What is "taught" in higher education: Assessing knowledge, skills, values and attitudes

Abstract

In current times, higher education contemplates the promotion of civic and ethical values, aiming the transformation of society. This mission involves not only technical and scientific competences but also transversal competences, fundamental in all professional activity fields. Increasingly, the tendency to combine knowledge and skills, along with social, civic, and ethical values and attitudes, is embodied in curricula and pedagogical practices. In a qualitative methodology using content analysis, this study explores the competency profiles presented by Higher Education Institutions in Portugal. The results highlight the primacy of technical-scientific knowledge and specific skills. The student's cognitive development is still more valued, despite the tendency, albeit tenuous, for a growing appreciation of civic attitudes and values as a product of a quality higher education.