Abstract:

Nowadays there is a prominent disconnection between the real teaching practices in the Primary Education Degrees in the Spanish Higher Education System and the teaching model based on competencies promoted by the European Higher Education System (EHES). As a result during their Degree studies future Primary Education teachers have limited opportunities to develop their professional competencies. Thus it is necessary to promote the achievement of professional competences that would allow future Primary Education teachers to carry out professional activities successfully. One of the ways in which the acquisition of professional competences can be achieved is to incorporate from the initial degree courses of Primary Education teacher real professional field practice that can be carried out in schools of Primary Education. However despite the benefits of professional field practice not all undergraduate students are interested in performing them from initial degree courses. It is necessary therefore to distinguish between those students who are and those who are not willing to start their professional fields practice early during their Degree studies. The aim of this study was to draw a profile of undergraduate students who are motivated to take part in an innovative teaching project that aims at improving the quality of practice given to students in Teacher of Primary Education degree with respect to evaluation and intervention in learning disabilities, through the implementation of activities in the real context of the professional field in which they are going to develop in the future. Fourteen second year undergraduate students (Mage=23.64, SD=7.98) participated in this teaching project. Participants’ main motivation to study a University Degree was to find a better job and to contribute to the society with their best skills. Regarding participants’ perceptions on the practical training they have received during their Degree studies 50 % consider this training was insufficient while 28.6% consider it was neither sufficient neither insufficient. Also students who took part in this project score high on general self-efficacy, on academic, family and social self-concept. Finally they are autonomous students who predominantly use conceptualizations learning strategies, prepare for their exams in advance and are active during lecturing activities. It seems that students who are interested in starting their professional fields practice early during their Degree studies have a positive self-concept and high self-efficacy and use effective learning strategies.