Cross-cutting competences in higher education: the perception of Spanish and Chilean teachers

Abstract

The competency-based educational model is presented as a response to the demands of a society in constant transformation, focused on the development of transversal and specific skills, which allows university students to acquire the knowledge and tools necessary to face social challenges. The article provides a theoretical basis and analyses the perception of Spanish and Chilean university academics (n=9) on the development and formative assessment of transversal competences in education degrees oriented towards teacher training. Using the focus group technique, four dimensions were addressed with respect to the work and evaluation of competences. The results show that there are challenges such as the lack of coordination between subjects, the commitment of teachers and the institution itself, and also some obstacles, mainly focused on the student ratio and the resistance of some teachers to the change of model. Among the suggestions, academics highlighted coordination mechanisms and spaces, applying formative assessment to identify students' strengths and weaknesses, and designing tasks that respond to the real professional situations that future teachers have to face.