Thematic and Methodological Trends of Graduate Thesis in Comparative Education: A Content Analysis

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to examine the graduate theses made between 2016-2021 in Turkey in the field of comparative education. The data used in the study, which was carried out according to the qualitative research design, were reached through document analysis. Within the scope of the study, 133 graduate theses registered in the database of Higher Education Institution National Thesis Center were analyzed by using content analysis technique in line with research problems. As a result of the findings, it was determined that the most thesis in the field of comparative education was made in 2018; It was determined that Hacettepe University and Gazi University were the universities with the highest number of graduate studies. It was determined that the majority of theses were made in the department of educational sciences. It was determined that the qualitative design was widely preferred in the theses examined and the document analysis technique was mostly used in the data collection process. It was concluded that the sample/comparison criteria and comparison approach were not specified in the majority of theses. It was also concluded that while Germany, England, Finland and the USA were the countries with which the most comparisons were made, the majority of theses were made for secondary and undergraduate education levels. In the theses examined, it was concluded that higher education and teacher education were the most frequently compared topics.