The portfolio: Toward a sense of professionalization

Based on a mixed and hybrid research approach involving third-year undergraduate students, we tested the hypothesis that a portfolio can serve as an instrument for fostering a sense of professionalization. We position our work within the current debate on competency-based learning in higher education. In a socioconstructivist framework, the portfolio enables guidance through feedback and contributes to a renewed vision of the university’s pedagogical ideals. It allows students to embody their learning by giving it meaning and enhancing the professionalization process. Quantitative and qualitative results converge, demonstrating that the portfolio approach studied contributes to the development of the actors’ sense of professionalization.