Training in Decision Making and Cross-cutting Competencies in Higher Education: A Case Study at the University of Murcia
Abstract
In a social context characterized by constant transformation and a multiplicity of options, decision-making emerges as a key transversal competency for addressing the challenges of both the present and the future. Building on this premise, a training intervention was designed for university students enrolled in two courses within the Bachelor’s Degrees in Primary Education and Pedagogy at the University of Murcia, in which the decision-making process was addressed alongside other transversal competencies. Once this training proposal is developed, this study aims at three specific objectives: to analyze students’ satisfaction with the intervention focused on the development of the decision-making skill, to discern its impact on other transversal competencies, and to examine the relevance they attribute to learning decision-making skills. To this end, a questionnaire was administered at the beginning and at the end of the intervention for subsequent comparative analysis. Although 427 participants completed the initial questionnaire, the final sample consisted of 214 students who responded to both instruments. The results indicate a high level of student satisfaction with the experience and underscore the importance of receiving training in decision-making, as well as a substantial development of transversal competencies. The study concludes by offering several suggestions for training in decision-making and other transversal competencies in higher education, with the aim of enhancing employability and improving the transition-to-work process for future graduates.
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