Unlocking Potential: Exploring the Impact of Dual Study Programs on Knowledge Transfer in Germany

Koenig, Karsten

The number of dual study programs is steadily increasing in Germany, linking university education with practical work to close the gap between higher education and practical requirements. The Wissenschaftsrat, Germany’s central science policy advisory body, expects these programs to better meet the “high demand for young professionals who can carry out such a transfer into practice and bring both theoretical competencies for more complex requirements and practical work experience” (Wissenschaftsrat 2013:5).

However, the suitability of these programs for bridging the gap between theory and practice has hardly been investigated. Research has focused on the university’s role in knowledge transfer, but how this knowledge is applied in practice remains largely unknown. With around 20,000 students, IU International University is one of the largest providers of dual study programs in Germany, where students regularly alternate between practical work and university learning within one week.

We conducted an exploratory study to investigate how students and companies experience the transfer of knowledge in practice. A total of 16 group discussions were analyzed using the documentary method (Bohnsack 2014), and underlying implicit orientations were reconstructed. With this contribution, we want to share insights. The analysis reveals a very heterogeneous field, with large discrepancies described in the types of knowledge learned and required. For example, practice partners and students often expect application-oriented practical knowledge, which is sometimes not available in the university context because it relates to specific processes within the practice. In contrast, abstract theoretical knowledge is hardly valued, especially at the beginning of the study program. Only in individual cases are students and practice partners aware of the necessity of more abstract theoretical models to further develop practice. Nevertheless, in some instances, it is possible to establish students in practice as ‘ambassadors of theory,’ thereby introducing new perspectives into professional practices.