Theoretical configuration of research competencies in virtual university environments in Venezuela

Abstract

This article addresses ongoing research, focused on capturing the need to configure a theoretical construct that guides the development of research competencies in Venezuelan university students, using Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) as a mediating context. The accelerated integration of Information and Communication Technologies into Venezuelan higher education, driven by socioeconomic challenges and the post-pandemic era, has exposed critical deficiencies in infrastructure, connectivity, and digital skills that directly impact research training. This study aims to construct an explanatory framework that emerges from contextualized reality. Methodologically, it is part of the post-positivist paradigm and adopts a qualitative approach, employing the Grounded Theory method of Strauss and Corbin (2002). The key informants are three (03) postgraduate teachers from UPEL-IMPM, Barinas Academic Extension. Data collection is carried out through participant observation and in-depth interviews, analyzing the information through open, axial and selective coding techniques, and constant comparative analysis. The central contribution is a theoretical construct that models and explains essential research competencies (information management, critical thinking, online collaboration) based on the specific dynamics and constraints of the Venezuelan context, offering a basis for the design of institutional policies and pedagogical strategies that transform the quality of higher education.