The development of professional identity at university: a proposal from the teaching in Business Management

Abstract

One of the problems that has to be faced by university teachers is the large number of students that start doing a degree without actually knowing the professional profile they will have after finishing it, as well as without knowing what the profession they are being trained for actually consists in. Furthermore, one can usually find definitions of professional identities which only take into account the technical and legal aspects while overlooking emotional and social components. University provides us with an appropriate space for the development of that identity on the basis of a comprehensive concept of training. However, at the same time, the compartmentalized structures of the degrees, which are subdivided into different subjects, mean an obstacle for the implementation of that development. Hence, we decided to create a team of university teachers specialized in different subjects in order to suggest a proposal to be implemented in the classroom. This proposal is intended to put an end to the rigidity of a structure organized by subjects through the design and implementation of a number of joint activities whose ultimate aim is the acquisition of competences. This paper presents our personal views about the professional identity of those degrees relating to Economics and Business, suggesting a comprehensive team work proposal which integrates different views on different subjects in order to design activities which may help students to achieve a better understanding of their future profession. This paper includes a summary of the designed activities, the evaluation tools and the results of their implementation during the first years.

Keywords

• aprendizaje basado en problemas
• competencia profesional
• desarrollo curricular
• docencia
• educación superior
• identidad profesional
• interdisciplinariedad
• trabajo en equipo