Introduction: Higher education institutions face increasing pressure to bridge the gap between academic preparation and real-world professional demands. Project-based learning (PBL) has been recognised as a promising pedagogical strategy to foster authentic competency development and strengthen university–community connections. However, empirical evidence on its systematic implementation in Education Sciences undergraduate programmes remains relatively scarce. This study reports a case study on the redesign of a higher education course unit through a PBL framework anchored in real organisational contexts.
Methods: A descriptive case study was conducted. Twenty-five undergraduate students enrolled in an evening programme collaborated with five community organisations (two private companies and three non-profit social institutions) across a structured five-phase process: organisational characterisation, needs diagnosis, intermediate assessment, training plan design, and professional presentation. Data sources included a course evaluation questionnaire (n = 25), group self- and peer-assessment forms, student-produced outputs (five needs assessment reports and five training plans), and brief written reflections collected at key moments of the learning process. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were applied.
Results: Students demonstrated competence in translating real organisational needs into structured, contextualised training plans. Overall course satisfaction was high (M=8.75/10; SD=1.15), with consistently positive scores across teaching quality (M=4.47/5), assessment criteria (M=4.67/5), and perceived learning impact (M=4.36/5). Qualitative data revealed themes of reflexivity, knowledge construction, and professional growth. Self- and peer-assessment data also pointed to high perceived engagement and collaborative contribution.
Conclusions: This case study suggests that PBL structured around real community partnerships can support professional learning and university–community engagement in undergraduate education. The findings also highlight the value of curriculum redesign grounded in authentic organisational contexts.
Acknowledgements: This paper was created within the framework of the scientific projects (2022.02524.CEECIND/CP1718/CT0026) and (CIEC | UMinho, UID/00317/2025), both funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology — FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science).
