Attribution of value, teaching and assessment in the perception of the performance of specific competencies of undergraduates studying social work

Abstract

This paper addresses an issue of concern with regards to the teaching of competencies within the context of undergraduate university studies, in this case, in the field of social work. In it, we question if the basic curricular processes of the explicit instructional, teaching and assessment system regarding specific competencies of professional social work are effective in promoting, improving or training in the performance of these specific competencies, or if, on the hand, they are axiological in nature and can better explain the performance of specific competencies by undergraduate students studying social work. A survey method has been followed, analyzing the interaction between these three factors in relation to the self-perception of competency performance. The results suggest that the subjective assessment of the competencies by undergraduate students of social work could affect the relationship between the perception of teaching and evaluation of competencies and the subjective level of their own competency in them. These results provoke an inescapable reflection on the validity of pedagogical practices for promoting the self-assessed performance of the specific competencies of social work by future professional practitioners, opening the door to a reflection on the ways of influencing the competency performance of the current teaching and evaluation processes in higher education.