The results presented here are part of a three-year investigation[1], which seeks to analyze what the students with better university access marks do differently in order to explain their performance. The research objective is to specify efficient working models that can be generalized and can be taught. To address this question we are analyzing the way of learning of students with the best access marks in 1^st year groups from different degrees at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. These results will be compared with students with medium access marks from the same degrees. We are considering their learning strategies, approach, style, attitude toward learning and other relevant variables (self-concept, I.Q., teacher and group perception, integration at university, teacher evaluation, etc). Another objective of the research is to compare the teachers’ perceptions of these students in connection with the skills and modes of operation needed in the best students in order to define models of excellent students. In parallel, we try to analyze the skills of a sample group of teachers involved in teaching, in this first year, considered excellent, according to a set of criteria, in order to obtain a model of action to make the most of the students improve their level of adaptation and success.

Specifically this contribution focuses on the analysis of teaching skills through personal perception of excellent teachers. The sample consists of 23 teachers who teach in the first year of the 11 degrees that participate in the research. We have selected those teachers who obtain at the same time the highest rate of return and best student ratings in the last five years, using as criteria modules: a balance between men and women and the availability of six-year period in research and five-year period in teaching, trying to balance the representation of veteran teachers and recently incorporated ones.
 

Certainly research on teacher beliefs and knowledge has its peak in the 80s and 90s which were actually fertile in researching on the thinking of teachers ("teacher thinking" movement). Although most work has focused on teaching in basic levels of education (Marcelo, 1987; Zabalza, 1988), there was also relevant work, especially in the international context, which came to analyze the "thought of university professors "and how his ideas about teaching, the content of their subjects, the learning of students, etc. affect the way they teach (Fox, 1983, Gow and Kember, 1997; Samuelowicz, 1999).

Current research on knowledge elicitation and capture of the tie in with an old and well established tradition of qualitative research in psychology and education about the "personal constructs" (Kelly, 1955). The research units are explored under the umbrella concept of "thought" or "knowledge" of teachers have received different names. (Sigel, 1985; Kember, 2001, Quinlan, 2002).

[1] This is research, "excellence in university students from a longitudinal approach: Analysis and design factors which affect an intervention model" adopted by the Ministry of Education and Science of Spain under the National Basic Research Projects, V under the Plan for Scientific Research, Technological Development and Innovation call for 2009 (2010-2012) (Financing Plan E, PGE), directed by Professor Bernard Gargallo (EDU2009/08518 code)

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