Complex thinking and profile of Colombian university teachers

Abstract

During the last decade, the development of competencies has become a cardinal point for universities, focusing not only on those skills directly associated with technical or disciplinary aspects but also on those necessary in training for life. In this sense, the so-called general (transversal) competencies become primary in the curricula as part of the training of students regardless of discipline. However, although much literature has reported on students’ acquisition and development of these competencies, what is the reality for teachers facing this formative challenge? Methodologically, this study uses the validated EComplexity instrument to assess self-perceived competence in complex thinking among 51 university teachers (30 women and 21 men, mean age 39 years) from southern Colombia, covering five academic disciplines: Business, Health Sciences, Engineering, Social Sciences and Humanities. The aim was to measure their perceived preparedness to teach complex thinking as part of a teacher training course, with an emphasis on the participants’ varied academic backgrounds. For data analysis this study employed a multivariate descriptive statistical analysis using SPSS software. The results determined that the teachers perceived themselves as competent in complex thinking and sub-competencies. In conclusion, the study found that differences in factors such as gender, age and academic discipline did not significantly influence teachers’ self-perceived competence in complex thinking. This article contributes to the identification of essential teaching competences for the teacher education process within competence-based pedagogical models, ensuring the quality of academic work.