Teaching in natural contexts. Project-based learning and perception of professional competence of pre-service teachers in spanish universities

This study investigates the impact of project-based learning (PBL) on the perception of professional competence in Early Childhood Education (ECE) among pre-service teachers in Spain. A total of 586 students from four Spanish universities participated in a pre-post test design using the ECPP-FIM sca...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pla-Campas, Gil|||0000-0003-4717-6401, Martínez Mínguez, Maria Lourdes|||0000-0003-1775-6288, Nieva, Carolina|||0000-0002-8593-1183, Arnau-Sabatés, Laura|||0000-0003-3359-4071
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:310591
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/310591
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.15366/reice2025.23.2.004
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Professional competence
Training
Project-based learning
Perception
Academic development
Competencia profesional
Formación
Aprendizaje basado en
Proyectos
Percepción
Desarrollo académico
Descripción
Sumario:This study investigates the impact of project-based learning (PBL) on the perception of professional competence in Early Childhood Education (ECE) among pre-service teachers in Spain. A total of 586 students from four Spanish universities participated in a pre-post test design using the ECPP-FIM scale to measure the impact of the PBL approach on the perception of professional psychomotor intervention skills of ECE. The PBL approach involved close collaboration with preschools, providing students with hands-on experience designing and implementing movement-based activities in natural contexts. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including ANOVA, were used to analyse the data. Results indicate substantial improvements in the perception of professional competence across all five areas of the ECPPFIM scale. Moreover, students from vocational education backgrounds showed consistently higher pre-and post-test scores than those from other academic pathways. Findings support the effectiveness of PBL in bridging the theory-practice divide and emphasize the importance of integrating real-world experiences in teacher training. To conclude, this study highlights the key characteristics that an ordinary university subject should incorporate to enhance the perception of professional competence