Research Internships As A Strategy For Strengthening Doctoral Programs At The University Of Panama

Abstract

The article presents the University of Panama as one of the five official accredited universities in the country, which has implemented strategies to make its scientific production visible in accordance with the scientific and technological advances that society demands. The purpose of the study was to propose an intervention strategy to strengthen research skills in doctoral students of the Doctorate in Education at the University of Panama, in order to achieve the comprehensive training of doctors in the research skills necessary to manage projects and disseminate them to the scientific Community, companies and society as a priority. A methodology with a qualitative approach, exploratory level and a participatory action research design was used, applying information hermeneusis as a technique of analysis and interpretation. Selecting as key informants an intentional sample of 20 students from the last cohort of the Doctorate in Education program offered by the Faculty of Education Sciences. It was concluded that the defense of the doctoral thesis becomes one of the main obstacles for graduation in these programs. In addition, an intervention strategy is proposed, international research internship and follow-up, to strengthen investigative skills and stimulate the defense of thesis in one of the doctoral programs of the University of Panama, strengthening the development of four fundamental investigative skills such as the approach of the problem, theoretical framework, methodological design and scientific innovation. Likewise, it was evidenced that the 20 participants in the intervention defended their doctoral thesis and 91.0% of the study cohort graduated.