Research skills among pedagogy students at the Adventist University of Chile

Abstract

Introduction: Research training in teacher education requires the articulation of methodological knowledge, inquiry experiences, and opportunities for participation throughout university education. Objective: To analyze the development of research skills among fifth-year teacher education students at the Adventist University of Chile, considering their self-reported levels and training experiences. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach with a convergent parallel design was used. Twenty-seven students completed a validated research skills scale, and eight participated in a focus group. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data through narrative analysis; both components were integrated through methodological triangulation. Results: Medium research skill levels predominated (63%), followed by high (33.3%) and low levels (3.7%). The main strengths were concentrated in the communication and cooperative domains, whereas the greatest difficulties were observed in the exploratory and analytical and interpretive domains. Participants described research training as late, predominantly theoretical, and weakly connected to practice. Conclusions: The findings reveal discontinuities in research training and support curricular review aimed at greater continuity, stronger theory–practice articulation, and active student participation, while restricting these conclusions to the institutional context studied.