One area for improving schools is their curriculum (Estebaranz, 1995). In this sense, both the current legislative reality as well as the results of various international studies provide an invitation to contributing, from all areas, to the development of basic aptitudes (Audigier, 2000; Benton el al., 2008; Keating et al., 2009; Kerr et al., 2007; Lutkus and Weiss, 2007). In Spain, concretely, the latest educational reform driven by the Organic Law of Education of 2006 introduced the teaching of aptitudes (preamble, paragraph 41). This involves integrating into the scholastic curriculum aspects relating to the use of information and communication technologies, preparing students to understand the reality in which they live, interact in its midst, know how to communicate in distinct contexts, exercise democratic citizenship, manage and control their own capacities, take on personal projects, etc. (Royal Decree 1631/2006, Annex I).

We believe that the challenge of adapting to the transformation which is presupposed by a teaching methodology which is based not only on knowledge but rather on aptitudes requires consideration of which strategies are most effective in order to carry out this task; in addition to a review of the function of teaching and new ways to frame it.

As indicated in the Royal Decree mentioned above, there does not exist a univocal relationship between the teaching of determined subject areas and the development of certain aptitudes. That is, each aptitude will be attained as a consequence of the overall work of the student in various areas of knowledge.  Now, to work on the same aptitude while teaching different subject areas is, in principle, a reference to transversality.  We believe that working on aptitudes in a transversal manner is an attractive, though risky, option, since it involves organizational and didactic difficulties.  In order to overcome these, we propose:

1º) That each aptitude not necessarily be worked on while teaching every subject matter, but rather only while teaching those most related.

2º) That curricular programming be developed which takes aptitudes into account.

3º) That students be evaluated from the perspective of all the implicated subject areas.

On the other hand, the Organic Law takes into consideration that, in addition to curricular contents, school life should be inspired by the democratic practice which must be developed as part of an education in values, with a transversal character across all school activities (Preamble, paragraph 48). As is logical, this transversal education in values, specifically social and democratic values, should be programmed if it is to be effective.

In this article, we present an evaluable proposal of transversality in order to foster social aptitudes, which we presented to a group of teachers of the third year of secondary education in a school in Zaragoza. This proposal was applied during the 2010-2011 academic year.

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