Methodological changes in technical teaching in order to the European higher education area comparison between countries: Italy and Spain

Abstract

Debate regarding the creation of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) began in 1998 (Sorbonne Declaration) as an essential element to increase the international competitiveness of the European system of higher training and to facilitate both academic and working mobility of its citizens. In Italy, the reform was undertaken through a governmental regulation and was implemented in the academic year 1999-2000. In Spain, the process has been completely different and, almost ten years after, university transformation has not been undertaken yet. In this work we present a comparison between both countries regarding the way in which such transformation has been or is to be undertaken —by the teaching staff— for measuring the work of students to pass subjects in ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). With that purpose, we have attempted to obtain information about the way in which professors implement these transformations in their everyday work. Professors in Technical Teachings (Engineering) have been consulted in both Italy and Spain. The research has been structured into two stages. The first was developed in a three-month stay, from September to December 2006. In this stage, it was studied the process followed in Italy. To do this, a questionnaire was designed and it was given out to professionals of teaching engineering in Italy; the results obtained allowed us establishing interesting conclusions. In the second stage, such questionnaire was adapted for their delivery to professionals of teaching engineering in Spain, at the end of the academic year 2007/08 (June 2008). The conclusions drawn allow us recommending preferential lines of action to support the process of methodological transformation in current subjects and future syllabuses.