Glossary
Alignment with a Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF) level
The PQF levels of specific full qualifications are determined directly by the IQS Act. A PQF level is aligned only to partial qualifications (included in the IQS). The alignment of a PQF level to partial qualifications is carried out in accordance with the principles set forth in the IQS Act. An expert panel compares a given (partial) qualification's required learning outcomes to PQF level descriptors, and then prepares a recommendation on which the authorised minister bases his/her decision in determining the PQF level.
Authorised minister
- over issues relating to the inclusion in the IQS of regulated and market qualifications whose field relates to the department he/she directs,
- over issues concerning the functioning of these qualifications in the IQS, including the supervision of validation, certification and quality assurance.
Awarding body
An entity that has gained the authorisation to certify. In the context of the IQS, an awarding body has gained the authority to award particular qualifications that are part of the IQS.
Not all qualifications have to be in the IQS, so in a broader context, the term "awarding body" means an entity that awards some type of qualification.
Certification
The process by which a learner receives a formal document from an authorised institution stating that a qualification has been attained. Certification follows a positive result of validation.
The certification process follows an established procedure. For some qualifications attained outside the formal general, vocational and higher education systems, validation and certification are performed by various entities (e.g. a driving test is conducted by the voivodship motor vehicles department and the result is certified / a document is issued by the county governor).
Credit
Credit is understood in the IQS as a separate set of learning outcomes that have been confirmed by validation and are part of the requirements for a given market qualification.
In the context of the IQS, the term "credit" has a different meaning than in everyday language. It refers to having achieved part of the requirements for attaining a qualification, e.g. a subject, a thematic module, field practice, etc.
Credit accumulation
Credit accumulation should be understood as the collection of confirmed (as a result of validation) sets of learning outcomes that are part of the requirements for attaining a qualification as defined in its description.
Learning outcomes can be confirmed (and accumulated) only as distinguished sets presented in the description of a qualification. In Poland, the possibility of accumulating credits was introduced on a large scale in 2005 in higher education with the implementation of the Bologna Process, one element of which is the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
The European System of Credit Accumulation and Transfer in Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) is also being implemented in EU countries. With the reforms begun in 2012, Poland's formal vocational education and training system introduced basic solutions enabling credit accumulation and transfer.
Credit transfer
The IQS Act gives the awarding body the ability to recognise credits that have not been validated under its supervision, but awarding bodies are not obliged to approve every request for a credit transfer submitted by an applicant.
Credit transfer allows a person to opt out of repeating the validation of learning outcomes that have already been validated.
External Quality Assurance (EQA)
In the context of the IQS, external quality assurance means the monitoring and periodic evaluation of activities relating to awarding qualifications performed by an entity that is external to the awarding body.
The requirement to ensure external quality assurance was introduced by the IQS Act. External quality assurance strengthens compliance with the standards of awarding qualifications and supports awarding bodies in improving the processes of validation and certification.
External quality assurance entity (EQAE)
In the context of the IQS, an external quality assurance entity is an institution that has been entrusted by an authorised minister with the function of providing external quality assurance to an awarding body. The EQAE supports awarding bodies in properly performing the processes of validating and awarding qualifications. It continuously monitors the activities of the awarding body and performs periodic external evaluations of these activities.
The authorised minister may entrust the function of external quality assurance of regulated qualifications to an entity from the list of EQAE or another entity of his/her choice.
The authorised minister enters into a contractual agreement with an entity selected from the EQAE list to have it perform external quality assurance activities for an awarding body.
Integrated Qualifications Register (IQR)
Qualifications included in the IQS are entered in the IQR regardless of whether they are listed in other registers (directories, catalogues) maintained by other departments, industries, communities or institutions.
The presence of a qualification in the integrated register means that its credibility has been confirmed by public authorities and that it has a PQF level.
Qualifications that are not included in the IQS can not be entered into the IQR.
Data about qualifications gathered in the IQR are publicly available on the IQS portal.
Integrated Qualifications System (IQS)
The Integrated Qualification System encompasses a large part of Polish qualifications, which are included in the system by law or may be included by a decision of an authorised minister.
Qualification not included in this system can also function in Poland, however, such qualifications are not aligned to a PQF level and cannot be entered in the Integrated Qualifications Register.
Internal quality assurance (IQA)
Internal quality assurance strengthens the internal controls of an awarding body in the course of awarding qualifications, and also serves to improve the mechanisms that influence the quality of awarded qualifications.
The requirement to have an internal quality assurance system also applies to entities that have been authorised by awarding bodies to perform validation.
IQS Stakeholders Council
The composition of the IQS Stakeholders Council is defined in the IQS Act. The term of office of a member of the Council is four years (it can only be extended once). The end of the term of office of half of the Council members occurs every two years.
Knowledge
The term knowledge in the context of the IQS is one of the three categories of learning outcomes distinguished in the PQF.
Individual categories of learning outcomes in the PQF (knowledge, skills, social competence) cannot be completely separated because the learning outcomes referred to as knowledge always include a certain component of skills, skills always contain certain elements of knowledge, and social competence is always made up of some skills and knowledge.
It should also be remembered that in everyday language (also in some publications and documents), words such as knowledge, skills, competences and qualifications are often used interchangeably.
Learning outcomes
Individual learning outcomes can be specific to a given qualification or universal. They can refer to key competences or general ones.
The Act on Higher Education distinguishes between educational outcomes, which are attained in the educational process at higher education institutions, and learning outcomes, which are attained in a learning process outside of higher education. This distinction is only made in the system of higher education.
Market qualifications
A market qualification is a qualification developed by different communities (social organisations, associations, corporations or other entities) on the basis of their experiences. In this context, the word "market" means that these qualifications originate and function in the "free market" of qualifications.
Market qualifications may be related to activities of a strictly professional nature, but they also can relate to different areas of social activity, such as educational and care activities, as well as leisure activities.
Market qualification may be included in the IQS, but this is not required. Inclusion is determined by the authorised minister responsible for the qualification in response to an initiative of the community concerned.
All market qualification included in the IQS are partial qualifications.
Partial qualifications
Partial qualifications can be developed by the formal general, vocational and higher education systems as well as outside them.
Partial qualifications generally have a narrower range of required learning outcomes than full qualifications. In general, these requirements are related to clearly defined types of activities.
All regulated and marketed qualifications included in the IQS are partial qualifications. Partial qualifications awarded in the education system include, among others, occupational qualifications (confirmed by a certificate).
Partial qualifications in the higher education system include, among others, qualifications that have been incorporated into the IQS and are awarded after the completion of postgraduate studies.
Having a partial qualification may be a requirement for employment in a particular position, e.g. the required category of a driving license to be able to be hired as a bus driver.
Partial qualifications can supplement a full qualification, broadening or deepening a person's preparation for a profession (e.g. specialisations for physicians or other qualifications for operating specialised medical equipment).
Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF)
In Polish language documents and papers on qualifications frameworks, the term "national qualifications framework" was initially used. Its replacement with the term "Polish Qualifications Framework" was decided in the course of work preceding the adoption by the Interministerial Taskforce on the Polish Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning of the first glossary of key terms for qualifications frameworks.
Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF) level
All qualifications included in the IQS are aligned with a PQF level. Qualifications of the narrowest scope and lowest degree of complexity are aligned with PQF level 1, consecutive PQF levels are associated with ever higher requirements. Qualifications not included in the IQS cannot be aligned with a PQF level.
In everyday language, the term "level" is often used to express a qualitative assessment (low level of teaching, high artistic level, etc.). In the context of the IQS, use of the word "level" in reference to qualifications frameworks cannot be used to express such judgments of quality.
PQF level descriptors
The PQF has first stage and second stage level descriptors. First stage level descriptors are universal and refer to all types of qualifications. Three types of second stage level descriptors were developed: for qualifications awarded in general education, for qualifications awarded in higher education and for qualifications having a vocational character.
Qualification
A set of learning outcomes in the categories of knowledge, skills and social competence, attained through formal education, non-formal education and informal learning, according to the given qualification's requirements, whose attainment was assessed through validation and formally confirmed by an authorised awarding body.
Briefly, a qualification is a defined set of learning outcomes – developed according to established standards – whose attainment was formally confirmed by an authorised institution. Within the context of the IQS, the term "qualification" cannot be used interchangeably with such words as occupation, professional privileges, rights to perform an occupation, professional competencies, competencies, etc.
Note: It is clear from the analysis of various legal acts that the term "qualification" (qualifications) is understood differently – sometimes it also means "occupation" and "qualification" (within the meaning of the IQS Act), sometimes it also means "professional privileges". On the other hand, the term "qualification" does not appear in other acts, whose provisions indicate that the way qualification is understood is how it is defined in the IQS Act. It should also be taken into consideration that in everyday language (also in some studies and documents), words such as knowledge, skills, competences and qualifications are used interchangeably. The Act on the Integrated Qualifications System, by setting the definition of the term "qualification" and the requirements for describing qualifications, will lead to a gradual improvement in the terminology used in Polish legal acts. However, this will be a long process associated with incorporating additional regulated qualifications into the integrated system.
Quality of a qualification
- the adequacy of the learning outcomes required for a given qualification in relation to the tasks and responsibilities that a person holding the qualification is expected to undertake,
- an accurate and reliable description of the learning outcomes required for a given qualification,
- a reliable validation of the learning outcomes required for a given qualification.
The high quality of awarded qualifications is significant to many IQS stakeholder groups:
- employees, who have greater opportunities to develop their careers and strengthen their position in the labour market with a high quality qualification;
- employers, for whom highly qualified employees are one of the key factors shaping the potential of their company,
- society as a whole, including the national economy, because the strength and opportunities of national development depend on the quality of qualifications.
Regulated qualification
Briefly, regulated qualifications are qualifications established by law, which are awarded outside the formal general, vocational and higher education systems. They are essential for the labour market and complement the more basic qualifications attained in the formal general, vocational and higher education systems. The requirements for the learning outcomes of regulated qualifications relate to clearly defined types of activities.
Regulated qualifications may be included in the IQS, but this is not required. The authorised minister for the qualification makes the decision on its inclusion.
All regulated qualifications included in the IQS are partial qualifications.
Sectoral Qualifications Framework
The descriptors of qualifications levels in sectoral frameworks may be less general than in the PQF. The level descriptors of sectoral qualifications frameworks take into account the contexts specific to the given field.
Sectoral qualifications frameworks are developed only in those fields, where such a tool is needed. A sectoral qualifications framework may be included in the IQS if it meets the conditions set forth in the IQS Act.
Skills
Skills in the context of the IQS is one of the three categories of learning outcomes distinguished in the PQF. The individual categories of learning outcomes in the PQF (knowledge, skills, social competence) cannot be separated because the learning outcomes for knowledge always include a certain component of skills, skills always contain some elements of knowledge, and social competence is always made up of some skills and knowledge.
It should also be remembered that in everyday language (also in some publications and documents), words such as knowledge, skills, competences and qualifications are often used interchangeably.
Social competence
Used in the context of the IQS, social competence is one of the three categories of learning outcomes distinguished in the PQF. The individual categories of learning outcomes in the PQF (knowledge, skills, social competence) cannot be regarded separately because the learning outcomes for knowledge always include a certain component of skills, skills always contain some elements of knowledge, and social competence is always made up of some skills and knowledge.
The term "social competence" also is used in various academic fields (e.g. psychology, sociology, education), where it is defined in a way that is relevant to the particular context.
Validation
Validation is a multidimensional and multi-step process that involves identifying, documenting and assessing the learning outcomes of a particular person. Identification and documentation are particularly important for those persons who have learned outside of organised forms of education. A clear indication of assessment criteria adapted to the character of the learning outcomes is critical for the reliability of validation.
Validation should not be confused with the recognition of qualifications. If a qualification awarded abroad is recognised by an authorised institution in the country, the person holding the qualification will not have to revalidate it.
There is no tradition in Poland that clearly distinguishes validation as a stage in the process of having a qualification awarded. For this reason, the Polish language lacked a proper name for this process. Thus, the term "walidacja" was adopted, which is a Polish version of the English word "validation".
