Using the Vignette Technique to Increase Insight into Professional Development at Work

Abstract

AbstractThe Vignette Technique can be used to increase insight into professional development. Professional development can be considered to be a process with certain outcomes, such as knowledge, competences, or behaviour. A challenge, especially when using questionnaires, is to measure the direct link between the characteristics of the context, such as triggers at work, with the components of professional development, such as informal learning activities that emanate from these characteristics of the context. The opportunities of the Vignette Technique are presented in this chapter by describing the characteristics of the method with its vignettes (more specifically concerning the content, style and quality), instructions and answering mode. Furthermore, the other components of an empirical study (the design, instrument and analysis) are described, as well as characteristics of these that need to be decided upon and need to be carefully developed. Emphasized is the need for consistency between the vignettes, instructions and answering modes, as well as consistency in terms of suitable fit to other components as well as to the objective of the study. The possibilities of using the Vignette Technique and the consequences for the design and analysis of the data are illustrated with various examples of our own empirical studies using questionnaires carried out to gain insight into the different components of professional development caused by context characteristics, in different domains.KeywordsVignette techniqueProfessional developmentCharacteristics of vignettesDevelopment of vignettesQuestionnairesContext boundedness