Life Skills in the training of University Professionals: A diagnostic study

Abstract

Developing life skills is essential today so that individuals can make important decisions, adapt to change, and contribute positively to their environment in various situations. Therefore, it is especially important to consider these skills in educational processes. The objective of this study was to construct a Pedagogical Model for developing life skills among students at the Technical University of Machala. The research employed a mixed-methods approach and an experimental design, specifically a quasi-experiment. Observation, interviews, and surveys were conducted with a sample of 231 students and 41 professors from different academic programs. The findings revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the research process. Strengths included: faculty conceptual knowledge, a high perceived curricular presence, access to reliable learning resources, a preference for active learning strategies, well-developed specific areas among students, and prior experience in some degree programs. Weaknesses included: a lack of clear institutional guidelines, limited and unequal curricular integration, insufficient teacher training, a disconnect between activities and strategies, a lack of gender analysis and differentiated programs, unevenly developed skills among students, and a lack of standardized institutional evaluation. All of this allowed for the substantiation of the problem and the design of a solution.