DreyfusModell

The Dreyfus-Modell, or Dreyfus model of skill acquisition, is a framework for understanding how individuals progress from novice to expert in a given domain. Proposed by Stuart E. Dreyfus and Hubert L. Dreyfus in the 1980s, it identifies five stages of increasing competence and autonomy in task performance. The model draws on cognitive psychology and phenomenology and has been applied across education, health care, management, and professional training.

It specifies five stages: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Novice relies on context-free rules and lacks situational awareness; advanced beginner recognizes some situational aspects but relies on guidelines; competent performer develops goal-directed plans and assumes responsibility; proficient practitioner perceives situations as wholes, prioritizes actions, and uses experience to guide decisions; expert operates from intuition and tacit knowledge with fluid mastery.

Applications: The model is used to diagnose learner progress, design instruction, and tailor feedback and mentorship. In fields such as nursing, education, and management, it informs mentorship and assessment strategies, emphasizing experiential learning and the gradual release of responsibility.

Criticism: The model is not universally applicable and may oversimplify how people develop skills. Critics point out that transitions can be nonlinear, highly contextual, and influenced by deliberate practice, domain specificity, and individual differences rather than a fixed five-stage progression.