Research and Training: A Necessary Dialogue

Abstract

Since research should contribute to training professionals and not only to accreditation requirements, a quantitative study was conducted to demonstrate how developing two indexes, the Validity and DIAFORIN (Dialogue between Training and Research) serves to reflect the low impact of research on training programs (study programs for education majors at a regional and state university in Chile). The aforementioned indexes are used for 124 training programs to serve as a framework for the study using a positivist paradigm with inferential depth.  Variables considered for elaborating these indexes include the number of references in English, the year of the most recent reference, number of references with at least one author from the institutions, among others. The observed values of both the Validity and DIAFORIN indexes reflect the challenge of juxtaposing research and training in higher education which, also, contribute to promoting updated training plans that integrate concepts such as internationalization and  knowledge.