When Art Educates but the Market Assesses: Divergent Perceptions of Arts Education for the Development of Transversal Competencies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17561/rtc.extra10.9966Keywords:
Arts Education, Critical Visual Literacy, Higher Education, University Students, Student Perception, Key Competences, Transferable Competences, SkillsAbstract
Contemporary universities are caught between two competing models of education: one geared toward employability and the productivity of knowledge, and another that views education as a holistic process aimed at cultivating critical, creative, and socially engaged individuals. Within this context, arts education occupies an ambivalent position despite its proven potential to foster key transversal competencies. This study examines university students’ perceptions of the role of the arts in strengthening such competencies, with particular attention to differences by academic field and gender. A questionnaire was administered to 219 students from two contrasting areas of study: Education (n = 114) and Economics and Business (n = 105). Descriptive analysis revealed marked polarization: 86.8% positive responses for creativity and initiative, versus 79.0% negative ratings for leadership. Inferential tests showed that field of study was the main factor of divergence, surpassing gender in effect size. The largest differences were found in autonomous learning and teamwork, findings consistent with the “selection” and “indoctrination” hypotheses previously discussed in the economics-education literature. While Education students associated arts education with cooperation, citizenship, and critical reflection, Economics and Business students valued it more instrumentally, linking it to planning and decision-making. However, the absence of significant differences in leadership, communication, and critical reasoning suggests a shared perception of the arts’ potential to reinforce these competencies. Overall, the results underscore that in a hyper-visual and rapidly changing digital society, the cross-curricular integration of arts education and critical visual literacy is essential for preparing professionals and citizens who are creative, ethical, and capable of interpreting and transforming their environment.
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