General Information:
*Note: This item was tested in German. This is an English translation of the original German wording. The translation does not correspond exactly to the wording in the English PIAAC source questionnaire.*
Introduction:
We would now like to ask you to give us more details of your most important further vocational training.
[Wir bitten Sie nun um nähere Angaben zu Ihrer wichtigsten beruflichen Weiterbildung.]
Question Text:
How long did this further training last?
If your further training consisted of several individual events, we mean the period between the first and the last event.
[Über welche Dauer hat sich diese Weiterbildung erstreckt?
Wenn Ihre Weiterbildung aus mehreren Einzelveranstaltungen bestand, meinen wir den Zeitraum zwischen der ersten und der letzten Veranstaltung.]
Instruction:
[TL: Liste 3 vorlegen]
CI: This refers to the training that the person interviewed subjectively considers to be most important. [TL: Hier ist die Weiterbildung gemeint, die die befragte Person subjektiv für am wichtigsten hält.]
Answer Categories:
1 Some hours [Einige Stunden]
2 One day [Einen Tag]
3 More than a day but less than one week [Mehr als einen Tag, aber weniger als eine Woche]
4 At least one week but less than one month [Mindestens eine Woche, aber weniger als einen Monat]
5 At least one month but less than three months [Mindestens einen Monat, aber weniger als drei Monate]
6 Three months or more [Drei Monate oder mehr]
Recommendations:
In the case of the question about the duration of the most important further vocational training in 2014, additional questions should be implemented in order to obtain exactly this information. In the case of several further training courses, a query as to which further training course this was can support the respondents' ability to remember. We therefore recommend the following question sequence:
Questions:
If the answer to question 3 is “yes”: [Falls bei Frage 3 “Ja” geantwortet wurde:]
Question 4a) How many further vocational training courses did you attend in 2014? [Wie viele berufliche Weiterbildungen haben Sie im Jahr 2014 besucht?]
(open answer)
Question 4b) What was for you the most important further vocational training in 2014? [Was war die für Sie wichtigste berufliche Weiterbildung in 2014?]
(open answer)
Question 4c) How long did this further training course last? If your professional training consisted of several individual events, we mean the period between the first and the last event. [Über welche Dauer hat sich diese Weiterbildungsveranstaltung erstreckt? Wenn Ihre berufliche Weiterbildung aus mehreren Einzelveranstaltungen bestand, meinen wir den Zeitraum zwischen der ersten und der letzten Veranstaltung.]
Answer categories: No changes recommended.
General Probing, Information Retrieval Probing
Findings for Question:
This question was asked to the eight test persons (TP 03, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 16) who in question 3 stated that they had participated in at least one further vocational training course in 2014. In this question, the respondents were asked to give details of their most important further vocational training in 2014. The duration of the test persons most important further vocational training varies between “some hours” (TP 11); “one day” (TP 06); “at least one week but less than one month” (TP 07); “at least one month but less than three months” (TP 16) and “three months or more” (TP 03, 08, 10, 12).
Test person 07 is initially unaware that the question only concerns the duration of the most important vocational training in 2014 and would like to decide on the category "three months or more": "Under the conditions mentioned, it is of course difficult for me to draw the line. I assume that really every measure is meant now, formal and informal, then this is a continuous process that I am not concluding. That means three months and more” (TP 07). The interviewer then reads the question again, whereupon test person 07 states that these are merely "completed events" and chooses answer option 4 (at least one week, but less than one month): "Exactly one week, oh no, then it is number 4. There is a week included." (TP 07)
Test person 16 is also initially unsure of the period to which the question refers. She mentions some additional further training courses that differ from the previous language course as the most important further vocational training. After the interviewer has pointed out that the question only refers to the most important further vocational training in 2014, the test person answers with "eight weeks" and correctly assigns herself to the category "At least one month, but less than three months".
All eight test persons state that they found it "very easy" to state the duration of the most important further training in 2014. Test person 07, however, bases this assessment only on the information on the duration of the event. It was difficult for her to decide which was the most important further training: "Yes, I would have to establish a ranking, which was now the most important. That is difficult" (TP 07).
After the eight test persons had provided information on the entire period of the most important further vocational training in 2014, they were then asked (question 5, 6 or 7) how many hours the respective further training had taken. The two test persons who had indicated in the previous question that the respective continuing vocational training lasted "a few hours" (TP 11) or "one day" (TP 06) were asked how many hours. Test person 06 indicated six hours and TP 11 four hours. Both test persons found the answer easy.
Overall, it must be made clear that the questions relate exclusively to the most important further training in 2014 for the respondents, although it has not been explicitly asked to date which one this was. If this has been clearly conveyed to the test persons, they are able to remember the duration of their further vocational training to the greatest extent possible. This also makes it clear that the longer the duration of further vocational training - for example, more than one month - the more likely it is that the number of hours will be overlooked. Beyond that, it is potentially unclear what the respondents for categories 4, 5 and 6 should add up in terms of hours at all in question 4: If the total duration of further vocational training that lasted longer than one week (Category 4: "At least one week but less than one month") or one month (Category 5: "At least one month but less than three months"; Category 6: "Three months or more") is to be determined, the number of weeks or months over which the event lasted must also be recorded.
Question Topic:
Job and career/ Job situation & professional activity
Construct:
Duration of further training
