Methodology in the training of scientific researchers has always been a complicated subject, awakening diverse academic concerns. The objective of this article is to recognize dialectics as a philosophical approach for the training of scientific researchers in Latin America. The aim is to obtain experiences, reflections on dialectical competences for the use of methodologies in research. Dialectics as a philosophical approach should be used from the undergraduate or graduate level, in the teacher-student binomial, in teaching and learning. The qualitative approach was used, privileging the deep - reflexive analysis of concepts that are part of studied contexts, from a critical - self-critical orientation, allowing approaches such as materialistic dialectics, phenomenology for the scientific method. The study was developed in consultation with new bibliography, doctoral theses, texts of different currents of philosophical and social thinking. It is concluded that, for the formation of scientific researchers, the use of philosophical approaches such as dialectics, phenomenology plus the experience assumed in reading is required, as a practice in writing in the formation of future researchers from the student seedlings.

Keywords: dialectics; philosophical approach; formative research; scientific method.

The work addresses two aspects that can serve as support for the training of students - researchers in universities, which allow improving the methodological and didactic processes to improve the quality of research in universities for the benefit of society and higher education. In the opinion of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO (2009) "is all types of studies, training for research at the post-secondary level, provided by a university or other educational establishments that are accredited by the competent authorities of the State as centers of higher education". Likewise, it expresses the importance of training by competencies, which allow teachers to discover the skills and competencies of the student, for a comprehensive training, with the support of tutoring as an element of training as future professionals.

In relation to the importance of philosophy for research, its affirmation as a science can be seen in (Macias et al., 2007), who specify that "philosophy serves other sciences in the methodology of research, forming part of its theoretical foundations. Philosophy is a science that studies the most general laws that govern nature, society and human thought" (p.15).

The philosophical orientations are part of the research activity, in this regard refers that the researcher "cannot do without philosophy" (Bunge, 2002, p.10). It is necessary to participate with clear arguments enunciating a correct philosophy. In this sense, they express that "in the last 150 years in educational research, the materialist dialectic as well as positivism are part of philosophical theories. Epistemological perspectives that were presented in the gestation and contextual historical foundations" (Matías & Hernández, 2014, p.2).
The debate on dialectics is very old, between idea and matter, what is thought and acting, in this regard "process in which Cartesian separations between mind and matter, between thought and action, between consciousness and materiality, between theory and practice have no hold". According to (Harvey, 2018, p.247), on thinking and its understanding he adds, "dialectical thinking gives emphasis to understanding processes, flows, mergers, and relationships through the analysis of elements, things, structures, and organized systems" (p.248).

Dialectics is important for the analysis of theoretical aspects in the development of the research taking into account foundational aspects of the research subject, in this regard (Rendon, 2021) states "dialectically we can reconcile the foundationism without looking for ultimate and immovable foundations, with the anti-foundationist criticism that exalts the subjective moment and the context, without falling into the total denial of the existence of the foundations".

The methodology assumed is qualitative, insofar as it allows the revision of ideological theories, in many cases oriented to political positions. The need for dialectics becomes the focus of appropriate knowledge in the training of researchers from the beginning of university life, in the task of formation of new knowledge applied by trainers of researchers.

The sciences based on inquiry privilege the acquired knowledge, using knowledge to explore new knowledge improving the intellect, in this regard (Macias et al., 2007, p.8) express "the intellectual introduction of man into reality with the aim of discovering new knowledge that allows them to give explanations to the facts and phenomena that occur in nature, society and human thought" (p.8).

In the formation of researchers, they require research centers at the organizational level oriented to identify lines of interest with the perspective of science inquiry in order to propitiate new knowledge oriented to be an alternative in diverse research lines but with specific orientations. In this sense: "research centers "are organizations that bring together professionals and academics united in a stable structure through relatively common objectives and values" (Rubio, 2009, p.62).

The academy needs to advance research, so it is significant to have units or areas dedicated to encourage students in the research appetite, in this regard (Quintero et al., 2010), on university research centers, point out that "it is expected to be the center of development from where social extension processes migrate with articulated research policies and international mobilization of knowledge, in the pursuit of social welfare and sustainable economic development" (Quintero et al., 2010, p. 277).

Research is a procedure that with the application of techniques we acquire relevant information that allows us to obtain new knowledge on the subject under discussion, in this regard states: "research is a process that, through the application of the scientific method, seeks to obtain relevant and reliable information to understand, verify, correct or apply knowledge" (Tamayo & Tamayo, 2004).

The seedbeds as training of researchers is an appropriate mechanism used in some universities such as Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru; which allows them to exchange opinions and mature research ideas, in that aspect "members of the seedbeds do not fail to live experiences that encourage them to think in terms of reasoning, calculating or arguing, but thinking is to make sense of what we are and what happens to us" (Larrosa, 2003, p. 166). It allows the participants (students and research tutor) to become direct actors as active subjects of the research, with its theoretical and practical application in that context:

In the research workshops, students have the possibility of being and doing; contrary to what happens in lectures and expository classes, in which the teacher exposes, and the student is a passive agent. The idea is to change this scheme and conceive the student as an active subject in his own process of understanding and comprehending his own knowledge (Martínez, L. 2008, p.13).

The proposal is that the student is initiated in research seedbeds and not only execute it to obtain an academic degree or professional title; therefore, the rigor, in the knowledge of science, methodology, didactics, dialectics, which allows to be an alternative to address problems of society and to propose recommendations for the solution in part of the problems of the population. However, some questions remain, which in this century are presented by the changes to virtual classes, as in the development of virtual research.

Dialectics in formative research

The dialectical conception is important in the teaching-learning process, so that it raises principles as general foundations that allow to understand in a dialectical way the teaching-learning process, as the knowledge of the abstract to the concrete, the unity of analysis to the synthesis, in the context of recognition as the unity and struggle of opposites. The contradictory and contrasting aspects between the old and the new, such contradictions generate theories of philosophical thinking about the sciences, especially pedagogy.

The dialectic between teaching and learning creates features accepted by the scientific community, among them its integrating character, as the possibility of manifesting itself partially or totally depending on the educational and social context, such as the level of personal development of students and teachers.

When delimiting the scientific problem, a contradiction is being identified in its external manifestation contained in the object. The essence of the problem concept as a category of dialectical logic is that in scientific research the existence of a dialectical contradiction in the object is revealed, which the researcher must specify (p.6).

It is the importance in which the research trainer must use dialectics to guide the trainee, especially in the determination of research facts from the determination of the problem to formulate the title, taking into account the problem, the objectives and the theoretical framework.

Research competencies in university education

One of the problems addressed is the Paradigm and how it is generated in relation to research training, to which Martínez (2006, p.117) considers:

Paradigm is what primarily prepares the student to be part of the scientific community. Cara revolution is an opportunity to move from one paradigm to another. If a crisis develops, originated by an enigma not solved by the current paradigm; a change of paradigm is essential for the progress of science, forcing scientists to seek new horizons (p.117).

The investigative competence is related to the mobility of knowledge, skills, culture, values as qualities aimed at solving problems; for this purpose, scientific research procedures must be used, taking into account approaches such as quantitative, qualitative or mixed. In this sense (Espinoza, 2016, p.10) specifies two research capacities:

Competency 1) Identify, formulate and solve problems in real or simulated contexts. Indicators of achievement: (Identify problematic situations, evaluate problems, pose, formulate and delimit the problem); Procedural (analyze data related to the problem, formulate the problem with coherence and clarity criteria and generate solutions to the problem posed) and Attitudinal (assess the impact of proposed solutions, assume responsibility for the proposed solutions, call on others with more experience when the problem exceeds the knowledge or experience). And Competency 2) Generate and disseminate knowledge from research. Indicators of Achievement: Conceptual (identify research paradigms, priority areas, research elements, locate reliable sources of information and identify elements of the theoretical framework). Procedural (design research projects, elaborate diagnoses, execute projects to solve problems, disseminate knowledge and participate in events); Attitudinal (value the social relevance of research, respect intellectual property, demonstrate sensitivity to problems, work as a team with the community, act with ethical principles). Thus, teachers who teach research should promote curiosity in students so that they can pose practical problems and promote the ability to convert these practical problems into knowledge problems and achieve the formation of research competencies (p.10).

Research competencies seek the autonomy of the person and are oriented towards the self-realization of the subject, as a way to the realization of a life project, oriented to satisfy the needs of the community. Individuals are conceived as the object and subject of transformation. The research competencies approach has as a priority objective the development and consolidation of the research culture.
University research is understood as a human activity (Tamayo, 2010), methodological process (Martínez, 2010), reflective and meta-theoretical analysis.

Research culture

Research culture emerges as an alternative for development and progress not only at the professional level, but also at the social level. Hence, the importance of promoting it in the formative process of future professionals, based on research competencies that originate for personal and social reasons. Personally, research implies the practice of maturity, responsibility, commitment and self-government that is expressed by a high level of autonomy. Research culture from the social point of view involves knowledge, management and participation in social plans. We must bear in mind that education is a privileged tool, it seeks the foundation of a human ideal through skills, means, resources, which generates the acquisition of values, knowledge, attitudes, knowledge, skills, to promote the development of research culture, aimed at achieving the desired social project.

In this sense, Tobón et al (2006), state:

In order to achieve the university-society link, teachers must ensure that the knowledge generated in the classroom is transferred to the concrete contexts in which students' practices take place. This is competency-based education, which, in short, privileges the principle of transferability (if the student acquires certain competencies to perform any task in a given educational situation, he/she should have the ability to solve problems and face them creatively in other spaces that are part of his/her daily life).

Tobón is the one who proposes the competency-based approach aimed at improving the quality of higher education, overcoming deficiencies in the traditional processes by awakening the knowledge, skills and abilities possessed by the student.

The evolution of what has been discussed implies that the university of the future must face new challenges more difficult than those encountered until today, it will be required that the Academy must not lose the orientation that the world requires, it must become the thinking alternative of humanity, to solve the great difficulties of today and the future.

The academy of the future will face new challenges; society will demand answers not only to the task of training quality professionals. In addition, it will ask for proposals to provide solutions to the different crises facing humanity; such as science, health, economy, environment, the future professional will be formed with new orientations of service to society.

Epistemic competence

In this way, epistemic competence allows an efficient contextualized performance focused on meta-reflection, in this regard Horst (2021, p.4) states; these epistemic competences are consolidated in certain types of excellences, "they are capabilities that allow performing well with respect to the fundamental objective of a given domain".

It allows the researcher to reveal the epistemological void or gap from where his contribution to science is erected; he points out (Arias, 2018, p.9) "a construct is not a simple figure or graph as it is usually presented in some theses; but an original concept or set of novel concepts created and related to solve a scientific problem".

Formative research

Universities are still facing the problem of how to create or train "research seedbeds", in this sense it is important to address the problem of teacher - student. In order to teach the subject of research, it is necessary to develop research, to understand the methodological processes of teaching which are developed hand in hand with the knowledge of the researcher, in the formation of future professionals that the university - research demands today. In such a way, the problem is assumed in the knowledge of the teaching strategies, for being related to pedagogical aspects it has a link with the strategies in the formation of students with research capacity.

In relation to the formation of research seedbeds (García, 2010), he points out:

Formative research communities expressed in research seedbeds rest on the double polarity of a praise of sensitive reason and an empire of abstract reason. This has not so far prevented the proliferation of seedbeds, the seedbeds are in fact of different orders, but from the structural point of view, it is their diversity that ensures their perenniality. However, it is necessary to make a change of optics, where the accent is placed on a proxemia of approach and less on the proxemia of the distance between sensible and abstract reason [...]. This proposal is a kind of fraternity arising from the proximity that represents the power of research seedbeds, to think of themselves as communities of affection for knowledge in equity with knowledge and to inquire about their daily experience (p.1).

According to García, research groups should be formed from the moment the student enters the university, as they are a significant support tool in the formation of researchers, capable of finding problems in society, applying the necessary methodology that allows the use of scientific methodology and proposing appropriate alternatives. 

Formative research begins with the search for a solution to the identification of problems, objectives, hypotheses as well as space and time that allow structuring research projects. But not having defined an exploration of completed research begins, which allows proposing new problems, as hypotheses defining population, therefore we consider, formative research is the beginning of preparing the researcher to recognize problems, structure objectives, design methods to initiate research. For which the structure and methodology to be used should be specified, in the capacity of guiding the student in the formation as a researcher.

It is necessary to make changes in the actions of teachers to seek in the student the "appetite" for research, in this regard (Gil & Pedraza, 2012) state:

It is evident that formative research requires important transformations in the didactic configurations of all courses; formative research spaces demand an important dedication from teachers. Therefore, they must be managed with particular logics of academic load distribution (p.16).

In this regard, González (2006, p.108) summarizes the following: "Formative research is a possibility to generate a didactic model that starts from the enunciation and solution of problems".

Bearing in mind that globalization is not only present in the economy, but also in the integrative context; therefore, the strategic importance of knowledge, change, adapting to new demands such as the acquisition of better and greater skills, better preparation, we are still living in a crisis of higher education in Latin America; overcoming the old paradigm of "social transformation" it is necessary to become actors in the development of knowledge with social responsibility.

Formative research as part of the pedagogical function in research, is developed with methods and practices assimilated by university teachers, who develop research work. Students should be encouraged to do research, from the beginning of the university stage, with the participation of theoretical essays, with the reading of scientific articles; students should participate as support in the research work developed by teachers, this activity is important.

Today, in the general context of universities, students develop pre-professional practices, which allows a direct relationship with the community, together with tutoring, social responsibility, are important tools to lead the student to internalize the methodological process, in such a way that allows a formation of discipline in the formation of research.

Dialectics as a philosophical approach, it is of utmost importance in the training of scientific researchers in Latin American universities, it helps to know the problem to be solved, with the purpose of developing methodology with a dialogical approach oriented to scientific research. "For those unfamiliar with dialectical thinking, the seemingly elusiveness of dialectical concepts arouses skepticism, impatience and distrust" (Harvey, 2018, p.259), being indispensable for the creation of new knowledge. In the opinion of (Rendon, 2021. p.11) dialectical epistemology, derived from hermeneutic dialectical realism, a useful tool for information science analysis.

The training of university researchers depends on the decision and predisposition of the educational policies approved by authorities, the Academy requires new strategies for the researcher in training to define his didactic methods to be used in the definition of problems and to propose alternatives to society. "The perception of researchers confirms the constant interaction between scientific interest and the possibility of accessing resources to carry out their research, and the need to generate scientific networks in order to enhance the construction of scientific knowledge" (Hermosilla, Y. & Hidalgo, A. 2013, p. 210).

Didactics in research is of utmost importance, it allows the development of debates between researchers in training and their teachers and designs research that contributes to citizenship. In his Medina's (2003) saying about didactics, he attributes: "discipline or rigorous treatise of study with a teaching foundation, conducive to learning in diverse contexts".

The world is facing problems of great magnitude due to the globalization of the economy, science and technology applied to productive processes. This demands greater professional competence to intensify productivity and be competitive in the global market, forcing the higher education system to update the curricular plans according to the demands of the interest groups, guaranteeing investigative educational quality. About this Velez, D. & Pérez, R. (2019, p. 49) express: "A country where research does not generate new knowledge, will always depend on knowledge-generating countries. For this reason, first world countries capture competent research talents".

The knowledge society generates transformations, which result in the formation of the researcher and allow him/her to describe, inform, verify and reconstruct management and problem-solving knowledge in the different branches, both natural and humanistic, as well as to assume processes of reflection on action and develop as a practical-reflexive person. In the opinion of Velez, D. & Pérez, R (2019, p. 73) "theoretical-methodological knowledge propitiates critical thinking, potentiates academic skills, providing power to make decisions. Research is the foundation of an idea, knowledge, therefore, arguments become evident with fluency and certainty".

The curricular designs should be elaborated including courses related to research, such as methodology, didactics, dialectics, ethics in research from the first academic cycles. The 21st century is characterized by the transformation of society, the development of science, knowledge management, electronic government, product of the growth of electronic media that are part of the knowledge society.

It can be concluded that the creation of the research seedbed bore the expected fruits, the students and teachers participating in this initiative, fulfilled the commitments made, perhaps most importantly, the students as managers of their own knowledge, of their learning. In the opinion of (Larrosa, 2003. p.166) "the approach persuades members of seedbeds to live experiences that encourage them to think in terms of reasoning, calculating or arguing, but "to think is to give meaning to what we are and what happens to us".