Evaluación integral de competencias transversales y sus dimensiones en educación superior

Resumen

Currently, the assessment of cross-cutting competencies is a topic of growing importance in both academic and professional spheres. These competencies, also known as soft, socio emotional, or employability competencies, play a fundamental role in the personal and professional success of future workers. In an increasingly globalized and technological world, technical or specific skills alone are no longer sufficient to ensure optimal performance in both work and everyday life. Therefore, the assessment of cross-cutting competencies has become a critical area of research and development in higher education. This thesis delves into the exploration and evaluation of the most in-demand cross-cutting competencies by the job market among students completing their undergraduate studies at the European University. Through this research, the aim is to provide a deeper understanding of how to measure these essential competencies in contemporary society. To achieve this, the study begins by defining the eight cross-cutting competencies selected by the European University as the most relevant concerning students' employability and future professionals' success: Strategic Communication, Influential Leadership, Critical Analysis, Resilience, Teamwork, Creativity, Digital Competence, and Ethical-Social Competence. These definitions are supported by a robust theoretical framework crucial in conceptualizing these competencies and describing each of their dimensions operationally. In order to identify and assess the self-perceived development level in each cross-cutting competency and its different dimensions among graduating students from the European University, an 83-item structured assessment questionnaire has been developed. This questionnaire allows students, on one hand, to understand both their strengths and areas for improvement through the assessment report, providing them the opportunity to enhance their performance in these competencies through constructive feedback. On the other hand, it enables teachers and the university to focus their strategies and resources on developing these competencies, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the job market. Once the questionnaire is developed, a psychometric analysis is conducted to ensure the reliability of the measurements. For content validation, a committee of three experts is established to validate the coherence with the construct definition, item representativeness, relevance, and clarity of wording. After experts' review and approval, a pilot test is carried out with a sample of 139 students from the European University enrolled in the final undergraduate thesis course in 2021. This test allows calculating internal consistency indices of the questionnaire (Cronbach's Alpha coefficient - α, as well as corrected discrimination indexes) to assess the instrument's coherence and reliability. Based on these results and necessary modifications, the final version of the test comprises 79 items exploring the eight cross-cutting competencies through 22 specific competency dimensions. To measure the self-perceived mastery level in the eight cross-cutting competencies and analyze its relationship with sociodemographic and qualification-related variables, a quantitative, exploratory, descriptive, and cross-sectional research approach is established. The final questionnaire is administered to a sample of 1.415 students from the European University enrolled in the final undergraduate thesis course for the academic year 2022/2023. The data analysis begins with the validation of the final questionnaire, for which an internal consistency analysis is conducted through reliability analysis, concluding that there is excellent internal consistency among items. Similarly, a construct validation is performed through a confirmatory factor analysis, establishing that the factorial loads are appropriate in each situation, and the indicators show a solid connection with the competencies intended to be evaluated. Regarding the competency level of students graduating from undergraduate studies at the European University, they demonstrate adequate development in all eight cross-cutting competencies, with Teamwork being the highest-performing competency, followed by Influential Leadership and Ethical-Social Competence. However, Digital Competence shows the lowest performance, followed by Resilience and Creativity. Critical Analysis and Strategic Communication fall in an intermediate position. Concerning sociodemographic variables, statistically significant differences are observed between men and women in Resilience, Teamwork, and Ethical-Social Competence. Significant differences are also found based on nationality in Teamwork and Digital Competence. Similarly, no statistically significant differences are found for any cross-cutting competencies based on age range. Regarding qualification-related variables, the results demonstrate statistically significant differences in the performance of cross-cutting competencies based on the students' reference university, except for Resilience. Similarly, no differences are found in cross-cutting competencies based on the knowledge field. There are also no statistically significant differences in cross-cutting competencies based on the mode of instruction, except for Teamwork. Likewise, the existence of statistically significant differences in the development of Competencies in Strategic Communication, Critical Analysis, and Ethical-Social Competence is confirmed based on the language of instruction. Finally, the results of correlation analyses reveal direct and significant correlations in all cases, indicating that as the level of development of one competency increases, so does the level of development of the other competency it is related to, concluding that the levels of development of the eight cross-cutting competencies are interrelated. Therefore, recognizing the importance of cross-cutting competencies in personal and professional success in a globalized and technological environment, this research significantly contributes to the understanding and assessment of cross-cutting competencies in the university context. It offers a systematic and rigorous approach that not only helps comprehend the self-perceived development level of these competencies in students but also establishes valuable correlations between them.