qualifications are an integral part of the NQF
and are included at levels 3-5. At all these levels, reference is made
to transversal skills (see Table 3). NQF also describes different levels of
communication, collaboration, problem-solving, entrepreneurship and
ability to learn necessary for working in different contexts.
8
Table 3: Reference to Transversal Skills in the Thai NQF at Levels
3-5
Level Transversal Skills
Level 3 yy Ability to communicate in Thai,
English and other Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
languages
yy Basic ICT skills
yy Problem-solving
yy Being responsible, independent, and
accountable to others
Level 4 yy All skills included in Level 3
yy Teamwork
yy Ability to learn
Level 5 yy All skills included in level 4
yy Collaboration
yy Leadership
yy Thinking skills
In addition, the National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework

(NVQF) identifies three learning outcomes for TVET graduates:
(1) attributes, (2) core/generic competency, and (3) occupational
competency. Transversal skills, such as communication, collaboration,
problem-solving, ability to learn and entrepreneurship skills are
included in these three learning outcomes. Their development is
fostered by integrating theoretical and practical subjects, internships
and extra-curricular activities.
According to the Decree on NVQF (2013), the TVET curriculum is divided
into (1) life skills, (2) occupational skills, (3) electives, and (4) extra-
curricular activities. Transversal skills are included under life skills which
are understood as the ability for self-development and eagerness to
learn and explore new knowledge. Specific subjects are designed
to impart life skills alongside traditional subjects such as languages,
mathematics, and science, among others. Elements of life skills are also
integrated into teaching and learning of occupational skills, electives
and extra-curricular activities (at least two hours a week or forty hours
a semester).
In response to interest from industries to strengthen life skills in TVET
graduates, the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC),
Ministry of Education, developed teaching guides for transversal skills.
9
In addition, teacher training is offered to enhance pedagogical capacity
related to transversal skills (three or five-day training programmes),
especially for master teachers (multipliers). The main focus of these
trainings is on integrating transversal skills into traditional subjects.
Teachers are asked to design lessons with greater emphasis on group
work and problem-solving with the aim to develop collaboration skills
and the ability to learn in students. Different approaches to learning,
such as constructionism, project-based, work-based/integrated,
and competency-based learning, as well as community service and
entrepreneurship development programmes are incorporated into
teacher training. Furthermore, student performance is used as an
indicator for measuring performance of administrators and teachers.
Teachers are also encouraged to organize activities conducive to the
development of transversal skills, such as student contests on innovative
product design and business planning.
To summarize, Thailand appears to fall between Brunei Darussalam and
the Republic of Korea in terms of progress in transversal skill policies.
Like Brunei, Thailand established an NQF with level descriptors for
transversal skills at each level and with teaching guides for these skills.
Nevertheless, in Brunei there seems to be greater availability of material
and guidelines, such as Life Skills for Workplace. However, since the
degree to which these guidelines are utilized in schools is questionable,
it is difficult to claim that Brunei is more advanced in terms of transversal
skills implementation.
10
Section 3:
Pedagogical Practices Related to
Transversal Skills in TVET
Brunei Darussalam, the Republic of Korea and Thailand show
commonalities in basic pedagogical approaches to transversal skills.
There are however also differences between and within these countries.
One commonality is that all three countries appear to have adopted
an ‘integrative approach’ which incorporates elements of transversal
skills into traditional subjects instead of creating subjects specific to
transversal skills. The degree of integration, skills integrated and ways
of integration into subjects vary among and within the countries. While
the diversity of approaches may seem understandable it might not be
the most effective way of imparting transversal skills. Some elements
of transversal skills (for example entrepreneurship skills) are taught in
separate activities. In some cases, transversal skills education takes
the form of school contests or specialized out-of-school programmes
run in cooperation with other schools or organisations. In addition,
students are also encouraged to actively engage in learning through
project-based learning and out-of-school activities. Despite these
activities, schools and teachers are often expected to design and deliver
transversal skills education with limited resources and without clear
policy guidelines. As a result, there seems to be a lack of careful design
and implementation of transversal skills education in these countries.
Brunei Darussalam
In Brunei Darussalam, teachers seem to have introduced various
approaches to developing transversal skills, including encouraging
parental involvement, organizing workshops, inviting experts and
students to give presentations, setting up collaborative projects, and
many others. Through various teaching techniques and activities, such
as discovery and drama, teachers are expected to enhance students’
awareness of transversal skills and eventually their ability to use these
skills.
The most common way of teaching transversal skills in Brunei
Darussalam seems to be through the integrative approach. This often
creates a concern that integrating transversal skills into existing subjects
can negatively impact the learning of the core subject. In Brunei, this
11
concern seems not to be relevant as around 40 percent of teachers,
interviewed for the country study, integrate transversal skills into their
core subjects without affecting the teaching of the core subject.
In terms of teaching practices, 59.4 percent of interviewed teachers
indicate that they are incorporating transversal skills through classroom
teaching, 46.1 percent through student monitoring, and 42.8 percent
through out-of-classroom activities (see Table 4).
Table 4: Teachers’ Perception on the Approaches to Imparting
Transversal Skills in Brunei
Approaches to imparting life skills f %
Through teaching 107 59.44

Through out-of-classroom activities 77 42.78
Through monitoring 83 46.11
Others: Workshop, study, research, reporting, assessment 5 2.78
Total multiple responses 272 151.11

Total sample 180 100.00
These different pedagogical approaches relate to the nature of different

transversal skills. According to interviewed teachers, ‘[the national
taskforce] asked us to integrate all eight life skills in our teaching
but, from what I see, not all life skills can be integrated. For example,
basic accounting and bookkeeping don’t require ICT skills while they
do require numeracy’. It can be therefore assumed that the degree
to which transversal skills are integrated into subjects as well as the
teaching method differ from subject to subject in Brunei.
Simultaneously, flexible teaching approaches can help in responding
to students’ specific needs. To adequately respond to these, shifting
pedagogical approaches from teacher-centred to learner-centred is
required. In relation to transversal skills, teachers in Brunei seem to be
adopting a learner-centred approach. As shown in Table 5. 65 percent
of teachers use learner-centred while only 15 percent still use teacher-
centred pedagogies.
12
Table 5: Type of Pedagogies Adopted by Teachers in Brunei
Types of pedagogies f %
Teacher-centred 27 15.00
Student-centred 117 65.00
Self-directed 35 19.44
Other: Combinations of various types - from teacher- 3 1.67
centred to learner-centred pedagogy
In addition to classroom teaching, out-of-school activities can be

considered beneficial for enhancing students’ transversal skill levels.
However, it seems that not all teachers in Brunei are utilizing extra-
curricular activities to enhance students’ transversal skills. 31.1 percent
of teachers planned some outside activities for all eight life skills while
only 22.8 percent of them conducted all outside activities to support
all or some life skills. In addition, teachers who organized out-of-school
activities have mixed perceptions as to whether these activities are
really successful or not. In addition, some teachers were not teaching
transversal skills either inside or outside the classroom but only monitor
students for assessment purposes.
Despite these mixed result students show positive attitudes to out-
of-school activities. One student in Brunei stated that ‘(our) school
organized a fare and my class decided to join. We sold different items
and food. We divided tasks based on our respective strengths and
when we encountered problems such as lack of funds we managed
to handle it. The whole experience was very challenging because it
was our first time to participate in such a fare. But it was very good
experience for our future.’
Even though a lot of progress has been made in Brunei in terms of
transversal skills education, several challenges still exist. Despite the
Government’s emphasis on the importance of transversal skills, no
clear assessment guidelines for each transversal skill are available.
This explains why one teacher stated that his ‘major concern is on the
weighing of the eight skills. There are certain skills which might be
more important than others.’ Some teachers also shared the concern
that integration of transversal skills has not yet been fully realized in
Brunei and that the real value of these skills is still unclear to teachers
13
and school principals. For example, one teacher stated: ‘I feel that we
are still lacking the understanding of implementation of life skills’ and a
principal added that his ‘concern is with the actual implementation of
life skills. I want to see the real value of life skills and their assessment.’
These examples imply that there are still challenges in imparting
transversal skills despite seemingly active implementation of transversal
skills education in TVET in Brunei.
Republic of Korea
Given that transversal skills education has been introduced fairly
recently and implemented only partially in the Republic of Korea, various
approaches to integrating transversal skills in the curriculum have
been attempted but remain at an experimental stage. At school level,
curricula remain subject-based and subjects are generally academic in
nature. This can be seen in subjects such as Korean language, maths,
science, computer programming and agro-mechanics. In some cases,
transversal skills are taught as stand-alone subjects. For example in
‘career and occupation’, transversal skills such as communication,
entrepreneurial skills, interpersonal and problem-solving skills are
taught.
In contrast, VBC are integrated into existing subjects, such as Korean
language classes which include communication skills, and maths where
problem-solving and numeracy are imparted. Between 2010 and 2012,
four vocational schools in the Republic of Korea developed and piloted
programmes that integrated VBC into existing subjects. In these pilot
schools, vocational teachers in cooperation with general subject
teachers attempted to integrate VBC in maths, English and Korean by
creating a matrix of VBC elements based on existing textbooks. The
integrative approach turned out to be difficult in practise as teachers
taught subjects following a standard curriculum and textbooks. It was
also difficult to decide which teacher should impart the integrative VBC
subjects. Teachers who taught Korean language, maths and English
were reluctant to take on the added responsibility of teaching VBC.
One teacher expressed the following sentiment:
14
We have to prepare Korean communication tests. I think Korean
teachers have to teach this. But they are reluctant to teach
communication skills as they think it is both hard and troublesome to
teach new skills. They think they are Korean language teachers, not
Korean communication skills teachers.
Compared to regular vocational schools, VBC is given more
importance in Meister schools which have implemented diverse
VBC strategies. For instance, one Meister school (Kumo Industrial
High School) offers students two-day workshops twice a year during
which communication, interpersonal skills, resources-management
and cooperation are fostered. The workshops include group work,
preparation of presentations and portfolios on different themes.
In addition, transversal skills are taught in non-academic subjects
such as experiential learning classes or extra-curricular activities. While
academic subjects are fixed in terms of duration and assessment
methods, non-academic subjects are flexible when it comes to duration
and types of activities, which depend on the aims and objectives of the
school.
It should be noted that in the Republic of Korea, several experiential
learning methodologies, such as project-based learning, module
classes, drama, role-play, work-based learning and competitions, are
being utilized to foster transversal skills. In addition, User-Content-
Creation (UCC) creation, online chatting, smart books, among others,
are being applied as pedagogical tools for transversal skills.
Among all transversal skills, entrepreneurial skills are increasingly being
considered essential in alleviating youth unemployment. In the Republic
of Korea, entrepreneurial skills have not been taught in any systematic way
as a school subject. However, in 2002, the Small and Medium Business
Administration of Korea started to support BIZCOOL - business-and-
school programmes in elementary and secondary schools, including
vocational high schools. Up to now, 1,300 schools and almost 900,000
students have benefited from this programme. Usually, these schools
organize two-day camps where students are supported in developing
business plans. The BIZCOOL programme is composed of three elements:
foundational education, experiential activities, and presentations by guest
speakers. All participating schools have implemented this programme
differently depending on students’ needs, local industries, school type,
15
etc. Primary and high schools tend to focus on foundational education,
while vocational high schools spend more time on business plan
development. This programme can be considered beneficial for
enhancing awareness of entrepreneurship among students in the
Republic of Korea.
Thailand
In Thailand, transversal skills education have been affected by changing
national priorities of the overall education policy. For instance, the
Vocational Act of 2002 puts emphasis on continuous learning, dual
vocational education, and entrepreneurship. Workplace learning
is considered a vital process in fostering not only technical skills but
also transversal skills required by employers. Therefore, while basic
communication skills are taught through various subjects in college,
workplace experiences are recognized as an avenue to help learners in
developing transversal skills such as reading working manuals, following
directions of trainers or mentors, writing reports, and presenting what
they learn from the workplaces. Problem-solving skills are also thought
to be better developed in real work environments such as during
internships.
In order to ensure that transversal skills are imparted to students
effectively, the Office of Vocational Education Committee (OVEC) in
Thailand developed guidelines to facilitate various learning models.
Teacher training is also provided to strengthen the capacity in teaching
transversal skills, especially for master teachers (multipliers) through a
3-5 day training programme. The main focus is on integrating those
skills into the teaching and learning process of each subject. Table 6
summarizes various approaches to transversal skills adopted in post-
secondary TVET colleges in Thailand.
16
Table 6: Pedagogies Applied to Impart Transversal Skills in TVET
in Thai Colleges
Colleges Pedagogies
Ubon Ratchathani Vocational College yy Entrepreneurship learning model
yy Project-based learning
Chiangrai Agricultural College: Natoe yy Farm/work-based learning
Campus
Phang-Nga Technical College yy Sciences and technology-based
learning with strong focus on
project-based learning
Saowabha Vocational College yy Work-based learning with strong
focus on competency building and
networking with industries
Sisaket Technical College yy Project-based learning to facilitate
invention
yy Community service projects
As shown in Table 6, most learning activities in Thailand are based on

the educational philosophy of constructionism that emphasizes active
involvement of students in the learning process. In Maptaphut Technical
College theoretical lessons are delivered in classrooms but students
are also exposed to real-life activities outside the classroom such as
firefighting. It is believed that students can acquire communication,
teamwork and problem-solving skills through real-life situations.
Thus, students are encouraged to raise questions, find answers and
learn useful skills needed for dealing with different life situations.
Colleges, such as Ubon Ratchathani Vocational College and Saowabha
Vocational College, offer trade programmes with an aim to enhance
entrepreneurship skills through business planning exercises designed
for small groups of students. Project-based learning is also utilized for
active involvement of students. For instance, in Phang-Nga Technical
College, project-based learning is being implemented in the science
field in cooperation with local universities. Theoretical subjects related
to the sciences, mathematics, languages, social studies, health and
physical education are taught by professors from nearby universities.
Vocational teachers also take part in theoretical subjects in order
to facilitate students’ individual and group projects. Project-based
learning is also organized every semester in both secondary and post-
secondary schools. Students spend 5-8 hours per week on an assigned
project, which is included under extra-curricular activities and out-of-
17
classroom hours, geared to develop their thinking, problem-solving,
communication, collaboration and, more importantly, learning-to-
learn skills. Teachers plan the learning activities and take on the role of
mentors to facilitate student learning.
18
Section 4:
Assessment Practices of Transversal Skills
in TVET
Brunei Darussalam and Thailand share some commonalities with
regard to assessment practices in the sense that both countries use
standardized achievement levels in transversal skills assessment. In
Brunei, teachers use ‘assessment frontsheets’ (see Brunei Darussalam)
containing the assessment criteria and attainment levels set in a
national guidebook. Similarly, TVET institutions in Thailand assess
transversal skills by applying attainment levels for transversal skills set in
the NQF. However, even though these two countries have developed
standardized achievement levels, methods for assessing students’
transversal skill levels have not been fully developed. The Republic
of Korea has introduced a national examination for measuring VBC
in vocational students but the examination is criticised for failing to
measure transversal skills. These country examples clearly indicate that
assessment methods for transversal skills are relatively underdeveloped
when compared to the teaching methods of these skills.
Brunei Darussalam
In Brunei Darussalam, teachers of vocational and technical subjects
develop assessment frontsheets that are given to students for their
reference. This frontsheet explains the assessment criteria, the task
or assignment including its components, and the marking scheme.
The frontsheet also describes life skills to be assessed, listing all eight
of them, and indicates the relevant life skills that will be assessed for
the particular course. The attainment level against which each student
is assessed is set following the guidelines developed by BDTVET and
updated by IBTE.
Besides developing frontsheets, teachers have to assess students’
attainment levels of life skills using other measures. Table 7 shows
measures teachers opt for to assess life skills. According to this data, some
of the most common practices are teacher assessment (55 percent),
followed by self-assessment using rubrics (38.9 percent), checklists (28.3
percent) and peer assessment (23.9 percent). In addition, most teachers
(75 percent) also consider student behaviour during school hours as
part of life skills assessment.
19
Table 7: Types of Measures to Assess Life Skills According to
Teachers
Measures to assess life skills f %
Self-assessment using checklist 51 28.33
Self-assessment using rubrics 70 38.89
Peer assessment 43 23.89
Teacher assessment 99 55.00
Others, either rubrics or checklists 2 1.11
In terms of assessment types, teachers commonly use a combination

of summative and formative assessments (50.6 percent), as compared
to using summative (31.7 percent) or formative (8.3 percent) assessment
only (Table 8).
Table 8: Types of Assessment Used according to Teachers
Type of assessment used to evaluate students’ life skills f %
Formative (for improvement) 15 8.33
Summative (for final marking) 57 31.67
Both 91 50.56
No assessment 12 6.67
Not checked 5 2.78
Total 180 100.00
Only 45.6 percent of teachers store and share assessment data, 35.6
percent store but do not share it, and 12.2 percent neither store
nor share the data (see Table 9). This implies that the results of such
assessments are not properly used to serve potential purposes, such as
helping students better plan their futures. Therefore, even though life
skill assessment in Brunei appears to be systematically controlled and
developed, there remains room for further development, particularly
with regard to the use of assessment results.
20
Table 9: Practice of Storing and Sharing Assessment Data
according to Teachers
Storing and sharing assessment data f %
Yes, stored but not shared 64 35.56
Yes, stored and shared 82 45.56
Neither stored nor shared 22 12.22
Other: shared among teaching staff only, shared among peers 3 1.67
Not checked 9 5.00
Perhaps such limited use of results is related to the issues of fairness

and validity of life skills assessment. If validity of assessment results is
contested, they cannot be used for grading student achievement. Thus,
the issue of how to secure the validity of transversal skills assessment is
crucial in the development of transversal skills education. In Brunei, the
most common approach to ensuring fairness and validity seems to be
through employing of multiple assessors.
Another issue raised by TVET teachers in Brunei is a need for every
teacher to asses all eight life skills. According to the national guidelines,
every teacher has to assess all eight life skills regardless of the subjects
they are teaching. Some teachers feel that some life skills may not be
relevant to their course and they would therefore prefer to have a certain
degree of autonomy in deciding which skills to measure. Teachers also
report that tools for assessing life skills need to be further improved.
For example, criteria and mark descriptors of life skills are considered
too vague and inappropriate for the use of numeric scales. A simple
assessment checklist that includes definitions of morals, etiquette,
performance and attitudes should be made available to both staff and
students.
Republic of Korea
In the Republic of Korea, three types of assessment for transversal skills
have been adopted: VBCAT at the national level, assessment practices
at school level and an ad-hoc research survey conducted as a part
of the SC+EP4 initiative. As previously mentioned, VBCAT is an alternative
4 SC+EP refers to School Creative Career Education Programme which aims at fostering
communication skills, cooperative skills, entrepreneurial skills, and the ability to learn. This
programme covers primary to upper-secondary schools, including upper-secondary TVET schools.
21
test to measure the achievement of vocational high school students.
Despite its reference to VBC, it cannot be said that VBCAT assesses VBC.
It rather assesses knowledge of a certain workplace situation rather
than transversal skills required for work.
Even though VBCAT was launched as an attempt to promote practical
education in vocational high schools, it will require substantial reform in
order to achieve its original goal. Establishment of a competency-based
TVET system and practice in the Republic of Korea could contribute to
such a reform. It also seems that results of VBCAT have not yet been
utilized effectively - either for improvement of school practices nor in
guiding students in their future careers.
Except VBCAT, no systemic or formal assessment of transversal skills
has been developed in the Republic of Korea. Most transversal skills
education takes place through extra-curricular activities, such as creative
and experiential learning for which formal/ systematic assessment is
close to non-existent at the moment. Instead, assessment for VBC in
the context of extra-curricular activities has been undertaken in diverse
ways depending on school context. As most teachers try to teach VBC
through the process of learning by doing, assessment of VBC is often
performance-based, using portfolios, performance, worksheets and
business plans, amongst others. In many cases, entrepreneurship is
measured in the form of contests, where students are encouraged to
participate in teams or groups. For example, contests for business plans,
mock-marketing exercises, and sales competitions are used, and the
assessment concerns the performance of teams or groups rather than
individuals.
A survey to assess the performance of SC+EP pilot schools in terms
of improvement of students’ transversal skills was also conducted in
the Republic of Korea. Students, who participated in the programme,
seem to have significantly improved in relation to cooperation,
communication, lifelong and entrepreneurship. These results can be
considered evidence in favour of scaling up of the SC+EP programme,
which is closely related to transversal skills education. Nevertheless,
since the purpose of the survey was to evaluate the performance of
the SC+EP programme, the results should only serve as evidence to the
importance of transversal skills education, not as a legitimate tool for
practical assessment of students.
22
Thailand
In Thailand, most TVET institutions assess transversal skills against
curriculum standards and by using methods that they develop
according to the different occupational fields. In addition, NQF defines
levels of occupational competency for each field of study and sets
specific attainment levels for transversal skills and occupational skills.
Formative and summative assessment are used to measure the
development of transversal skills.
Teachers in Thailand assess students’ transversal skills by means of
portfolios, reports, observation sheets and institution specific methods
such as feedback from local employers who are involved in transversal
skills education. In project-based learning, formative assessment is
used to measure development of transversal skills in the course of the
project, while summative assessment is used to provide information on
the learning outcome. Assessment data on transversal skills is stored
at school level and shared among teachers in order to assist students
in improving their transversal skills. External assessors, such as industry
representatives, experts in the field, or customers, are involved in
overall assessment in order to ensure an adequate level of performance
of graduates (Table 10).
Table 10: Assessment Practices of Transversal Skills in Thai
Colleges
Colleges Assessment practices
Maptaphut Technical College Involvement of industries from selecting and
training to evaluating students
Ubon Ratchathani Vocational Full participation of experts and customers in the
College assessment process of a self-employment project
Natoe Campus of Chiangrai Feedback from farmers, supervisors, experts and
Agricultural College parents
Phang-Nga Technical College Involvement of university professors who provide
theoretical knowledge and work closely with
teachers and mentors to assess students on the
basis of projects
Srisaket Technical College Assessment carried out by teachers in
collaboration with employers and experts;
Involvement of local leaders and parents in
providing feedback to the college on community
projects
23
It seems that the involvement of external stakeholders, such as local
employers or local farmers, can be beneficial in many respects. First of all,
teachers can acquire practical knowledge and skills that are important
to ensure relevance of TVET programmes. Secondly, by experiencing
real workplace situations, students gain practical experiences that
can motivate them to continue learning, especially by strengthening
their occupational and transversal skills. Thirdly, by utilizing external
feedback, the objectivity of assessment can be improved which
is particularly important for assessing transversal skills. Improving
assessment of transversal skills therefore requires closer collaboration
with employers and other external stakeholders, which seems feasible
based on practices in Thailand.
24
Section 5:
Key Policy Challenges and Recommendations
Based on experiences in Brunei, Thailand and the Republic of Korea,
transversal skills education in TVET appears to be facing many challenges
in spite of its importance, which is repeatedly highlighted by policy
makers and scholars. All three countries clearly emphasize the necessity
of reforming TVET to foster transversal skills and ensure students’
adaptability to today’s ever-changing skill demands. However, even in
countries with national policies related to transversal skills education
in TVET, concrete methods for teaching and assessing transversal skills
have not yet been adequately developed or widely disseminated.
There is therefore a persistent gap between the alleged importance of
transversal skills in TVET and actual practices. Considering that the issue
of transversal skills education in TVET is a recent policy development,
the lag in the development of teaching and assessment methods is not
surprising. To address the gap, more effort should be devoted to the
study of transversal skills in various settings in the Asia-Pacific region.
As part of such an endeavour, this report summarizes findings from a
limited number of country studies and draws some recommendations,
though limited, that can be referred to by policy makers, teachers,
employers, parents and students interested in transversal skills
education in TVET.
Summary
Countries with national competency standards, such as Brunei and
Thailand, seem to have more concrete policies on transversal skills
education, which include requirements and levels for transversal
skills to be attained in different occupations and for different types
of qualifications. However, the definition of transversal skills appears
to differ even in countries with established competency standards,
which makes drawing up of policy recommendations for transversal
skills education challenging. Such differences stem from the very
nature of transversal skills that often reflect the unique socio-
economic contexts of different countries.
In terms of pedagogies in transversal skills education, the most
common approach is to integrate these skills into traditional subjects.
For example, communication skills can be integrated into national or
25
foreign language courses, and problem-solving skills can be integrated
into mathematics. Imparting transversal skills, even when integrated
into traditional subjects, appears to take place in active learning
environments in the form of group work and project-based learning.
Teaching in real-life settings, such as in work places, is also being
attempted. Unlike most transversal skills, entrepreneurship is in many
cases taught as a separate subject or an extra-curricular activity. In
addition, many activities related to transversal skills take place outside
of schools alongside those in classrooms. This indicates that a certain
level of flexibility should be given in terms of location and method of
transversal skills education so that more diverse settings and methods
can be explored.
It seems that methods for assessing students’ progress (or achievement)
are even less developed than those for teaching transversal skills. Even
in Brunei where teachers are using frontsheets to monitor levels of
certain skills, teachers are at times experiencing difficulties in objectively
assessing transversal skills levels. In some cases, involvement of external
stakeholders can be helpful in terms of objectivity and validity. For
example, some Thai colleges organize extra-curricular activities that
focus on transversal skills and involve employers (such as farmers)
by requesting their input on student performance. However, such
involvement can only partially address the issue of objectivity. There
is also the question of social currency of assessment results that will
remain without commonly-agreed and clear criteria for different
transversal skills levels. It seems that none of the three countries has
yet responded to the challenge of social currency of transversal skills
assessment.
Challenges
This section presents a series of challenges with regard to policies,
pedagogies and assessment of transversal skills education in TVET. A
discussion of concrete measures necessary for developing transversal
skills education in TVET will follow.
Lack of Clear National Guidelines for Transversal Skills Education
in TVET
No comprehensive national guidelines for implementing transversal
skills education in TVET are available in any of the three countries. In
Brunei, there seems to be a well-elaborated national policy but clear
26
guidelines on how to teach/ assess transversal skills, and how to use
assessment results are yet to be developed. School principals and
teachers are currently developing and applying their own methods
without any guarantee that assessment results will be recognised.
If assessment results cannot be used as competency indicators, very
few teachers will be motivated to design and conduct transversal skills
education in their schools. Moreover, a lack of clear national guidelines
can lead to inefficient resource utilization. Instead of asking teachers to
spend their time and resources for the preparation of transversal skills
courses and materials, it would be more efficient for the government
to take this role and prepare concrete guidelines so that teachers can
simply adapt them as needed.
Continued Misperception of Transversal Skills
It seems that transversal skills and transversal skills education are still not
clearly understood in all three countries. For example, in the Republic
of Korea, transversal skills education is narrowly identified as etiquette
education. Transversal skills seem to be often understood by principals,
teachers and employers as instilling a certain attitude, good character
and responsibility for the workplace. Therefore, ‘character education’
which is expected to nurture desirable attitudes according to prevailing
social norms, and transversal skills education which aims to impart
interpersonal skills, among others, are being used interchangeably.
In addition, entrepreneurial skills are often interpreted as technical
knowledge/ skills for setting up a business. In that case, entrepreneurship
education should cater exclusively to students who want to set up
their own business and might be irrelevant for those with no business
aspirations. Instead of seeing entrepreneurship education as preparation
for students who wish to set up their own business, it should focus on
enhancing students’ understanding of how to contribute to sustained
socio-economic development. This understanding of entrepreneurship
education is particularly pertinent nowadays as social entrepreneurship
is gaining importance.
27
Unclear Difference between Transversal and Subject-Specific Skills
While subject-specific skills have some commonality with transversal
skills, these skills should not be mixed up. For example, communication
skills are not simply a students’ vocabulary or knowledge of grammar
but rather their ability to express thoughts and understand others.
Similarly, problem-solving skills should not be mistaken for the ability to
solve mathematical problems by using formulas. In practice, however
it seems difficult to clearly differentiate transversal skills from subject-
specific skills. For instance, solving complex mathematical problems
can be considered the very essence of problem-solving. Despite certain
commonalities, transversal skills should not however be confused with
subject-specific skills. Even in maths students should be encouraged to
ask questions and find solutions as opposed to passively memorizing
and repeating conventional methods often taught in schools.
In addition to difficulties in differentiating transversal from subject-
specific skills, there is also the difficulty in developing adequate ways of
teaching and assessing transversal skills in TVET as compared to general
education. For example, one teacher from Brunei commented that:
In practice, teaching and assessing life skills in general education is
easier compared to TVET. In TVET, students are more hands-on, more
structured. It is hard to get them thinking outside the box. Teaching
TVET is usually straightforward and practical.
If that observation is correct, a different method from the one adopted
in general education should be applied in TVET. In essence, there is
a need for a far deeper analysis of the impact and effectiveness of
different teaching methods in transversal skills education to identify
those that can be applied in TVET.
28
Insufficient Training of TVET Teachers
It is clear that competent TVET teachers are key for advancing transversal
skills education in TVET. However, TVET teacher training in this area
seems still quite limited. As a teacher in Brunei stated:
[Teaching life skills] is actually a challenge [for us teachers] because we
were only briefed. There was no additional training, just some meetings.
There was no capacity building on [integrating life skills into TVET]. Like I
said, we don’t really know much about life skills. We just see, this student
did this and that, and that’s how we assess.
A similar situation can be reported in the Republic of Korea. The
following statement is by a teacher who took part in the piloting of
VBC and who comments on the importance of teacher training:
It is important to provide practical training on teaching transversal
skills, such as interpersonal or communication skills. Teachers know very
well how to teach their subjects but not transversal skills. In addition,
it would be good to provide training to strengthen teachers’ ability
to work in teams. Workshops or other extra-curricular activities can
provide the opportunity to realize the concept of VBC through teachers.
Even though some countries are providing transversal skills education
in one form or another, a lack of clear guidelines on transversal skills for
teacher training hampers endeavours aimed at substantially improving
the capacity of teachers and advancing the development of transversal
skills education.
Increased Workload for TVET Teachers
Another important issue related to TVET teachers is the increased
workload that some of them seem to experience in relation to
transversal skills education. In Thailand, teachers seem to struggle in
fulfilling the requirements related to transversal skills education. At
Maptaphut Technical College for example, teachers are required to
teach at least 18 hours a week and spend another 18 hours on teaching
preparation and assessment. Developing and learning to use tools
and methods that are needed for imparting transversal skills seem to
require extra time. Without adequate time allocation for transversal
skills education, teachers might not be able teach and assess transversal
skills adequately.
29
Limited Availability of Support Materials for Transversal Skills
Education in TVET
It seems that there is a shortage of materials that can be used for the
design and implementation of transversal skills education. This might
be partially due to a lack of clear and fully-developed national guidelines
on transversal skills education. If teachers have no access to support
material, adequate development of transversal skills in students will be
hampered.
Recommendations
Conduct In-Depth and Practical Research on Transversal Skill
Education in TVET
To begin with, governments need to promote different types of
research of transversal skills education which takes into account
specific country contexts. Unlike cognitive skills that can be measured
with conventional assessment methods, transversal skills cannot be
measured with such tools. For example, communication skills cannot
be assessed by means of questionnaires since these skills are highly
dependent on specific contexts. In order to address such challenges,
specific and contextualized studies of transversal skills education should
be conducted in TVET. Based on results of such studies, measures could
be taken to make teaching and assessment of transversal skills more
effective. Enhancing research on transversal skills could also facilitate
the development of transversal skills education that responds to the
context of increasing economic integration and labour mobility.
Develop Comprehensive Policies and Strategies for Transversal
Skills in TVET
Based on research findings, governments should prepare comprehensive
policies and strategies for transversal skills education. Efforts should
be made to develop detailed national guidelines on transversal skills
education for different education levels and programmes, including
TVET. These guidelines should contain information on different aspects
of transversal skills, such as definition, achievement levels, and guidelines
for teaching and assessment of these skills. In addition, manuals for
teachers and principals should also be developed. Achievement
levels for transversal skills can be aligned with competency standards
and National Qualification Frameworks, such as in the cases of Brunei
30
and Thailand. Teaching and assessment guidelines would need to
outline the purpose of transversal skills education and contain key
considerations for the design and implementation of transversal skill
courses. Given the complexity of transversal skills education however,
it seems impossible to stipulate all details for teaching and assessment.
Instead, there should be a clear and concise definition of transversal
skills and key principles to follow. Based on those principles, models for
teaching transversal skills could be developed and shared.
Developing assessment guidelines seems more challenging than
developing those for teaching. Assessment is key for effective transversal
skills education, but its development seems quite weak at this moment.
It would be very difficult to develop assessment tools using paper-and-
pencil tests due to the high contextual dependency of transversal skills.
Instead, more effort should be devoted to identifying key indicators
that are believed to demonstrate students’ transversal skills, and
ways to ensure objectivity and validity of transversal skills assessment
results. Perhaps the most challenging task will be the formulation of
guidelines on the use of assessment results. Given that developing
adequate assessment of transversal skills might be a lengthy process,
results should not be used to decide on students’ academic pathways.
Instead, results could be used to inform employers and encourage
them to shape transversal skills education to reflect the skill needs of
their businesses.
In addition, practical support measures should be developed to assist
the implementation of transversal skills education in TVET institutions.
National guidelines alone are not sufficient to make transversal skills
education effective unless these are complemented by measures,
such as targeted teacher training, development and sharing of best
practices, development and use of practical manuals and incentives
for employer engagements. Policies outlining such measures can be
included in a comprehensive national strategy for the development of
transversal skills education in TVET.
31
Encourage Involvement of Various Stakeholders in Transversal
Skills Education in TVET
Involving external stakeholders can be beneficial for the development
of transversal skills education. First of all, teachers should be exposed to
real work situations in order to understand the context in which their
students will be working in the future. For example, at the Chiangrai
Agricultural and Technology College in Thailand, teachers take part
in a farming programme where they are guided by TVET supervisors
in the development of practical skills and transversal skills, such as
communication, problem- solving, collaboration, entrepreneurship,
and ability to learn. At the Saowabha Vocational College in Thailand,
teachers spend around a week working in small and medium-size
enterprises (SME) where they learn about the industry and gain
an understanding of requirements related to transversal skills for
specific jobs. The exposure of teachers to real work life can help them
understand the context and therefore be more effective in designing
transversal skill courses for their students.
Instead of individual schools finding ways to involve external
partners, governments should put more effort into developing
effective measures to encourage stakeholder involvement in TVET
institutions, including local employers, local labour/trade unions, and
representatives of NGOs. Such involvement could be promoted at a
larger scale than simply between a limited number of employers and
individual schools. For example, major employers and representatives
of trade unions could be invited to join working groups or committees
to discuss the strategic development of transversal skills education.
In particular, the involvement of employers should be ensured given
the critical role of work-based learning for TVET students in acquiring
transversal and job-specific skills.
In relation to employer involvement, it should be emphasized that
transversal skills are not skills required by employers only. Students
should develop transversal skills for both their jobs but also for their
lives outside of work. In fact, equipping TVET graduates with transversal
skills can ultimately contribute to developing economies and societies
that are supported by an environmentally-conscious workforce. In
order to achieve this goal, involvement of labour/trade unions and
other stakeholders, such as parents and student representatives, should
also be considered in the development of transversal skills education.
32
Enhance Teachers’ Capacity to Impart Transversal Skills in TVET
To implement effective transversal skills education, governments
should enhance teachers’ capacity to impart transversal skills in TVET. To
begin with, training to improve basic understanding of transversal skills
should be developed or strengthened. In Thailand for example, 3-to-
5-day teacher training programmes are provided to enhance teaching
capacity to impart transversal skills, especially for master teachers. The
main focus of these programmes is for teachers to learn how to integrate
transversal skills into existing subjects. In these programmes, teachers
usually work in groups to design classes that integrate teaching and
learning of collaboration skills and ability to learn. In addition, project-
based learning is used to help teachers integrate problem solving into
their classes.
Together with course-based transversal skills training, alternative
approaches should be explored, such as teacher study groups. In
the Republic of Korea, formation of such groups is encouraged by
the government with small grants that aim to foster mutual learning
on transversal skills education. Study groups choose their own
discussion topics and methodologies for trainings. Activities such
as entrepreneurial skills training or learning through drama are the
most preferred options of teacher study groups. Some study groups
choose to participate in entrepreneurial skill courses to which they
invite practitioners. In addition, competitions, that award cash prizes or
increase chances for promotion, have been an important incentive for
teachers. Such alternative approaches can be promoted to stimulate the
development of initiatives led by teachers. Simultaneously, experience-
sharing on such creative approaches should be encouraged and their
results translated into national policies on transversal skills education.
Prepare Different Types of Reference Materials for Transversal
Skills Education in TVET
In addition to additional teacher training, policy efforts should be made
to develop different types of reference materials that can be used by
TVET teachers. Instead of requesting individual schools and/or teachers
to prepare their own materials, the central government can facilitate the
implementation of transversal skills education by providing reference
materials. In this regard, the experience in the Republic of Korea is an
interesting example.
33
In 2011, the Ministry of Education developed materials for teaching VBC
in both general and vocational subjects for vocational high schools.
This material, which includes teacher manuals, was disseminated
through an internet portal for vocational high schools. Different types
of teaching materials are available which can be adopted according
to teachers’ needs. Some of them are available as animated or short
videos depicting the work environment that vocational graduates are
most likely to encounter in their future jobs.
Policy makers can refer to the experience of the Republic of Korea
when considering the development of materials for transversal skills
education. It should however be mentioned that these materials
developed in the Republic of Korea are not yet widely used by TVET
teachers. It seems that teachers who already use different textbooks
see no merit in using new teaching materials. This should be taken into
account to ensure that teaching materials on transversal skills are clearly
related to existing subject materials, and also respond to the diverse
needs of teachers.
34
References
Assessment and Teaching of 21st-Century Skills. http://www.atc21s.org/
(Accessed 20 July 2015).
Education Research Institutes Network. 2013. Integrating Transversal
Competencies in Education Policy and Practice (Phase I). UNESCO
Bangkok.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. P21 Framework Definitions. (http://
www.p21.org/storage/documents/docs/P21_Framework_
Definitions_New_Logo_2015.pdf. (Accessed 20 July 2015)
Pellegrino, James W. and Hilton, Margaret L. (eds). 2012. Education for Life
and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st
Century. National Research Council of the National Academies.
Washington (DC): National Academies Press
UNESCO. 2014. Transferable Skills in Technical and Vocational Education
and Training (TVET): Policy Implications. Asia-Pacific Education
System Review Series No. 8. UNESCO Bangkok.
____. 2012. Youth and Skills – Putting Education to Work. EFA
Global Monitoring Report 2012. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
images/0021/002180/218003e.pdf (Accessed 18 Feb 2015)
World Economic Forum. 2015. New Vision for Education: Unlocking the
Potential of Technology. World Economic Forum.
35

The booklet is a follow-up to the eighth booklet of the same series which explored
policies and practices of imparting transversal skills in Technical and Vocational Education
and Training (TVET). Focusing on the implementation level, the current booklet identifies
good practices and remaining challenges in the teaching and assessment of transversal
skills in three countries in the Asia-Pacific region, namely Brunei Darussalam, the Republic
of Korea and Thailand.
The purpose of the booklet is to add to the existing literature on pedagogy and
assessment of transversal skills by shedding light on existing practices in the Asia-Pacific
region. It identifies clear challenges and provides focused recommendations for
improving teaching and learning transversal skills in TVET.

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9

Transversal Skills in TVET:

Edu ion Sys

Transversal Skills in TVET:

Project co-ordinator: Cheol Hee Kim

The Asia-Pacific Education System Review Series is published by the

This is the ninth booklet in the Asia-Pacific Education System Review

In Brunei there is a compulsory module on life skills for all levels of

In addition, the National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework

Through teaching 107 59.44

Total multiple responses 272 151.11

These different pedagogical approaches relate to the nature of different

In addition to classroom teaching, out-of-school activities can be

As shown in Table 6, most learning activities in Thailand are based on

In terms of assessment types, teachers commonly use a combination

Perhaps such limited use of results is related to the issues of fairness

Transversal Skills in TVET:

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