Introduction:

Peruvian higher education is undergoing a transformation driven by the pedagogical challenges of post-COVID-19 virtual teaching, raising questions about faculty effectiveness in ensuring professional competencies among university students. The study aimed to determine the relationship between university teaching strategies and the development of professional competencies in virtual learning environments.

Methods:

A quantitative, basic research approach was applied, using a non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational design. The sample comprised 90 tenth-semester students and 40 faculty members from the Schools of Education and Physical Education at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. A structured 30-item questionnaire with content validity and high reliability (α > 0.80) was employed. Descriptive analyses were conducted using percentages, and inferential analyses were performed via Pearson correlation (p < 0.05).

Results:

Students perceived both teaching strategies (75% in Education and 65% in Physical Education) and the achievement of professional competencies (76% and 88%, respectively) as “adequate.” Positive and significant correlations were identified between pedagogical strategies and competencies: r = 0.704 (p = 0.001) in Education and r = 0.645 (p = 0.002) in Physical Education. Teaching methods, digital tools, and resources were evidenced as key factors to enhance competencies in virtual environments.

Conclusions:

Virtual teaching strategies significantly impact the attainment of professional competencies, highlighting the need to strengthen faculty training in active methodologies and the pedagogical use of ICT.