This line of research draws attention to the construction of a “student-centred learning model” (Biggs, 1999, Kember and Kwan, 2002; Prosser and Trigwell, 1999). This is a model in which the transmission of disciplinary knowledge by the teacher makes way for models in which the teacher becomes a guide for the students, who are then able to resolve real-life problems (problem solving). This approach seeks an integrated curriculum from the perspective of interdisciplinarity (Hannan and Silver, 2000; Fernández and Arandia, 2011; Alonso et al, 2011). This is one of the core issues facing higher education in Europe. Taking as a reference the analyses of Gibbons et al (1994) and Barnett (2000), Higher Education needs to face the challenge of embracing two forms of knowledge or epistemologies in the curriculum. The first of these relates to the broad disciplinary corpus in which knowledge is propositional, published in scientific journals, and subject to peer scrutiny (Mode 1 of knowledge production). In the second case, knowledge occurs in real time and consists of solving situations and problems; this is not a matter of producing knowledge that will later be applied in practice, but rather more contextual, interdisciplinary and associated with teams rather than individuals (Mode 2 of knowledge production).

In this respect, certain questions arise that pose a challenge for an investigative approach: What steps can a discipline-based university take to effectively introduce new learning methods into the curriculum, associated with solving real-life problems? How can it encourage teachers to train in more inductive teaching methodologies (Mode 2 of knowledge production) when all their prior socialization is, in fact, deductive (Mode 1 of knowledge production)? What teaching development strategies will be effective to cause this change to take place at a real and profound level?