The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an innovative experience in the acquisition and development of professional competences in the practicum, taking the learning contract as reference. It needs a draft decision agreed by the work-practice centres, where the competences to be analysed in different case scenarios are to be defined. The innovative experience is focused from a descriptive exploratory study through a mixed sequential approach, where the quantitative approach precedes the qualitative one. It has been based on a case study (UAB Pedagogy studies). The results show that the students have a quite acceptable activation assessment and development of their professional profile competences regarding the generic-transversal competences, with a similar assessment for each of those competences keeping stable during the three analysed years. However, it can also be verified that the assessment of the specific competences is uneven, in a medium level. It concludes that those differences are mainly due to the type of practicum and the type of centres, which enable different possible activation and development of competences. It also concludes that there is no balance between what is activated and developed, and what should be activated in the specific competencies. Therefore, there is evidence of the need to increase the activation of specific competences in all their functions (evaluation, design, development, management and research-innovation).

Evaluation; Professional competences; University education; Learning contract; Practicum.