Research
The Chair’s research unit investigates the shifts in educational systems in the face of globalization, an aging society and the rapid development of technology. We also examine the characteristics of the most effective education systems in the world and how they align to labor market demand.
Our research focuses on comparing education systems and analyzing their institutional frameworks. Building on our experience in translational research, our research contributes to the evaluation and development of education systems in a number of countries on all six inhabited continents.
Today, Switzerland is one of the most innovative and competitive countries in the world. At least in part, it owes these qualities to its excellent education system, the diversity of which allows education and training in Switzerland to adapt perfectly to the needs of the economy and society. As a result, many countries would like to learn from Switzerland. The Chair of Educational Systems carries out comparative analyses of various aspects of countries’ education systems. This enables us to formulate evidence-based recommendations for possible areas of cooperation and improvement. Simultaneously, this work bolsters the positioning of the Swiss education, employment, and especially vocational and professional education and training systems.
Benchmarking is a method widely used in business administration to compare companies and identify the best ones for reference. We take a similar methodological approach and develop benchmarking instruments comparing education systems and their subsystems. We either use internationally comparable indicators or develop our own measurement concepts based on functional equivalencies.
At CES we conduct translational research. This means that we transfer research findings generated in our group to the educational systems of other countries. We continue to develop new projects and test new concepts with our partner countries.
We operate the CEMETS Summer Institutes, which are a Reform Lab for Education Systems Engineering. In this program, we work together with experts from partner countries’ education and employment systems as well as local research groups to initiate, support, and measure the impact of evidence-based projects. This requires an interaction of several scientific disciplines and approaches, as the figure illustrates.
Due to our proven competence in evidence-based policy advising, we also offer technical support and consulting to actors in the education and employment systems.
The state and its institutional framework are central factors in education systems. The state, represented by one or more ministries, is involved in every formal education system. It regulates the entire education system through the constitution, laws and regulations and is thus the authority for all formal education programs. Formal education programs are regulated by law in most countries and lead to a state-recognized credential. Other forms of education such as non-formal courses and informal learning exist in all countries, but are not necessarily regulated by law.
Despite the great importance of government and related institutions in education and training, understanding the mechanisms and governance of the state and other institutions involved in the design and delivery of education and training programmes is a demanding challenge. So far, there are not enough theoretical studies or empirical analyses to provide a sufficient basis for statements on the effectiveness and efficiency of the state and the participating institutions in education and training. Our research group investigates issues related to these actors.
Within the framework of our evaluations, we investigate issues on behalf of Swiss or foreign partners using reference systems and criteria. Evaluations can help an organisation, a program, a draft law, or any other intervention or initiative by assessing performance relative to every important objective and identifying the extent to which action is needed.
This project aims to understand how policy makers in low- and middle-income countries can improve the youth labour-market situation by strengthening social institutions and their interdependence with formal, non-formal and informal TVET. This represents a crucial dimension of the TVET system, as these social institutions govern the involved actors, their roles, and their relationships with each other. Hence, this project aims to analyse the conditions under which TVET improves gainful employment and job quality and thereby improves the income of youth.