Proposal for the development of transversal competences in the degree of pedagogy. A case study

Abstract

In recent years, transversal competencies (TC) have been an important component in university curriculum design. The primary aim of this research project was to set up a proposal to redefine the TCs established in the founding document of the Pedagogy Degree Program at the University of the Basque Country and to deepen on the development of its competencies and design. This project is a fundamental study of a unique case and a single theme. The project is structured in three main phases. The first phase, Conceptual Review, consists of a textual analysis of the degree program’s founding document and a reconstruction of the TCs enumerated therein. The second phase, Assessment and Development, implies data collection, analysis and perception diagnosis report. The sample consists of 77 participants, and the data were collected using non-probability sampling methods on three related groups: teaching staff, students, and active professionals. The analysis served as a basis for the creation of two particular instruments: the Competence Development Table and the Student Self-Evaluation Matrix. The third phase entails contrast and validation processes of cited instruments. Those two instruments were constructed and compared over the course of the project, and two goals were achieved: firstly, to adjust the transversal competencies to the general understanding of the degree program, clarifying its definition, scope and progression; secondly, to provide access to the information the teaching staff was lacking before the study was conducted, such as, the students’ transversal competencies assessment when applying to the degree program, their progression tracking, and their final status assessment.