A Comparative analysis of global competences within the framework of internationalized curricula

  • Pablo Beneitone Universidad Nacional de Lanús, Argentina
  • Maria Yarosh University of Groningen, Netherlands
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe-8(2)-2021pp25-53
Keywords: academics, achievement, Africa, Asia, EAHEA, employers, Europe, generic competences, global competences, graduates, importance, internationalization of curriculum, Latin America, students

Abstract

An agreement seems to exist that graduates must be equipped with competences required to act successfully and appropriately in a global context. Many authors have proposed lists of competences that could form part of such a graduate profile which must be taken into account when designing internationalized curricula. However, merely listing of a competence does not guarantee that students develop it to the level expected by society. The present article reports on a meta-study based on eight Tuning studies. This meta-study compared the findings across the eight Tuning studies in terms of the different stakeholder groups’ ratings of importance and achievement of 11 global competences – generic competences valued by over 71,000 graduates, employers, students and academics in more than 100 countries and across four continents (Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia). The contribution of the meta-study presented consists in offering a possibility to identify commonalities and differences among the perceptions of the four key stakeholder groups, not only across all the individual studies but also at the level of the four continents – something never accomplished until the present date. In addition, it will help identify the competences that might require particular attention of curriculum designers and teaching teams for students to develop these competences to the level perceived as optimal in different regions of the world. Future research questions are identified with the aim to enrich and validate or fine-tune these initial findings and compensate for the limitations related to the general timeline of the 8 individual Tuning studies that the meta-study built on.

Received: 31 March 2021
Accepted: 06 May 2021

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Author Biographies

Pablo Beneitone, Universidad Nacional de Lanús, Argentina

Professor at the National University of Lanús (Argentina) with a degree in International Relations, a Master in International Cooperation and a PhD in Social Sciences. During most of his professional and academic career since 1994, he has been general coordinator of international programmes and projects on academic mobility, regional convergence and international university cooperation (Erasmus +, ALFA, TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus, etc.) in different countries and regions. He is the author of several scientific publications related to current issues in higher education, as well as the director of research on academic mobility, credit systems, global competences and learning outcomes, and the impact of these on the processes of curriculum internationalisation. He has been a speaker at various international university events in more than 50 countries, both in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, related to internationalisation processes.

Maria Yarosh, University of Groningen, Netherlands

Works at the International Tuning Academy at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, as a researcher and faculty developer. She holds a PhD in Education awarded by the University of Deusto, Spain; and is an alumna of an Erasmus Mundus Masters in Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management (Institute of Education, University of London/UCL, UK). She has been working for the Tuning Academy since 2013 and has participated in a number of Tuning projects across the world (Africa, Asia, Europe & Latin America). Her main research areas are intercultural competence development and faculty development associated with implementing competence-based student-centred approach in higher education contexts.

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Published
2021-05-23
How to Cite
Beneitone, Pablo, and Maria Yarosh. 2021. “A Comparative Analysis of Global Competences Within the Framework of Internationalized Curricula”. Tuning Journal for Higher Education 8 (2), 25-53. https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe-8(2)-2021pp25-53.
Issue
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2021): Competences for the future: Trends and challenges
Section
Articles

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