Beiträge / Articles. Assessing the Potential of Historical Institutionalism to Overcome the Lack of Theory Building in Comparative VET Research [Bewertung des Potenzials des historischen Institutionalismus zur Überwindung des Mangels an Theoriebildung in der vergleichenden Berufsbildungsforschung]

This article examines historical institutionalism as a means to overcome the theoretical deficit in comparative vocational education and training (VET) research. While contributions to this field of research have extensively analysed changes in VET systems, they have often not adequately explained such processes. The article therefore argues that historical institutionalism has significantly contributed to a broader theoretical discussion within comparative VET research. However, it also points out that the application of this approach encounters clear limitations, as long as the role of educational actors and institutions at various implementation levels are not more systematically integrated into the comparative analysis of VET systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]