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.*
Question Text:How many hours were that per week? [Wie viele Stunden waren dies pro Woche?]
Instruction:CI: If for question 4 category 4 (“At least one week but less than one month”). [TL: Wenn bei Frage 4 Kategorie 4 („Mindestens eine Woche, aber weniger als einen Monat“).]
Recommendations:Question: An instruction shall also be provided as to whether or not the hours should be included for any preparation and follow-up times.
If for question 4 category 4 ("At least one week but less than one month") [Wenn bei Frage 4 Kategorie 4 („Mindestens eine Woche, aber weniger als einen Monat“)]
6.1 How many weeks were that? [Wie viele Wochen waren dies?]
6.2 And how many hours per week were these? Please also take into account your preparation and follow-up times. [Und wie viele Stunden waren dies pro Woche? Bitte berücksichtigen Sie auch Ihre Vor- und Nachbereitungszeiten.]
Cognitive Techniques:General Probing, Information Retrieval Probing
Findings for Question: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.
Test person 07 chose the fourth category in question 4 (At least one week, but less than one month) and was therefore asked about the number of hours per week the training took place. She answered the question with 56 hours and found the indication of the hours to be "rather easy": "Well, there were five days of program on site and in the end there were reading tasks to be done, that was the other two days. In about 8 hours. 8 hours per day, mind you" (7 days of 8 hours = 56 hours).
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.
Question Topic:Job and career/ Job situation & professional activity