Validation of a scale for the evaluation of research competencies in undergraduate physiotherapy students

Introduction: the training of professionals in the field of health not only implies the acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge, but also the development of research competencies, which are essential for future professionals to address clinical problems, implement evidence-based interventions and contribute to the advancement of the profession. Objective: validate a scale for the evaluation of research competencies in undergraduate physiotherapy students. Methods: an instrumental study was carried out by applying the research competencies evaluation scale in the review of the final project of the subject research methodology I and II to a sample of 104 physiotherapy students. Factor analysis of the data was performed to identify the underlying structure of the research competencies, and the Cronbach reliability coefficient was calculated. Results: correlation tests showed a moderate to strong association between the indicators and the results of the instrument's internal reliability analysis showed α=0.89, demonstrating the internal consistency of the scale. Conclusions: the continuous and effective evaluation of the development of research competencies is a fundamental step in the process of training capable and autonomous professionals.