PROPOSAL OF A PROJECT FOR PROGRESSIVE ADAPTATION OF STUDENTS TO BACHELOR THESIS

Among the modifications to the academic plans which led to the implementation of the Bologna Process, there is the need to pass a new subject by the student, the Bachelor Thesis. In the case of the University of Cadiz this module is placed in the second semester of the last year, with 6 ECTS. The student must be supervised by a professor and defended later orally in the presence of an examining board composed by three members.

Many of the students, who are already graduated today and had to overcome this new subject, have manifested several limitations and obstacles to pass it. One of the most recurring arguments is that, throughout their studies, nobody has taught them to prepare a piece of research work like this. This reasoning has been observed by teachers when explaining the bases of the investigation in their work as tutors, from the way of citing the sources, such as the bases of information that can be used, etc.

Facing this circumstance, the teaching innovation project "Adapting to the Bachelor Thesis from the first year, a prerequisite for success" has been created. This project is implemented in the present academic year for the students of the first year in the Degree in Management and Public Administration of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication of the UCA, specifically, in the module "Economy of the Public Sector". Its purpose is to introduce the students into the research activity, by means of the elaboration of small works following the same requirements of the Bachelor Thesis.

The students will be supervised in the whole process by the teacher of this module and it will end with the presentation in front of an examining board composed of the teacher and his own colleagues (Empathy and placing the student "on the other side" are considered very important elements for the Student learning). The mark of this work will be the same as the Bachelor Thesis, both in percentage and in assessment criteria. A very similar situation will be replicated to the one that the students will have to face in the development of their Bachelor Thesis: they will have to elaborate it also during the second semester, as in the module. Finally, this mark will be part of the final grade of the subject, considered as a practical activity.

If this type of activity begins in the first year and the students continue to develop these skills in the following courses, when they reach the fourth year and must face the Bachelor Thesis, important improvements are expected to be seen, such as reducing the student's uncertainty, acquiring the habit to work in this format and having the basic knowledge about how to develop it.