El papel de las habilidades transferibles y el aprendizaje vivencial en la formación universitaria de docentes de inglés

Abstract

Globalization, technology, social insecurity, information era and human diversity are socio-historical changes in which the latest generation of university students have been raised. Among the foundational responsibilities of higher education lies the need to be aware of those challenges and their implications for students’ academic education. Ignoring the consequences of those changes may leave a gap that could translate formal education into a mere theoretical unconnected process. This article presents findings from a multiple case study that analyzes the role of transferable skills in higher education and the impact of experiential learning in the development of these skills. Findings include the experiences of students and teachers who recorded challenges, successes and failures regarding the development of skills such as effective communication, social skills, management of emotions, decision-making, work ethics and time management in their program.  From this study, there is a call for: establishing a common definition that unifies the conceptualization of transferable skills, identifying the required skills for teacher education programs and other specializations and providing a direction towards explicit instruction of transferable skills in higher education programs.