Project-Based Learning and the Acquisition of Competencies and Knowledge Transfer in Higher Education

María del Carmen Granado-Alcón, Diego Gómez-Baya, Eva Herrera-Gutiérrez, Mercedes Vélez-Toral, Pilar Alonso-Martín and María Teresa Martínez-Frutos
Additional contact information
María del Carmen Granado-Alcón: Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, Psychology and Sport Sciences, El Carmen Campus, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
Diego Gómez-Baya: Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, Psychology and Sport Sciences, El Carmen Campus, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
Eva Herrera-Gutiérrez: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Espinardo Campus, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Mercedes Vélez-Toral: Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, Psychology and Sport Sciences, El Carmen Campus, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
Pilar Alonso-Martín: Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, Psychology and Sport Sciences, El Carmen Campus, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
María Teresa Martínez-Frutos: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Espinardo Campus, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge about project-based learning (PBL) methodology in higher education by describing and analysing interrelations between competencies, and their contribution to knowledge transfer (KT) and students’ rating of the project. The sample consisted of 464 students from the Universities of Huelva (N = 347; 74.8%) and Murcia (N = 117; 25.2%), enrolled in the second year of a degree in either Infant or Primary Education. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire comprising a total of 53 items measuring general, specific, and transversal competencies, as well as students’ rating of the project. Competencies were selected from the course programmes for the degrees in Infant and Primary Education. Preliminary results showed that competencies were moderately to highly acquired after PBL, and that students reported notable KT as well as a positive assessment of the project. KT showed a high degree of association with students’ ratings and was established as a key factor in learning and learner satisfaction in higher education.

Keywords: project-based learning (PBL); higher education; competencies; knowledge transfer (KT); rating (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/23/10062/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/23/10062/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:23:p:10062-:d:454961

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().