Scope of thesis research in the area of physical science education

Abstract

We have analyzed the topics of the candidate's and doctor's degree theses on theory and methods of teaching physics defended in 2000-2015. In the paper, we justify using a thesis database to identify the key areas of research in this field. We describe how thesis topics are distributed across levels of education (secondary and tertiary), how topics of the theses dealing with tertiary education are distributed across specializations and areas of research defined by the formal specialty description. We also identify the most active research topics in theory and methods of teaching physics as well as top-priority research avenues for the foreseeable future.