Storytelling as a strategy for the development of research competencies in university students

Huerta León J.R.; Samaniego Joaquin J.; Robles Mori H.; Flores Rodríguez N. · Revista Cubana de Medicina Militar (2025)

Resumen

Introduction: The situation of working adult university students presents challenges such as time management, family responsibilities and motivation. Storytelling can improve the research competencies of Pharmacy and Biochemistry students at a private university in Lima. Objective: Determine how the use of narrative strategies influences the development of research skills in students enrolled in the Pharmacy and Biochemistry academic program. Methods: An applied, quasi-experimental study was conducted with Pharmacy and Biochemistry students from a private university in Lima. They were divided into an experimental group (n= 30) and a control group (n= 30). Initial and final evaluations were performed with a 20-item scale to measure research competencies. Differences between pretest and posttest were analyzed using SPSS software to determine the effectiveness of the narrative strategies. Results: In the post-test, the experimental group showed significant improvements in research skills compared to the control group: information search (45.0% vs. 16.7%), use of resources (46.7% vs. 20.0%), research skills (41.7% vs. 23.3%), communication (46.7% vs. 18.3%) and teamwork (50.0% vs. 33.0%). These results highlight the effectiveness of storytelling. Conclusions: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in all evaluated areas, with an emphasis on information searching, resource utilization, research capacity, communication, and teamwork. The findings support the effectiveness of storytelling as a strategy to strengthen students' research competencies.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia