Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Its Impact on the Development of Interpersonal Competences in Higher Education

Abstract

In response to globalisation, and the cultural, socio-economic, and educational changes it implies, higher education must offer a comprehensive education that favours personal and professional growth. To do this, it must promote competence-based learning through active teaching methodologies. This study will analyse the use of Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodologies in the context of transversal subjects, as an efficient technique to develop interpersonal communication and teamworking skills. This research is quasi-experimental, with a pre-test/post-test design with an equivalent control group. The sample consists of 610 university students from the Community of Madrid, of whom 387 participated in the PBL (Experimental Group: EG) and 223 did not (Control Group: CG). A reliable and validated questionnaire on personal competences was used as a measurement instrument. The hypotheses on the effectiveness of PBL as a technique for the development of interpersonal communication and teamworking skills in the context of transversal subjects are confirmed. The results suggest that greater use of active methodologies to promote the development of transversal or generic competences is highly recommended and that the insertion of transversal subjects into university curricula may be highly beneficial.