This book tackles the challenges of assessing competencies in educational contexts, highlighting the scientific projects from the priority program “Competence Models for Assessing Individual Learning Outcomes and Evaluating Educational Processes.” Over six years, this initiative coordinated 30 research projects with experts in psychology, educational science, and subject-specific didactics, focusing on competence assessment across disciplines in Germany. The central concept is “competencies,” defined as “context-specific cognitive dispositions” essential for effectively navigating specific situations or tasks (Koeppen et al., 2008, p. 62). The projects explore various aspects of competence assessment, primarily emphasizing the development of cognitive models of competencies and the creation of psychometric models derived from these theoretical frameworks. These psychometric models serve as the foundation for developing instruments to measure competencies effectively. Competence assessment is crucial for enhancing educational processes and improving educational systems' effectiveness. This work addresses the need for integrative, interdisciplinary research on the structure, levels, and development of competencies, contributing significantly to this complex field.
