Formation and Consolidation of Research Seedbeds: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Formative research, in the context of the teaching-learning processes of higher educational institutions, is a pedagogical strategy in which professors and students participate, using research as a teaching strategy for students to develop discovery-based learning. Formative research includes various strategies, such as the implementation of research seedbeds. Research seedbeds are communities of extracurricular learning and voluntary participation, wherein students, through a guided and progressive exercise, develop competencies for research through training activities, extracurricular workshops and research projects. This systematic literature review focuses on research seedbeds as a pedagogical strategy within the context of the formative research of higher educational institutions. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, this paper covers 17 articles published in Scopus and Web of Science databases. The analysis of the current state of knowledge about research seedbeds allows the identification of the critical factors for the formation and consolidation of research seedbeds. Based on the literature review, these factors have been grouped into the following dimensions: (i) factors related to the formation of research seedbeds; (ii) factors related to the organization of research seedbeds; (iii) factors related to the dynamics of the management of research seedbeds; and (iii) factors related to the stakeholders of research seedbeds (institution, professor/tutor and students). Additionally, the study suggests several directions for further research in this domain.