Abstract:

The Bachelor Final Project presents a unique situation: according to the curriculum, it is just another subject, but in essence, it is the most important subject. This project represents the culmination of an educational system based on competencies, given that it represents a comprehensive integration of all the skills acquired throughout the degree program.

Moreover, the skills required in professional work are rarely cultivated during university studies. This discrepancy is crucial given that the European Higher Education Area proposes an educational model focused on employability and labour mobility. Academic institutions have become aware of this significant flaw. These institutions have taken note of the insufficient attention reserved for employability in university curriculum, and this is considered one of the primary weaknesses of the Spanish higher education system.

One of the strengths of this study is that it is based on the experience gained from over a decade supervising end-of-course projects. Over 130 projects run by the members of the team during the last twelve courses were analysed. Exactly 135 case studies were monitored, allowing us to conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses of the most salient aspects.

This arduous task was considered essential since it enabled us to collect and analyse such a large number of cases from a reflective teaching perspective. This type of study had not been proposed until now primarily due to two main reasons: a professor’s daily work is already very demanding and there was no reason to pay such attention to it. However, circumstances have changed, and our dedication continues to grow. Many points should be revisited, such as teaching and learning load, employability, and student motivation.

This study has managed to define the most common topics of projects, and teaching and learning loads were adapted to the new requirements.

Keywords:

Bachelor Final Project, employability, motivation, supervising.