Training to Intervene: reflections on collaborative work based on active learning methodologies in Higher Education

Abstract

The present work analyses the use of active learning methodologies in higher education, focusing on the collaborative work developed in the curricular units of Methods and Techniques of Social Research and Social Work of Cases, Groups and Communities, of the degree in Social Work of a Portuguese university. Focused on the active participation of students, the curricular units were based on methodologies that promote the collective construction of knowledge, critical thinking and the integration between theory and practice. The study presented here aims to understand the perception of the students enrolled in these two curricular units about the collaborative work developed, to identify the skills acquired by them and to know the relevance they attribute to these experiences in their academic training. The methodological approach consisted of a descriptive-exploratory case study, favoring the questionnaire survey as the most appropriate instrument for data collection. Quantitative information, statistically analysed, and more descriptive and textual data were obtained, using an interpretation of its content (n=20). The results show that the collaborative work between curricular units that use active learning methodologies favors the development of fundamental skills for professional practice, such as communication with different audiences, adaptability and flexibility, while stimulating critical reflection and the exercise of investigative and interventional practices from initial training. It is concluded that the use of this type of methodology, especially in the field of Social Work, strengthens meaningful learning and prepares students for the challenges of professional practice in today's society.