Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Enhancing pro-public-good professionalism in technical studies

  • Published:
Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In a university environment dominated by a traditional way of understanding knowledge, we argue that it is possible and necessary to foster capabilities among engineering students. Capabilities are understood as reasoned and substantive freedoms to lead the kind of life that people value, within a framework of respect for the core values of human development. In this sense, enhancing capabilities means fostering pro-public-good professionalism. With insight from an interview study conducted at the Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia, in Spain, we will argue how formal and informal spaces have the potential to foster capabilities such as participation, commitment, empathy, intercultural respect, critical thinking and self-reflexivity. These kinds of learning could be understood as a mixture of procedural know how and personal know how (Muller, Higher Education 70(3):409–416, 2015); as we will discuss in the last part of this paper, this kind of knowledge is difficult to assimilate within the framework of the terminology of skills and competences. Some recommendations for a capability-oriented curriculum are presented in the final section.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alkire, S., & Deneulin, S. (2010). The human development and capability approach. In S. Deneulin & L. Shahani (Eds.), An introduction to the human development and capability approach (pp. 22–49). London: Earthscan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baillie, C., & Levine, M. (2013). Engineering ethics from a justice perspective: A critical repositioning of what it means to be an engineer. International Journal of Engineering, Social Justice and Peace, 2(1), 10–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballet, J., Dubois, J. L., & Mahieu, F. (2007). Responsibility for each other’s freedom: Agency as the source of collective capability. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal for People-Centered Development, 8, 185–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BOLOGNA PROCESS (2009). The Bologna process 2020: The European higher education area in the new decade, communiqué of the conference of European ministers responsible for higher education, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve, 28–29 April 2009. http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/conference/documents/Leuven_Louvain-la-Neuve_Communiqu%C3%A9_April_2009.pdf. Accessed 15 October 2014.

  • Boni, A., & Gasper, D. (2012). Rethinking the quality of universities: How can human development thinking contribute? Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 13(3), 451–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boni, A., MacDonald, P., & Peris, J. (2012). Cultivating engineers’ humanity: Fostering cosmopolitanism in a Technical University. International Journal of Educational Development, 32, 179–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boni, A., Peris, J., López, E., & Hueso, A. (2009). Scrutinising the process of adaptation to the European higher education area in a Spanish university degree using power analysis. Power and Education, 1(3), 319–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boni, A., & Taylor, P. (2011). Higher education institutions as cosmopolitan spaces for transformative development: Re-imagining learning through teaching. Occasional Paper 23. In H. Arts, T. Halvorsen & P. Taylor (Eds.), Democratising knowledge for global development: The role of European higher education institutions (pp. 69–81). Amsterdam: European Association for International Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boni, A., & Walker, M. (Eds.). (2013). Universities and human development. A new imaginary for the university of the XXI century. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, J., & Fairbrass, S. (2004). From development awareness to enabling effective support: The changing profile of development education in England. Journal of International Development, 16(5), 729–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crocker, D. (2008, September 10–13). Sen´s concepts of agency. Paper presented at the Human Development and Capability Association Conference, New Delhi.

  • Crosbie, V. (2013). Capabilities and a pedagogy for global identities. In A. Boni & M. Walker (Eds.), Universities and human development. A new imaginary for the university of the XXI century (pp. 178–191). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruickshank, H., & Fenner, R. A. (2007). The evolving role of engineers: Toward sustainable development of the built environment. Journal of International Development, 19(1), 111–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dreze, J., & Sen, A. (2002). India: Development and participation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1978). Pedagogía del oprimido. Madrid: Siglo XXI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, C, Jr. (2008). The good engineer: Giving virtue its due in engineering ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics, 14, 153–1643.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, N., & Peacock, N. (2010). Cultural distance, mindfulness and passive xenophobia: Using integrated threat theory to explore home higher education students’ perspectives on ‘internationalisation at home’. British Educational Research Journal, 36(6), 877–902.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinchliffe, G. (2009). Capability and deliberation. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 28, 403–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lozano, J. F., Boni, A., Peris, J., & Hueso, A. (2012). Competencies in higher education: A critical analysis from the capabilities approach. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 46(1), 132–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moskal, B. M., Skokan, C., Munoz, D., & Gosink, J. (2008). Humanitarian engineering: Global impacts and sustainability of a curricular effort. International Journal of Engineering Education, 24(1), 162–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller, J. (2015). The future of knowledge and skills in science and technology higher education. Higher Education, 70(3), 409–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. (2000). Women and human development: The capabilities approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. (2006). Education and democratic citizenship: Capabilities and quality education. Journal of Human Development, 7(3), 385–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osler, A. (2011). Teacher interpretations of citizenship education: National identity, cosmopolitan ideals, and political realities. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43(1), 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Passino, K. M. (2009). Educating the humanitarian engineer. Science and Engineering Ethics, 15, 577–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penz, P., Drydyk, J., & Bose, P. (2010). Displacement by development. Ethics, rights and responsibilities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peris, J., Fariñas, S., López, E., & Boni, A., (2012). Expanding collective agency in rural indigenous communities in Guatemala: A case for El Almanario approach. International Development Planning Review, 34(1), 83–102.

  • Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rizvi, F. (2009). Towards cosmopolitan learning. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 30(3), 253–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, K. (2003). Freedom of choice, community and deliberation. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 37(3), 393–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sastre, J.J., Boni, A., Fernández-Baldor, A., & M.LL. Gómez-Torres (2012). Análisis del programa Meridies-Cooperación de la Universitat Politècnica de València desde el enfoque de capacidades, en Desafíos de los Estudios del Desarrollo: Actas del I Congreso Internacional de Estudios del Desarrollo, Dominguez, R. and S. Tezanos (eds.), Red Española de Estudios del Desarrollo (REEDES). pp: 1991–2019.

  • Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. New York: Knopf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard, S. D., Macatangay, K., Colby, A., & Sullivan, W. M. (2009). Educating engineers. Designing for the future of the field. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass and The Carnegie Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spreafico, A. M. C. (2013). Liberal arts education and the formation of valuable capabilities. In A. Boni & M. Walker (Eds.), Universities and human development. A new imaginary for the university of the XXI century. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Unterhalter, E. (2009). What is equality in education? Reflections from the capability approach. Studies on Philosophy and Education, 28, 415–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, M. (2006). Higher education pedagogies. Berkshire and New York: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, M. (2015). Imagining STEM higher education futures: advancing human well-being. Higher Education, 70(3), 417–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, M., & McLean, M. (2013). The global engineer professional education, capabilities and the public good. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thanks all the students interviewed and our colleagues at the Department of Projects Engineering with whom we have discussed the conclusions of our research. The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union 7th Framework Programme under Grant Agreement Number 320136.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. INGENIO, CSIC-UPV, Valencia, Spain

    Alejandra Boni-Aristizábal

  2. CPI- Ed. 8E, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/nº, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    Alejandra Boni-Aristizábal

  3. Department of Project Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/nº, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    Carola Calabuig-Tormo

Authors
  1. Alejandra Boni-Aristizábal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carola Calabuig-Tormo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alejandra Boni-Aristizábal.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Boni-Aristizábal, A., Calabuig-Tormo, C. Enhancing pro-public-good professionalism in technical studies . High Educ 71, 791–804 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9916-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9916-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation