Animal welfare competence project - animal welfare-oriented action competence in vocational training

Cooperation partners:

• Landwirtschaftliches Bildungszentrum in Echem (LBZ Echem - Koordination)
• Arbeitsgruppe Tierwohl des Thünen-Instituts für Ökologischen Landbau

Background

Since 2002, animal protection has been enshrined as a state objective in the Basic Law (Art. 20a GG). In addition to the Animal Welfare Act, there are also federal and state animal welfare ordinances and guidelines for animal welfare. However, research in practice shows that the animal welfare situation in farm animal husbandry is not satisfactory and many farms show a need for optimisation and action.

The project is based on the assumption that the key role in raising awareness of animal welfare among farmers lies in the vocational training of future farmers and animal farmers. The topic of animal welfare is seen as a relevant factor in the process quality of farm animal husbandry. By proactively and regularly collecting animal welfare indicators on the farm and closely observing the animals, empathy for the animal entrusted to the farm can be promoted. However, this awareness-raising has so far only taken place inadequately in agricultural vocational training and neither in vocational schools, nor in inter-company training, nor in the practical farms that provide the training.

Objective

Within the framework of the project, concepts, tools and teaching, learning and training materials for the collection of animal-related indicators for animal welfare are developed. Under the conditions of increasingly mechanised and digitalised work in agricultural animal husbandry and the accompanying distancing from the animal, trainees are to be made more aware of the issue of animal welfare.

The aim is to promote the development of a comprehensive animal welfare-oriented professional competence as an essential component of the individual professional attitude of future farmers and animal farmers. A well-developed animal welfare competence requires both knowledge about the respective animal and its needs, as well as skills in dealing with animals and an empathetic attitude towards them. This is particularly relevant against the background of the increasing importance of process quality and animal welfare in livestock farming. The ability to act self-reflexively and responsibly in the area of conflict between economic management, (digitalised) technology and animal welfare is crucial.

Innovative teaching-learning concepts are to be developed that take into account the following learning and competence objectives:

• the development of an appropriate understanding of animal welfare
• the deepening of knowledge about natural behaviour and the resulting needs of cattle and pigs
• the development of the ability to observe animals and to recognise problems
• to develop the interest and willingness to deal with animal welfare issues
• to enable the acquisition of animal welfare competence

Approach

Within the framework of the overall project, the IfBE will focus on the one hand on the means of vocational education and training and on the other hand on the professional self-image and professional socialisation of future farmers and animal farmers in order to understand the processes of social confrontation with the professional environment and its changes and to be able to develop the teaching concepts related to this. To this end, several sub-projects are being worked on:

1. Firstly, a document analysis of the applicable framework curricula and curricula for the vocational training of farmers and animal farmers will be carried out with the aim of exploring the field of investigation. In a further step, experts for agricultural training occupations will be interviewed regarding the educational policy framework conditions (qualitative interviews).
2. This will be followed by a quantitative (online questionnaire) and qualitative (interviews) survey of the trainees regarding their occupation-related socialisation factors that favour or inhibit the development of animal welfare skills. These surveys are supplemented by further qualitative surveys (interviews) of trainers, graduates of the master classes and students who complete internships at the LBZ Echem as part of their agricultural studies.
3. On the basis of the findings, the IfBE will provide technical support for the competence-oriented design of initial and further training and the development and testing of teaching-learning concepts and materials, as well as evaluating them under the question: "Can the new didactic approaches actually generate willingness and interest in dealing with the issue of animal welfare?

This responsive approach, which includes a communicative validation of the study results, also includes the reaction of those studied in the course of the project and leads to the further initiation of learning processes of all those involved in the project. The trainees/educational participants are also offered that their learning process with regard to animal welfare issues is supported by learning process guidance. This process involves reflecting on the course of their own learning process together with a learning process facilitator (IfBE). The focus is on the reflection of subjective decision-making and action patterns regarding the trainees' handling of animals or compliance with animal welfare standards.

The work packages of the Agricultural Training Centre in Echem and the Animal Welfare Working Group of the Thünen Institute for Organic Agriculture can be viewed on the project pages of the cooperation partners.

Target groups

• Trainees in the occupation of farmer or animal farmer
• Trainers at the training companies
• Graduates of the master farmer/animal farmer course
• Students of agricultural science in practical training

Further information on the project

Project 2820MDT122 is part of the Model and Demonstration Project (MuD) Animal Welfare in the project phase Knowledge-Dialogue-Practice. Funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) based on a resolution of the German Bundestag.

The Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE) is responsible for the project.

Further information can be found on the BMEL's project website on MuD Animal Welfare: https://www.mud-tierschutz.de/mud-tierschutz/wissen-dialog-praxis/ausbildung/tierschutz-vermitteln

IfBE contact

Prof. Dr. Rita Meyer

M.A. Janna Hauschild

M.A. Friederike Krause