Adquisición y Desarrollo de Competencias de Investigación en estudiantes universitarios de Psicología: experiencia formativa intramuros.

Abstract

The acquisition and development of research competences in the university context is a challenge posed by Unesco, in whose scenario to 2030, the approach of innovative strategies for teaching and learning is perceived as a huge need. The formulas to achieve this task are as diverse as the results obtained. The objective of this new study was to compare the performance in research competencies of students who took a course in Research Methods. A comparative study of the development of competences was carried out in 72 psychology students who took the course of Research Methods, 24 (33%) were male and 48 (67%) were female, with an average age of 19.9 years (sd = 3.67). The instrument «Research Competences» was applied at the beginning and at the end of the course. The instrument explores the knowledge of 6 domains: Information Search, Technological, Methodological, Written Communication, Oral Communication, and Ability to Work in Team. To assess the changes between pre and post measurements in the results of the dimensions of the instrument and the total score, the General Linear Modeling of Repeated Measures was used, considering the variables of sex, age and semester of study as characterization factors. Significant differences were found (p < 0.05) between the pre- and post-scores, where scores after the course were higher in each dimension and in the total score, large effect sizes were also evidenced (eta > 0.36). The educational strategies applied in the course of Research Methods favored the development of research skills in university students.