La asignatura de trabajo social comunitario en las universidades españolas Enrique Pastor-Seller 1 , Inmaculada Trinidad Baños López 2 1 Universidad de Murcia. Catedrático de Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Murcia. España. E-mail: epastor@um.es; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8693-5138 2 Doctorando en Programa de Trabajo Social. Universidad de Murcia. E-mail: inma.bl14@gmail.com; ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8307-9799 Resumen. Este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación que analiza la organización, competencias, contenidos teóricos y metodológicos de la formación en Trabajo Social con comunidades en los grados de Trabajo Social de las universi- dades españolas. Para su análisis, en primer lugar, se identificaron las universidades que ofrecen el grado de Trabajo Social (N=39), posteriormente, se analizaron todas las asignaturas vinculadas con el Trabajo Social con comunidades en estos programas de estudios utilizando las guías docentes de las asignaturas implicadas (N=44). A con- tinuación se identificaron todas las competencias específicas identificadas en dichas guías (N=352) y del análisis de contenido de las guias docentes ha permitido identi- ficar, a modo de tipologías/categorías, 24 competencias específicas y 10 contenidos / ejes temáticos de las asignaturas de Trabajo Social con comunidades. A partir del análisis de contenido mencionado se constata que la formación en Trabajo Social con comunidades es esencial en todos los grados de Trabajo social, su contenido teórico y metodológico se encuentra estrechamente relacionado con el sistema de competencias y habilidades profesionales que se requieren en los contestos actuales. Por último, los resultados permiten evidenciar la importante contribución del Trabajo Social con comunidades en la construcción teórica del Trabajo Social y del propio quehacer pro- fesional en el contexto actual de alta complejidad y superdiversidad cultural en comu- nidades urbanas y rurales. Palabras clave: Trabajo Social con comunidades, competencias, educación superior, inno- vación educative. Recibido: 20/03/2026 ~ Aceptado: 05/06/2026 INTERACCIÓN Y PERSPECTIVA Revista de Trabajo Social ISSN 2244-808X ~ Dep. Legal pp 201002Z43506 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21158730 Vol. 16 (3): 791 - 806 pp, 2026

792 Pastor-Seller, Baños López Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(3): 2026 e subject of community social work in Spanish universities Abstract. is article presents the results of a study analysing the organisation, competencies, theoretical and methodological content of training in social work with communities in social work degree programmes at Spanish universities. For the analy- sis, the universities offering Social Work degrees were first identified (N=39), and then all the subjects related to social work with communities in these study pro- grammes were analysed using the teaching guides for the subjects involved (N=44). Next, all the specific competencies identified in these guides (N=352) were identi- fied, and the content analysis of the teaching guides made it possible to identify, in the form of typologies/categories, 24 specific competencies and 10 contents/thematic areas of the subjects of social work with communities. Based on the aforementioned content analysis, it can be concluded that training in social work with communities is essential in all degrees of social work, and its theoretical and methodological content is closely related to the system of professional skills and abilities required in current contexts. Finally, the results highlight the important contribution of social work with communities to the theoretical construction of social work and to the professional practice itself in the current context of high complexity and cultural superdiversity in urban and rural communities. Keywords: Community social work, skills, higher education, educational innovation. INTRODUCTION e creation of the European Higher Education Area (henceforth EHEA) has meant the restructuring of official university undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees based on the learning of skills that society calls for in order to pursue a profession (Tuning Project, 2009; Taylor et al., 2010; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OCDE], 2012; Escudero et al., 2019; Álvarez, 2019) as well as a focus on job placement. is is a new type of higher education where students are at the fore of their progress towards assimilating content and concepts as well as the acquisition of skills, abilities, and aptitudes that prepare them for fu- ture professional practice. ese skills facilitate the development of a comprehensive education in all its dimensions –knowledge, know-how, and knowing how to be– at the same time they promote a sustainable and responsible university system (Álvarez y Arreguit, 2019). e evolution towards this skills-based approach (also called learning experience ap- proach), underscores significant, collaborative-cooperative learning processes (Pegalajar, 2018), which are continuous and transformative, based on a multiplicity of resources and activities open to interaction with the environment and the co-responsibility of all partici- pants (Council for Social Work Education, 2015; Marion, 2018; International Association of Schools of Social Work, 2019; Zayas et al., 2019). Teachers no longer act as mere transferrers of knowledge but rather as guides that encourage and promote learning and the acquisition and development of skills. For their part, students play a central role as active participants

La asignatura de trabajo social comunitario en las universidades españolas 793 Vol. 16(3) septiembre - diciembre 2026/ 791 - 806 in discovering, understanding, creating, and developing skills and abilities. is approach necessarily requires changes to higher education. Specifically, pedagogical and organization strategies must be revised, active methodologies must be advanced, innovation in learning processes must be promoted, and a greater nexus between institutions and professional service providers must be created. is means lifelong learning (in line with the European Parliament and European Council’s Recommendations from December 18th, 2006) related to profes- sional skills (Manninen & Hobrough, 2000; Tynjälä et al., 2006; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OCDE], 2017; Kinni, 2020; Pastor-Seller, 2022a). In this context, the community internships in social organizations that students do in the degree of Social Work, allow students to be trained in a context similar to the one they will find in the future, integrating real reference frameworks to develop and acquire professional competences of intervention with communities. is learning model fosters the creation of broad academic and professional networks with horizons in local communities, through active and collabora- tive methodologies with professionals who develop their community activity in cities, towns and neighborhoods. e Spanish higher education system in general, and university degrees in Social Work in particular, have been no exception to this new dynamic process of change. Starting in 2007, the undergraduate degree in Social Work—as was the case with all undergraduate degrees—was adapted to the EHEA (European Higher Education Area), and in the 2008–9 academic year the process for implementing new Social Work curricula at Spanish universities began. e under- graduate degree in Social Work was lengthened from 3 years to 4 and expanded from a total of 180 to 240 ECTS. e entity responsible for accreditation, monitoring, assessment, and certifi- cation of university degrees is the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (henceforth ANECA), attached to the Ministry of Universities. To fulfill this responsibil- ity, three main programs are used: • VERIFICATION: assesses degree curricula in accordance with the European Higher Education Area. • ACCREDITATION: assesses official university degrees for the renewal of their accre- ditation; is assessment is carried out cyclically and has a two-fold objective: verify if the degree is being implemented according to the objectives established in its initial project memo, and verify whether the results are adequate and contribute to students’ attainment and the achievement of the stated objectives. A favorable or unfavorable report is issued to support or deny the renewal of accreditation. • MONITORING: provides universities with external evaluation on how they are imple- menting their official degrees with the goal of offering an additional resource for improving their academic offering. is new framework has helped to provide access to graduate and doctoral programs, to standardize studies across degree offerings, and to equalize salaries and professional recognition. One of the most substantial changes is the learning of professional competencies through the connection of training with social organizations, to promote skills and abilities related to community practice as a Social Work professional. In short, a training that provides students

794 Pastor-Seller, Baños López Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(3): 2026 with new teaching methods to acquire professional competencies and teachers with new teach- ing challenges in the classroom and in the immediate social environment. Skills learning is addressed from a holistic and integrative (Booth et al., 2009), reflective practice (Fook & Gardner, 2007; Gardner, 2014) and approach (Fook, 2002; Barber 2012; Niehaus et al., 2017), guiding what future professionals will have to know, know how to do and know how to be, to maximize effectiveness and efficiency in their actions as professionals. Päivi Tynjälä, who developed the integrative pedagogy model, states that theory and practice are not separate (Tynjälä et al., 2011, p. 305), and that the theories should be considered in the light of practical experiences, and vice-versa (Tynjälä et al., p. 370). Instead of separating theory from practice, knowledge can be split up into different categories (Tynjälä et al., 2011, p. 305). Professional experience requires the “integration of different types of knowledge and interaction between theory and practice” (Tynjälä 2008, p. 131). As such, the integrative pedagogy model illustrates and emphasizes the importance of learning that takes place in dif- ferent educational and work settings throughout the overall experience (Hood & Littlejohn 2017, p. 1586). Social work student field placements can be challenging, demanding and at times com- plex for both the student and practice educator (Dove & Skinner, 2010; Hemy et al., 2016; Rehn & Kalman, 2018). Placements are essential in the student’s preparation for professional practice, provide an opportunity for the integration of theory to practice, along with expe- riencing and observing social work practice (Walker et al., 2008). is has also been noted by Bogo (2015) who highlights that “National accrediting bodies, both in the United States and internationally, recognize the importance of the field experience” (p. 317). is is further reiterated by Sicora (2019) who argues that “field education is an essential component of any social work program” (p. 64). Four basic skills stand out from the professional experience of internships: theoretical, practical, self-regulatory and sociocultural (Tynjälä et al., 2016, p. 370). In this particular case, theoretical knowledge about social case work elaborated in the classroom is combined with practical knowledge when students see their supervisors and other professionals solving social work problems in their own professional practice and de- veloping their own practical skills. A model of practical education based on critical reflexivity and critical reflexive practice. e model supports the practice educator in facilitating the student’s learning and development during their placement and in the preparation for profes- sional practice (Fearnley, 2020; Pastor-Seller, 2022b; Cuenca et al., 2024). Social work with communities in Spain has not received the same attention as other areas (individuals, families and groups) in terms of its theoretical construction and/or sys- tematisation of practice in line with professional practice linked to direct and individualised care and, as a result, fundamentally, social policies focused on resolving situations of social difficulty at an individual and family level. Community intervention in social work has been characterised, fundamentally, by paying special attention to instrumental and methodological ‘knowledge’, leaving in the background the theoretical references that guide, justify and sup- port the practice and meaning of ‘doing’; Hence, in community practice, we sometimes ob- serve a certain activism, intuition in its practical application, and confusion between theory, methodology, ideology, and values.

La asignatura de trabajo social comunitario en las universidades españolas 795 Vol. 16(3) septiembre - diciembre 2026/ 791 - 806 In the analysis of theory in community work, the difficulty of constructing a single model was already pointed out, given the countless differences between the various schools of train- ing and practices undertaken in community contexts by the profession at the international level. Proof of this can be found in the different meanings that community intervention in social work has been given: community organisation, community organisation and planning, community development, community and development, community work, intervention, etc. e reasons for this greater difficulty in the theoretical construction of social work with communities can be found in: a) the theoretical diversity used and the pragmatism practised by professionals; b) the reduced empirical basis of community practice due to insufficient records of interven- tion; c) research does not show the influence exerted by other actors on practice and its results, and d) the difficulty of reconciling the goals of clients and the institutions for which the profes- sional usually works. ese difficulties are being overcome by distinguishing between theory, ideology and val- ues. ese reasons justify the suitability and timeliness of the subject of Social Work with Com- munities in university social work degrees. e objective of this study is to understand the structure and offering of the subject “Social Work with communities” for undergraduate degrees in Social Work at Spanish universities as well as the skills students acquire during their studies, which is essential to guarantee a quality education for future professionals. METHODS Study objectives and scope is study analyses the educational offer of the subject “Social Work with communities” in the undergraduate degrees in Social Work in Spanish universities, the competences and knowl- edge acquired and the community practices carried out by the students that favour their acquisi- tion. Based on this analysis, the following specific objectives were established: • Identify the universities and educational institutions that offer Undergraduate degrees in Social Work in Spain; • Characterise the subjects related to “Social Work with communities” that are taught in the universe of undergraduate degrees in Social Work. • Analyze the competences expected to be achieved with these subjects linked to the pro- fessional competences of community intervention. • Describe the contents and community practices that students carry out and that favour the monitoring and evaluation of applied learning.

796 Pastor-Seller, Baños López Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(3): 2026 e aspects of the courses studied include their structure and organization, their depth of study and integration in the curriculum, teaching methodology and an analysis of the evidence used to monitor and assess skills. Scope and data sources is chapter analyses the offer of the subject “Social Work with communities” in Spanish universities with degree programmes in Social Work, public or private, according to the Spanish National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation [ANECA]. e data were obtained from the following public, accredited and reliable sources: Ministry of Universities (2024), Spanish National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation [ANECA] (2024), Com- mission of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work of Spanish Universities, Commission of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), and the official websites of each of the universities analysed. e Spanish University System (SUE) has a total of 91 teaching universities, 50 public and 41 private. Investigation procedure and instruments and techniques for data collection and analysis After the range of universities offering undergraduate degrees in Social Work was identi- fied (39), the teaching guides from the 2024-25 school year were used to identify and analyze the courses defined as or associated with the category “social work with communities” / “com- munity social work” (units of analysis). In other words, related subjects were selected (44). e methodological decision to use the teaching guide for the skills and knowledge analysis is based on the following criteria: a) Uniformity and transparency: they are public academic records issued by the governing bodies of the set of universities; b) Descriptive: they present the content, skills, and knowledge of each course; c) Coherent: they identify the courses character and integration in curricula. In this way, the teaching guide represents a logical opportunity for the present study. Two regulatory, academic, and professional reference documents on higher education in Social Work in Spain were used to systematize and analyze the skills identified. e first was e white paper on undergraduate degrees in social work (ANECA, 2004), and the second was the Set of Criteria for designing curricula for undergraduate programs in Social Work (Committee of Social Work Faculty Deans and School Directors of Spanish Universities [CDTS], 2007). Data logging was based on an ad-hoc systematic data collection protocol. It was validated in a trail run and applied after verifying coherence and validity with the study’s objectives. e data analysis technique was based on the systematisation and content analysis car- ried out on the universe of identified in the teaching guides for the set of subjects identified, which, after analysing by similarities, enabled a typology of integrating competences to be constructed for the overall set. Qualitative content analysis is an analytical procedure that al- lows for the understanding of complex social phenomena by reworking and condensing data to establish relationships and inferences between the analyzed theme and previous theories and findings from other research. e collected data have been examined using documentary

La asignatura de trabajo social comunitario en las universidades españolas 797 Vol. 16(3) septiembre - diciembre 2026/ 791 - 806 analysis (Petty et al., 2012) and directed content analysis (Hsieh and Shannon, 2005). e process of analyzing the course guides has followed the suggestions of Miles & Huberman (1994): 1) Data reduction through the separation of content units and the identification and description of dimensions; 2) Identification of meaningful units. Once the analysis dimen- sions have been described, they were categorized and coded. e categorization process was deductive, based on the list of competencies outlined in normative, academic, and profession- al reference reports in Higher Education in Social Work in Spain. e process was carried out without the support of specific software, by the first two authors, applying the same deductive categories; 3) Finally, the data have been organized to present them in a structured manner. Finally, the learning objectives are presented together with the contents and practices that allow for adequate monitoring, supervision and assessment of the professional competences related to community intervention. RESULTS Offering of undergraduate degrees in Social Work in Spain Analysis of the data from the Registry of Universities, Centers and Degrees [RUCT] of the Ministry of Universities (2024), National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain [ANECA] (2024), and official websites of Spanish universities shows of the 91 Spanish universities that currently exist, 39 (43.80%) offered an undergraduate as shown in Table 1, that of degree in Social Work (2024–25 academic year), 34 (87.18%) of which are public and 5 (12.82%) of which are private and/or affiliated. TABLE 1. Public and private universities where the Degree in Social Work is taught in Spain. Modality Universities Public 34 (87.18%) Private 5 (12.82%) Total 39 (100%) Source: Own elaboration based on Ministry of Universities (2024) and university websites. Structure and organization of internship courses in social entities After analyzing the course offerings from the teaching guides for the undergraduate degree in Social Work at the different universities, we found that all 39 universities (100%) offer subjects related to Social Work with communities, albeit with different names. In relation to the different types of nomenclature used to name the subjects with content specific to Social Work with Com- munities, and as shown in Table 2, the highest percentages are found in “Social Work with Com- munities” in 12 subjects (27.27%) and “Community Social Work” in 9 subjects (20.45%); fol- lowed by “Group and Community Social Work” in 4 subjects (9.09%). To a lesser extent, we find “Group and Community Social Work” and “Community intervention” in 2 subjects (4.55%).

798 Pastor-Seller, Baños López Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(3): 2026 TABLE 2. Name of the subject in the Degrees in Social Work in Spain 2024/2025. Name Universities Social Networks and Community Intervention in Social Work 1 (2.27%) Community Social Work 9 (20.45%) Social Work with Communities 12 (27.27%) Social Work with Communities and networks 1 (2.27%) Methods, models and techniques of Social Work (IV) 1 (2.27%) Group and Community Social Work 4 (9.09%) Social Work in Networks: Group and Community 1 (2.27%) Participation and Community Action 1 (2.27%) Processes and Models of Collective Intervention. 1 (2.27%) Social Work with Networks, Organisations and Communities. 1 (2.27%) Social Work Methodology: levels and models of intervention. 1 (2.27%) Community intervention 2 (4.54%) Community Psychosocial Intervention 1 (2.27%) Group and Community Social Work 2 (4.55%) Social participation and community development 1 (2.27%) Community prevention 1 (2.27%) Organisation and working methods in social organisations. 1 (2.27%) eory and Models of Community Social Work 1 (2.27%) Processes and Techniques of Community Social Work 1 (2.27%) Methods of Social Work: Individual, group and community 1 (2.27%) Total 44 (100%) Source: Own elaboration based on Ministry of Universities (2024) and university websites. Course integration in the curriculum In relation to the courses in which the subject of Social Work with Communities is taught, as shown in Table 3, the majority is taught in the third year, specifically 24 subjects (54.55%); then in 14 subjects (31.82%) it is taught in the second year; in 4 (9.09%) it is taught in the fourth year and finally, it is taught in both the third and fourth years in 1 subject (2.27%). TABLE 3. Integration of the subject in the training itinerary in the Bachelor’s Degrees in Social Work in Spain in 2024/2025. Courses in which the subject is integrated Universities Second year 14 (31.82%) ird year 24 (54.55%) Fourth year 4 (9.09%) ird and fourth year 2 (4.54%) Total 44 (100.0%) Source: Own elaboration based on Ministry of Universities (2024) and university websites.

La asignatura de trabajo social comunitario en las universidades españolas 799 Vol. 16(3) septiembre - diciembre 2026/ 791 - 806 Typology e typology of the subject/s with content specific to Social Work with Communities, to a greater extent, is of a compulsory nature, 40 subjects (90.91%) and in only 4 cases (9.09%) it is optional, as shown in Table 4. TABLE 4. Typology of the subject in Social Work Degrees in Spain 2024/2025. Typology Subjects Compulsory 40 (90.91%) Optional 4 (9.09%) Total 44(100%) Source: Own elaboration based on Ministry of Universities (2024) and university websites. Length of the courses (ECTS) e research on the credits associated with each of the subjects that present content specific to Social Work with Communities, in 37 subjects (84.09%) they have a teaching load of 6 credits, in 3 (6.82%) 4.5 credits, in 2 (4.55%) 3 credits and with 5 and 9 credits in 1 case (2.27%), as shown in Table 5. ECTS is the acronym corresponding to the European Credit Transfer System, a system adopted by all universities in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) to ensure the uniformity and quality of the studies they offer. It involves measuring the workload (each ECTS comprises 25 to 30 hours) undertaken by the student to meet the objectives of the corresponding course. TABLE 5. Duration or intensity of the subject in the Degrees in Social Work in Spain in 2023/2024. Total ECTS credits Social Work with communities subjects 9 1 (2.27%) 6 37 (84.09%) 5 1 (2.27%) 4.5 3 (6.82%) 3 3 (6.82%) Total 44 (100.0%) Source: Own elaboration based on Ministry of Universities (2024) and university websites. Teaching Methodology e teaching methodology, as outlined in the analyzed course guides of universities, is a combination of three types of strategies: • Lecture Classes: Explanation of the fundamental aspects of each topic established in the curriculum, providing the necessary information for students to engage in autonomous

800 Pastor-Seller, Baños López Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(3): 2026 and collective learning, as well as the preparation of theoretical and practical assignments. 100% of the course guides include sessions directed at the entire group, during which knowledge is presented, questions are raised, doubts are clarified, and discussions take place. • Practical Classes: Analysis and reasoning of practical cases and professional ethics dilem- mas in professional contexts. 100% of the course guides at in-person universities involve sessions in which practical activities, exercises, problem-solving, case studies, project-orien- ted learning, presentations, and analysis of works, simulations, etc., are conducted. For this purpose, the class is divided into small groups. • Tutorials: Teaching activity of continuous guidance and counseling. It is carried out individually and/or in groups, as well as in person and/or virtually. Under any modality, it involves a direct relationship between teachers and students. Skills analysis From the content analysis carried out on the teaching guides of the study plans of the 44 subjects identified in the 39 universities that teach specific subjects of “Social Work with communities”, a total of 352 specific competencies, objectives or learning results have been identified. After a content analysis, they were grouped according to semantic coincidence, content and professional ties using The white paper on undergraduate degrees in Social Work (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain [AN- ECA], 2005) and the Set of Criteria for designing curricula for undergraduate programs in Social Work (Committee of Social Work Faculty Deans and School Directors of Spanish Universities, [CDTS], 2007). As a result of the content analysis carried out on the “teach- ing guides”, a total of 24 convergent competencies related to Social Work with communi- ties have been identified, specifically: 1) Interact with communities to bring about change, to promote their development and to improve their living conditions by using the methods and models of Social Work with communities. 2) Support the development and maintenance of community networks to address the needs and aspirations of citizens. 3) To use mediation as an intervention strategy aimed at alternative conflict resolution in communities. 4) Advocate for communities and act on their behalf if the situation requires it. 5) Respond to crisis situations by assessing the urgency of situations, planning and develo- ping actions to deal with them and reviewing the results. 6) Establish professional relationships in order to identify the most appropriate form of in- tervention. 7) Prepare, produce, implement and evaluate intervention plans with communities. 8) Intervene with communities to help them make informed decisions about their needs, circumstances, risks, preferred options and resources.

La asignatura de trabajo social comunitario en las universidades españolas 801 Vol. 16(3) septiembre - diciembre 2026/ 791 - 806 9) Prepare for and participate in decision-making meetings in order to better advocate for the interests of communities. 10) Ability to work with communities to jointly assess their needs and circumstances and es- tablish a good professional relationship in order to identify the most appropriate form of intervention. 11) Plan, implement, review and evaluate the practice of Social Work with communities, in conjunction with other professionals. 12) Work within agreed standards for social work practice and ensure own professional deve- lopment by using professional assertiveness to justify own decisions, reflecting critically on them and using supervision as a means of responding to professional development needs. 13) Analyse and systematise the information provided by daily work as a support to review and improve the professional strategies that must respond to social situations. 14) Work effectively within interdisciplinary and “multi-organisational” systems, networks and teams in order to collaborate in the establishment of aims, objectives and time frames, and to contribute to dealing constructively with any disagreements that may exist. 15) Promote the growth, development and independence of individuals by identifying oppor- tunities to form and create groups, using programming and group dynamics for individual growth and the strengthening of interpersonal relationship skills. 16) Manage, present and share records and reports, keeping them complete, reliable, accessible and up to date to ensure professional decision-making and assessment. 17) Design, implement and evaluate community intervention projects. 18) Prepare for and participate in decision-making meetings in order to better advocate for the interests of communities. 19) Contribute to the administration of resources and services by collaborating with the pro- cedures involved in obtaining them, monitoring their effectiveness and ensuring their quality. 20) Ability to manage conflicts, dilemmas and complex ethical problems, identifying them, designing strategies to overcome them and reflecting on their results. 21) Manage and be responsible for one’s own work, assigning priorities, fulfilling professional obligations and evaluating the effectiveness of one’s own work programme. 22) Research, analyse, evaluate and use current knowledge of best practice in social work to review and update one’s own knowledge of frameworks. 23) Establish, minimize and manage risk to self and colleagues through planning, reviewing and monitoring actions to limit stress and risk. 24) Empower communities to advocate for themselves and make claims to appropriate bodies, acting on their behalf only if the situation requires it.

802 Pastor-Seller, Baños López Interacción y Perspectiva. Revista de Trabajo Social Vol. 16(3): 2026 e content analysis of the universe of teaching guides of the subjects related to “Social Work with communities” allows us to identify the fundamental contents, which are as follows: • Historical background of Social Work with communities. • Basic concepts and principles of Social Work with communities. • eoretical models and intervention strategies of Social Work with communities. • Networks and intervention with communities from Social Work. • Paradigms, methods and techniques for Social Work with communities. • Areas and practices of community intervention in Social Work. • Evaluation of community intervention programs and projects within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for the 2030 Agenda. • Ethics and values and citizenship. • Community conflict resolution strategies. • Roles and functions of the social worker with communities. CONCLUSIONS In the context of adapting studies to society, teaching in the area of Social Work has assimilated the consequences from the implementation or modification of social policies and the recognition of social rights. The enactment of or changes to laws that affect social protection systems in general or specific sectors thereof, (groups with social problems) has meant the emergence and development of centers, services, and programs in which So- cial Workers have clear opportunities for job placement. Without a doubt, the continual renewal and assessment of theory and practice allows for the improvement of teaching- learning processes and the consolidation of internships as a privileged ‘space’ for compe- tent professional training. As the results of this study have shown, the module ‘Social Work with Communities’ is a compulsory specialist course included in the curriculum of all Bachelor’s degree programmes in Social Work at all Spanish universities. Different schools and/or faculties of Social Work have given the module various names: 47% refer to it as ‘Social Work with Communities’ or ‘Community Social Work’, whilst the remaining 53% use a wide variety of terms, with a notable overlap between ‘Social Work with Groups’ and ‘Social Work with Communities’ (13%). The module is primarily taught in the third year (55%), followed by the second year (32%), with a credit load of 6 ECTS in 84% of the degree programmes. The teaching methodology is charac- terized by combining theoretical classes with practical sessions in small groups, focusing on the more methodological and practical aspects of Social Work with communities. From the content analysis of the 352 identified competences, 24 convergent competences have been identified across the subject in the different degree programmes. These competencies focus on fostering theoretical and methodological knowledge among students to facilitate

La asignatura de trabajo social comunitario en las universidades españolas 803 Vol. 16(3) septiembre - diciembre 2026/ 791 - 806 the development of professional skills and abilities for working with groups, organiza- tions, communities and associative networks. The course content is highly diverse, with 10 thematic blocks identified that guide its disciplinary approach. It represents a relevant and compulsory subject. Social work, as a profession, promotes social change by seeking collective wellbeing under ethical-political responsibility and through the defence, promotion and protection of human rights, which guarantees the construction of a society with equity. Consequently, social work intervention facilitates and promotes the creation and consolidation of social movements that act at the community level. Statement of Author Contributions (CrediT) Pastor-Seller, E.: contributed to the introduction, methodology, analysis of results, con- clusions, editing, supervision and final review of the text. Baños-López, I. T.: contributed to the introduction, data collection and processing, description of results and conclusions. Both authors contributed to the introduction, design of the data collection instrument, data analysis and conclusions. Both authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript. ey have also complied with the guidelines of this scientific journal. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES • Agencia Nacional de Evaluación de la Calidad y Acreditación [ANECA] (2004). Libro blan- co título de Grado de Trabajo Social. [White book on undergraduate degrees in Social Work.] Madrid: ANECA. Retrieved 5 May 20214, from http://www.aneca.es/var/media/150376/ libroblanco_trbjsocial_def.pdf. • Agencia Nacional de Evaluación de la Calidad [ANECA] (2024). Registro de Títulos de las Universidades Españolas. [Title Registry of Spanish Universities.] Madrid: ANECA. Re- trieved 15 April 2024, from http://srv.aneca.es/ListadoTitulos/. • Álvarez, E. (2019). Evolución de la Universidad en la Sociedad del Aprendizaje y la Ense- ñanza. El valor de las competencias en el desarrollo profesional y personal. [e Evolution of Universities in the Learning Society and Knowledge Economy. e value of skills in personal and professional development.] Aula Abierta, 48(4), 349-372. • Álvarez, E. y Arreguit, X. (2019). El futuro de la Universidad y la Universidad del Futuro. Ecosistemas de formación continua para una sociedad de aprendizaje y enseñanza sostenible y responsable. [e future of universities and universities of the future. Continuous educa- tion ecosystems for a sustainable learning society and knowledge economy.] Aula Abierta, 48 (4), 447-480. https://reunido.uniovi.es/index.php/AA/article/view/14510/12704 • Barber, James P. (2012). Integration of learning: A grounde.d theory analysis of college students’ learning. American Educational Research Journal, 49(3), 590–617. https://doi. org/10.3102/0002831212437854 • Bogo, M. (2015). Field education for clinical social work practice: Best practices and contem- porary challenges. Clinical Social Work Journal, 43(3), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10615-015-0526-5

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