Competencies associated with Semestre i and its relationship to academic performance: A case study
Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning
ISSN: 2042-3896
Article publication date: 2 January 2020
Issue publication date: 16 April 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Currently, higher education institutions are in charge of the complex task of connecting the knowledge that students acquire in the classroom to the requirements of the working world, preparing the students to face complex situations inherent in professional life. For this reason, the Tecnológico de Monterrey has included as part of the training of its students the modality, Semestre i, sustained through the teaching methodology of challenge-based learning. Recognizing this new way of learning, the purpose of this paper is to address the study of four basic constructs: student engagement, teacher–student relationship, teamwork and time management.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory factor analysis was performed on the factors associated with the Semestre i, as well as a correlational analysis between these and the academic achievement of the students in the 2017 August–December period.
Findings
The results indicate that the four constructs analyzed were potentialized under the modality, Semestre i – time management showing the least difference of the four when compared with the educational experience of students being traditionally taught throughout their semesters.
Originality/value
Semestre i is an innovative educational proposal where the undergraduate students learn in immersive, real-world contexts by experiencing semester challenges planned for them by the teaching body of the institution. Recognizing this new way of learning, this research addresses the study of four basic constructs: student engagement, teacher–student relationship, teamwork and time management.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial and the technical support of Experimentacion y Medición de Impacto, TecLabs, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico, in the production of this work.
Citation
Lozano-Rodríguez, A., García-Vázquez, F.I., Zubieta-Ramírez, C. and Lopez-Cruz, C.S. (2020), "Competencies associated with Semestre i and its relationship to academic performance: A case study", Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 387-399. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-07-2019-0092
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited