Competency-based curriculum development in vocational education and training: An example of knowledge transfer from the Western world to India

Abstract

Competency-based curriculum development in vocational education and training (VET) has gained more attention in both developing and industrialised countries. The existing comparative research in VET, however, largely focuses on the macrolevel VET systems. This article aims to analyse how the curriculum design and teaching-learning arrangements are important at the micro-level in the curriculum development process from the comparative VET perspective. This study is based on action research in South India and examines the transference of the competency-based approach in VET from Western countries to India, with particular focus on addressing the peoples’ needs for vocational training in rural regions. This paper outlines the notion of the competency-based curriculum development approach in European countries. It describes the piloted competency-based curriculum design and its dimensions for the sewing vocation in the field by adapting a demand-driven approach to meet the needs of learners. The article ends with findings, lessons learned from the intervention activity and its implications.