De los contenidos a las competencias: aprender transversalmente a través del conocimiento social

Abstract

This paper deals with the contribution of school social knowledge to the acquisition of transversal learning, either through contents of great social relevance and strong attitude component or through key competences. To do so, both the Spanish educational legislation and the recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council that urges the governments of the European Union to introduce the teaching and learning of key competences in their lifelong learning strategies are reviewed. In this context, special attention is given to social and civic competences, which imply the ability to put social knowledge at the disposal of the democratic functioning of society. However, the methodological perspective based on key competences, which today shape a growing number of curricula, implies particular teaching approaches as well as changes to school organisation and professional culture. The search for transversal learning requires new ways of teaching and learning that exceed the narrow limits of traditional subjects. Therefore, the paper concludes by stating the need to develop strategies in the classroom that enable a collaborative teaching work, a joint discussion regarding assessment standards, and a continuous exchange of information about the learning development of students.