Contributions of the PBL method in achieving professional action competences

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. This empirical study deals with the perception that university students have about the acquisition of professional competence by means of project-based learning (PBL). Our concept of PBL fits within authentic learning environments whereby students working in teams learn to investigate projects which are geared towards their future as professionals. METHOD. In oder to collect data about students’ opinions regarding the PBL methodology, we administered an anonymous online questionnaire with 30 questions. The questionnaire was administered at the end of the training process, just before students saw their final overall result, as a control measure to avoid bias in responses. Our data came from a sample of 212 participating students during the years 2006-2013, belonging to the BA Degree in Psychopedagogy at the University of Seville (Spain). Descriptive (percentages, means and standard deviations) and inferential (Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test and effect size) analyses were employed on the data provided by the closed questions, whereas content analysis (category system and Kappa concordance coefficient) was thought more adequate for open questions. RESULTS. Respondents perceive the PBL as a formidable methodology which contributes towards improving students’ learning, their level of involvement, and the acquisition of competences, presenting itself as more appropriate than other methodological systems, and suitable for university settings. This perspective predominates significantly among those who are motivated by the desire to learn, as opposed to those who are interested only in passing the subject. DISCUSSION. The key finding of this study, supported by our data, demonstrates that PBL considers the student as a professional in training, and thus, anticipating the type of work that the student will be doing in the future. We concluded that the PBL method leads to the establishment of competence in professional action at the university in significant ways, especially when compared with other traditional methods of instruction.