research title qualitative about stem

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• Published: 10 March 2020

Research and trends in STEM education: a systematic review of journal publications

• Yeping Li 1 ,
• Ke Wang 2 ,
• Yu Xiao 1 &
• Jeffrey E. Froyd 3  

International Journal of STEM Education volume  7 , Article number:  11 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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With the rapid increase in the number of scholarly publications on STEM education in recent years, reviews of the status and trends in STEM education research internationally support the development of the field. For this review, we conducted a systematic analysis of 798 articles in STEM education published between 2000 and the end of 2018 in 36 journals to get an overview about developments in STEM education scholarship. We examined those selected journal publications both quantitatively and qualitatively, including the number of articles published, journals in which the articles were published, authorship nationality, and research topic and methods over the years. The results show that research in STEM education is increasing in importance internationally and that the identity of STEM education journals is becoming clearer over time.

Introduction

A recent review of 144 publications in the International Journal of STEM Education ( IJ - STEM ) showed how scholarship in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education developed between August 2014 and the end of 2018 through the lens of one journal (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). The review of articles published in only one journal over a short period of time prompted the need to review the status and trends in STEM education research internationally by analyzing articles published in a wider range of journals over a longer period of time.

With global recognition of the growing importance of STEM education, we have witnessed the urgent need to support research and scholarship in STEM education (Li, 2014 , 2018a ). Researchers and educators have responded to this on-going call and published their scholarly work through many different publication outlets including journals, books, and conference proceedings. A simple Google search with the term “STEM,” “STEM education,” or “STEM education research” all returned more than 450,000,000 items. Such voluminous information shows the rapidly evolving and vibrant field of STEM education and sheds light on the volume of STEM education research. In any field, it is important to know and understand the status and trends in scholarship for the field to develop and be appropriately supported. This applies to STEM education.

Conducting systematic reviews to explore the status and trends in specific disciplines is common in educational research. For example, researchers surveyed the historical development of research in mathematics education (Kilpatrick, 1992 ) and studied patterns in technology usage in mathematics education (Bray & Tangney, 2017 ; Sokolowski, Li, & Willson, 2015 ). In science education, Tsai and his colleagues have conducted a sequence of reviews of journal articles to synthesize research trends in every 5 years since 1998 (i.e., 1998–2002, 2003–2007, 2008–2012, and 2013–2017), based on publications in three main science education journals including, Science Education , the International Journal of Science Education , and the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (e.g., Lin, Lin, Potvin, & Tsai, 2019 ; Tsai & Wen, 2005 ). Erduran, Ozdem, and Park ( 2015 ) reviewed argumentation in science education research from 1998 to 2014 and Minner, Levy, and Century ( 2010 ) reviewed inquiry-based science instruction between 1984 and 2002. There are also many literature reviews and syntheses in engineering and technology education (e.g., Borrego, Foster, & Froyd, 2015 ; Xu, Williams, Gu, & Zhang, 2019 ). All of these reviews have been well received in different fields of traditional disciplinary education as they critically appraise and summarize the state-of-art of relevant research in a field in general or with a specific focus. Both types of reviews have been conducted with different methods for identifying, collecting, and analyzing relevant publications, and they differ in terms of review aim and topic scope, time period, and ways of literature selection. In this review, we systematically analyze journal publications in STEM education research to overview STEM education scholarship development broadly and globally.

The complexity and ambiguity of examining the status and trends in STEM education research

A review of research development in a field is relatively straight forward, when the field is mature and its scope can be well defined. Unlike discipline-based education research (DBER, National Research Council, 2012 ), STEM education is not a well-defined field. Conducting a comprehensive literature review of STEM education research require careful thought and clearly specified scope to tackle the complexity naturally associated with STEM education. In the following sub-sections, we provide some further discussion.

Diverse perspectives about STEM and STEM education

STEM education as explicated by the term does not have a long history. The interest in helping students learn across STEM fields can be traced back to the 1990s when the US National Science Foundation (NSF) formally included engineering and technology with science and mathematics in undergraduate and K-12 school education (e.g., National Science Foundation, 1998 ). It coined the acronym SMET (science, mathematics, engineering, and technology) that was subsequently used by other agencies including the US Congress (e.g., United States Congress House Committee on Science, 1998 ). NSF also coined the acronym STEM to replace SMET (e.g., Christenson, 2011 ; Chute, 2009 ) and it has become the acronym of choice. However, a consensus has not been reached on the disciplines included within STEM.

To clarify its intent, NSF published a list of approved fields it considered under the umbrella of STEM (see http://bit.ly/2Bk1Yp5 ). The list not only includes disciplines widely considered under the STEM tent (called “core” disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, and materials research), but also includes disciplines in psychology and social sciences (e.g., political science, economics). However, NSF’s list of STEM fields is inconsistent with other federal agencies. Gonzalez and Kuenzi ( 2012 ) noted that at least two US agencies, the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, use a narrower definition that excludes social sciences. Researchers also view integration across different disciplines of STEM differently using various terms such as, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary (Vasquez, Sneider, & Comer, 2013 ). These are only two examples of the ambiguity and complexity in describing and specifying what constitutes STEM.

Multiple perspectives about the meaning of STEM education adds further complexity to determining the extent to which scholarly activity can be categorized as STEM education. For example, STEM education can be viewed with a broad and inclusive perspective to include education in the individual disciplines of STEM, i.e., science education, technology education, engineering education, and mathematics education, as well as interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary combinations of the individual STEM disciplines (English, 2016 ; Li, 2014 ). On the other hand, STEM education can be viewed by others as referring only to interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary combinations of the individual STEM disciplines (Honey, Pearson, & Schweingruber, 2014 ; Johnson, Peters-Burton, & Moore, 2015 ; Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Li, 2018a ). These multiple perspectives allow scholars to publish articles in a vast array and diverse journals, as long as journals are willing to take the position as connected with STEM education. At the same time, however, the situation presents considerable challenges for researchers intending to locate, identify, and classify publications as STEM education research. To tackle such challenges, we tried to find out what we can learn from prior reviews related to STEM education.

Guidance from prior reviews related to STEM education

A search for reviews of STEM education research found multiple reviews that could suggest approaches for identifying publications (e.g., Brown, 2012 ; Henderson, Beach, & Finkelstein, 2011 ; Kim, Sinatra, & Seyranian, 2018 ; Margot & Kettler, 2019 ; Minichiello, Hood, & Harkness, 2018 ; Mizell & Brown, 2016 ; Thibaut et al., 2018 ; Wu & Rau, 2019 ). The review conducted by Brown ( 2012 ) examined the research base of STEM education. He addressed the complexity and ambiguity by confining the review with publications in eight journals, two in each individual discipline, one academic research journal (e.g., the Journal of Research in Science Teaching ) and one practitioner journal (e.g., Science Teacher ). Journals were selected based on suggestions from some faculty members and K-12 teachers. Out of 1100 articles published in these eight journals from January 1, 2007, to October 1, 2010, Brown located 60 articles that authors self-identified as connected to STEM education. He found that the vast majority of these 60 articles focused on issues beyond an individual discipline and there was a research base forming for STEM education. In a follow-up study, Mizell and Brown ( 2016 ) reviewed articles published from January 2013 to October 2015 in the same eight journals plus two additional journals. Mizell and Brown used the same criteria to identify and include articles that authors self-identified as connected to STEM education, i.e., if the authors included STEM in the title or author-supplied keywords. In comparison to Brown’s findings, they found that many more STEM articles were published in a shorter time period and by scholars from many more different academic institutions. Taking together, both Brown ( 2012 ) and Mizell and Brown ( 2016 ) tended to suggest that STEM education mainly consists of interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary combinations of the individual STEM disciplines, but their approach consisted of selecting a limited number of individual discipline-based journals and then selecting articles that authors self-identified as connected to STEM education.

In contrast to reviews on STEM education, in general, other reviews focused on specific issues in STEM education (e.g., Henderson et al., 2011 ; Kim et al., 2018 ; Margot & Kettler, 2019 ; Minichiello et al., 2018 ; Schreffler, Vasquez III, Chini, & James, 2019 ; Thibaut et al., 2018 ; Wu & Rau, 2019 ). For example, the review by Henderson et al. ( 2011 ) focused on instructional change in undergraduate STEM courses based on 191 conceptual and empirical journal articles published between 1995 and 2008. Margot and Kettler ( 2019 ) focused on what is known about teachers’ values, beliefs, perceived barriers, and needed support related to STEM education based on 25 empirical journal articles published between 2000 and 2016. The focus of these reviews allowed the researchers to limit the number of articles considered, and they typically used keyword searches of selected databases to identify articles on STEM education. Some researchers used this approach to identify publications from journals only (e.g., Henderson et al., 2011 ; Margot & Kettler, 2019 ; Schreffler et al., 2019 ), and others selected and reviewed publications beyond journals (e.g., Minichiello et al., 2018 ; Thibaut et al., 2018 ; Wu & Rau, 2019 ).

The discussion in this section suggests possible reasons contributing to the absence of a general literature review of STEM education research and development: (1) diverse perspectives in existence about STEM and STEM education that contribute to the difficulty of specifying a scope of literature review, (2) its short but rapid development history in comparison to other discipline-based education (e.g., science education), and (3) difficulties in deciding how to establish the scope of the literature review. With respect to the third reason, prior reviews have used one of two approaches to identify and select articles: (a) identifying specific journals first and then searching and selecting specific articles from these journals (e.g., Brown, 2012 ; Erduran et al., 2015 ; Mizell & Brown, 2016 ) and (b) conducting selected database searches with keywords based on a specific focus (e.g., Margot & Kettler, 2019 ; Thibaut et al., 2018 ). However, neither the first approach of selecting a limited number of individual discipline-based journals nor the second approach of selecting a specific focus for the review leads to an approach that provides a general overview of STEM education scholarship development based on existing journal publications.

Current review

Two issues were identified in setting the scope for this review.

What time period should be considered?

What publications will be selected for review?

Time period

We start with the easy one first. As discussed above, the acronym STEM did exist until the early 2000s. Although the existence of the acronym does not generate scholarship on student learning in STEM disciplines, it is symbolic and helps focus attention to efforts in STEM education. Since we want to examine the status and trends in STEM education, it is reasonable to start with the year 2000. Then, we can use the acronym of STEM as an identifier in locating specific research articles in a way as done by others (e.g., Brown, 2012 ; Mizell & Brown, 2016 ). We chose the end of 2018 as the end of the time period for our review that began during 2019.

Focusing on publications beyond individual discipline-based journals

As mentioned before, scholars responded to the call for scholarship development in STEM education with publications that appeared in various outlets and diverse languages, including journals, books, and conference proceedings. However, journal publications are typically credited and valued as one of the most important outlets for research exchange (e.g., Erduran et al., 2015 ; Henderson et al., 2011 ; Lin et al., 2019 ; Xu et al., 2019 ). Thus, in this review, we will also focus on articles published in journals in English.

The discourse above on the complexity and ambiguity regarding STEM education suggests that scholars may publish their research in a wide range of journals beyond individual discipline-based journals. To search and select articles from a wide range of journals, we thought about the approach of searching selected databases with keywords as other scholars used in reviewing STEM education with a specific focus. However, existing journals in STEM education do not have a long history. In fact, IJ-STEM is the first journal in STEM education that has just been accepted into the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) (Li, 2019a ). Publications in many STEM education journals are practically not available in several important and popular databases, such as the Web of Science and Scopus. Moreover, some journals in STEM education were not normalized due to a journal’s name change or irregular publication schedule. For example, the Journal of STEM Education was named as Journal of SMET Education when it started in 2000 in a print format, and the journal’s name was not changed until 2003, Vol 4 (3 and 4), and also went fully on-line starting 2004 (Raju & Sankar, 2003 ). A simple Google Scholar search with keywords will not be able to provide accurate information, unless you visit the journal’s website to check all publications over the years. Those added complexities prevented us from taking the database search as a viable approach. Thus, we decided to identify journals first and then search and select articles from these journals. Further details about the approach are provided in the “ Method ” section.

Research questions

Given a broader range of journals and a longer period of time to be covered in this review, we can examine some of the same questions as the IJ-STEM review (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ), but we do not have access to data on readership, articles accessed, or articles cited for the other journals selected for this review. Specifically, we are interested in addressing the following six research questions:

What were the status and trends in STEM education research from 2000 to the end of 2018 based on journal publications?

What were the patterns of publications in STEM education research across different journals?

Which countries or regions, based on the countries or regions in which authors were located, contributed to journal publications in STEM education?

What were the patterns of single-author and multiple-author publications in STEM education?

What main topics had emerged in STEM education research based on the journal publications?

What research methods did authors tend to use in conducting STEM education research?

Based on the above discussion, we developed the methods for this literature review to follow careful sequential steps to identify journals first and then identify and select STEM education research articles published in these journals from January 2000 to the end of 2018. The methods should allow us to obtain a comprehensive overview about the status and trends of STEM education research based on a systematic analysis of related publications from a broad range of journals and over a longer period of time.

Identifying journals

We used the following three steps to search and identify journals for inclusion:

We assumed articles on research in STEM education have been published in journals that involve more than one traditional discipline. Thus, we used Google to search and identify all education journals with their titles containing either two, three, or all four disciplines of STEM. For example, we did Google search of all the different combinations of three areas of science, mathematics, technology Footnote 1 , and engineering as contained in a journal’s title. In addition, we also searched possible journals containing the word STEAM in the title.

Since STEM education may be viewed as encompassing discipline-based education research, articles on STEM education research may have been published in traditional discipline-based education journals, such as the Journal of Research in Science Teaching . However, there are too many such journals. Yale’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning has listed 16 journals that publish articles spanning across undergraduate STEM education disciplines (see https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/FacultyResources/STEMjournals ). Thus, we selected from the list some individual discipline-based education research journals, and also added a few more common ones such as the Journal of Engineering Education .

Since articles on research in STEM education have appeared in some general education research journals, especially those well-established ones. Thus, we identified and selected a few of those journals that we noticed some publications in STEM education research.

Following the above three steps, we identified 45 journals (see Table  1 ).

Identifying articles

In this review, we will not discuss or define the meaning of STEM education. We used the acronym STEM (or STEAM, or written as the phrase of “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics”) as a term in our search of publication titles and/or abstracts. To identify and select articles for review, we searched all items published in those 45 journals and selected only those articles that author(s) self-identified with the acronym STEM (or STEAM, or written as the phrase of “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics”) in the title and/or abstract. We excluded publications in the sections of practices, letters to editors, corrections, and (guest) editorials. Our search found 798 publications that authors self-identified as in STEM education, identified from 36 journals. The remaining 9 journals either did not have publications that met our search terms or published in another language other than English (see the two separate lists in Table 1 ).

Data analysis

To address research question 3, we analyzed authorship to examine which countries/regions contributed to STEM education research over the years. Because each publication may have either one or multiple authors, we used two different methods to analyze authorship nationality that have been recognized as valuable from our review of IJ-STEM publications (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). The first method considers only the corresponding author’s (or the first author, if no specific indication is given about the corresponding author) nationality and his/her first institution affiliation, if multiple institution affiliations are listed. Method 2 considers every author of a publication, using the following formula (Howard, Cole, & Maxwell, 1987 ) to quantitatively assign and estimate each author’s contribution to a publication (and thus associated institution’s productivity), when multiple authors are included in a publication. As an example, each publication is given one credit point. For the publication co-authored by two, the first author would be given 0.6 and the second author 0.4 credit point. For an article contributed jointly by three authors, the three authors would be credited with scores of 0.47, 0.32, and 0.21, respectively.

After calculating all the scores for each author of each paper, we added all the credit scores together in terms of each author’s country/region. For brevity, we present only the top 10 countries/regions in terms of their total credit scores calculated using these two different methods, respectively.

To address research question 5, we used the same seven topic categories identified and used in our review of IJ-STEM publications (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). We tested coding 100 articles first to ensure the feasibility. Through test-coding and discussions, we found seven topic categories could be used to examine and classify all 798 items.

K-12 teaching, teacher, and teacher education in STEM (including both pre-service and in-service teacher education)

Post-secondary teacher and teaching in STEM (including faculty development, etc.)

K-12 STEM learner, learning, and learning environment

Post-secondary STEM learner, learning, and learning environments (excluding pre-service teacher education)

Policy, curriculum, evaluation, and assessment in STEM (including literature review about a field in general)

Culture and social and gender issues in STEM education

History, epistemology, and perspectives about STEM and STEM education

To address research question 6, we coded all 798 publications in terms of (1) qualitative methods, (2) quantitative methods, (3) mixed methods, and (4) non-empirical studies (including theoretical or conceptual papers, and literature reviews). We assigned each publication to only one research topic and one method, following the process used in the IJ-STEM review (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). When there was more than one topic or method that could have been used for a publication, a decision was made in choosing and assigning a topic or a method. The agreement between two coders for all 798 publications was 89.5%. When topic and method coding discrepancies occurred, a final decision was reached after discussion.

Results and discussion

In the following sections, we report findings as corresponding to each of the six research questions.

The status and trends of journal publications in STEM education research from 2000 to 2018

Figure  1 shows the number of publications per year. As Fig.  1 shows, the number of publications increased each year beginning in 2010. There are noticeable jumps from 2015 to 2016 and from 2017 to 2018. The result shows that research in STEM education had grown significantly since 2010, and the most recent large number of STEM education publications also suggests that STEM education research gained its own recognition by many different journals for publication as a hot and important topic area.

The distribution of STEM education publications over the years

Among the 798 articles, there were 549 articles with the word “STEM” (or STEAM, or written with the phrase of “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics”) included in the article’s title or both title and abstract and 249 articles without such identifiers included in the title but abstract only. The results suggest that many scholars tended to include STEM in the publications’ titles to highlight their research in or about STEM education. Figure  2 shows the number of publications per year where publications are distinguished depending on whether they used the term STEM in the title or only in the abstract. The number of publications in both categories had significant increases since 2010. Use of the acronym STEM in the title was growing at a faster rate than using the acronym only in the abstract.

The trends of STEM education publications with vs. without STEM included in the title

Not all the publications that used the acronym STEM in the title and/or abstract reported on a study involving all four STEM areas. For each publication, we further examined the number of the four areas involved in the reported study.

Figure  3 presents the number of publications categorized by the number of the four areas involved in the study, breaking down the distribution of these 798 publications in terms of the content scope being focused on. Studies involving all four STEM areas are the most numerous with 488 (61.2%) publications, followed by involving one area (141, 17.7%), then studies involving both STEM and non-STEM (84, 10.5%), and finally studies involving two or three areas of STEM (72, 9%; 13, 1.6%; respectively). Publications that used the acronym STEAM in either the title or abstract were classified as involving both STEM and non-STEM. For example, both of the following publications were included in this category.

Dika and D’Amico ( 2016 ). “Early experiences and integration in the persistence of first-generation college students in STEM and non-STEM majors.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 53 (3), 368–383. (Note: this article focused on early experience in both STEM and Non-STEM majors.)

Sochacka, Guyotte, and Walther ( 2016 ). “Learning together: A collaborative autoethnographic exploration of STEAM (STEM+ the Arts) education.” Journal of Engineering Education , 105 (1), 15–42. (Note: this article focused on STEAM (both STEM and Arts).)

Publication distribution in terms of content scope being focused on. (Note: 1=single subject of STEM, 2=two subjects of STEM, 3=three subjects of STEM, 4=four subjects of STEM, 5=topics related to both STEM and non-STEM)

Figure  4 presents the number of publications per year in each of the five categories described earlier (category 1, one area of STEM; category 2, two areas of STEM; category 3, three areas of STEM; category 4, four areas of STEM; category 5, STEM and non-STEM). The category that had grown most rapidly since 2010 is the one involving all four areas. Recent growth in the number of publications in category 1 likely reflected growing interest of traditional individual disciplinary based educators in developing and sharing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship in STEM education, as what was noted recently by Li and Schoenfeld ( 2019 ) with publications in IJ-STEM.

Publication distribution in terms of content scope being focused on over the years

Patterns of publications across different journals

Among the 36 journals that published STEM education articles, two are general education research journals (referred to as “subject-0”), 12 with their titles containing one discipline of STEM (“subject-1”), eight with journal’s titles covering two disciplines of STEM (“subject-2”), six covering three disciplines of STEM (“subject-3”), seven containing the word STEM (“subject-4”), and one in STEAM education (“subject-5”).

Table  2 shows that both subject-0 and subject-1 journals were usually mature journals with a long history, and they were all traditional subscription-based journals, except the Journal of Pre - College Engineering Education Research , a subject-1 journal established in 2011 that provided open access (OA). In comparison to subject-0 and subject-1 journals, subject-2 and subject-3 journals were relatively newer but still had quite many years of history on average. There are also some more journals in these two categories that provided OA. Subject-4 and subject-5 journals had a short history, and most provided OA. The results show that well-established journals had tended to focus on individual disciplines or education research in general. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education journals were started some years later, followed by the recent establishment of several STEM or STEAM journals.

Table 2 also shows that subject-1, subject-2, and subject-4 journals published approximately a quarter each of the publications. The number of publications in subject-1 journals is interested, because we selected a relatively limited number of journals in this category. There are many other journals in the subject-1 category (as well as subject-0 journals) that we did not select, and thus it is very likely that we did not include some STEM education articles published in subject-0 or subject-1 journals that we did not include in our study.

Figure  5 shows the number of publications per year in each of the five categories described earlier (subject-0 through subject-5). The number of publications per year in subject-5 and subject-0 journals did not change much over the time period of the study. On the other hand, the number of publications per year in subject-4 (all 4 areas), subject-1 (single area), and subject-2 journals were all over 40 by the end of the study period. The number of publications per year in subject-3 journals increased but remained less than 30. At first sight, it may be a bit surprising that the number of publications in STEM education per year in subject-1 journals increased much faster than those in subject-2 journals over the past few years. However, as Table 2 indicates these journals had long been established with great reputations, and scholars would like to publish their research in such journals. In contrast to the trend in subject-1 journals, the trend in subject-4 journals suggests that STEM education journals collectively started to gain its own identity for publishing and sharing STEM education research.

STEM education publication distribution across different journal categories over the years. (Note: 0=subject-0; 1=subject-1; 2=subject-2; 3=subject-3; 4=subject-4; 5=subject-5)

Figure  6 shows the number of STEM education publications in each journal where the bars are color-coded (yellow, subject-0; light blue, subject-1; green, subject-2; purple, subject-3; dark blue, subject-4; and black, subject-5). There is no clear pattern shown in terms of the overall number of STEM education publications across categories or journals, but very much individual journal-based performance. The result indicates that the number of STEM education publications might heavily rely on the individual journal’s willingness and capability of attracting STEM education research work and thus suggests the potential value of examining individual journal’s performance.

Publication distribution across all 36 individual journals across different categories with the same color-coded for journals in the same subject category

The top five journals in terms of the number of STEM education publications are Journal of Science Education and Technology (80 publications, journal number 25 in Fig.  6 ), Journal of STEM Education (65 publications, journal number 26), International Journal of STEM Education (64 publications, journal number 17), International Journal of Engineering Education (54 publications, journal number 12), and School Science and Mathematics (41 publications, journal number 31). Among these five journals, two journals are specifically on STEM education (J26, J17), two on two subjects of STEM (J25, J31), and one on one subject of STEM (J12).

Figure  7 shows the number of STEM education publications per year in each of these top five journals. As expected, based on earlier trends, the number of publications per year increased over the study period. The largest increase was in the International Journal of STEM Education (J17) that was established in 2014. As the other four journals were all established in or before 2000, J17’s short history further suggests its outstanding performance in attracting and publishing STEM education articles since 2014 (Li, 2018b ; Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). The increase was consistent with the journal’s recognition as the first STEM education journal for inclusion in SSCI starting in 2019 (Li, 2019a ).

Publication distribution of selected five journals over the years. (Note: J12: International Journal of Engineering Education; J17: International Journal of STEM Education; J25: Journal of Science Education and Technology; J26: Journal of STEM Education; J31: School Science and Mathematics)

Top 10 countries/regions where scholars contributed journal publications in STEM education

Table  3 shows top countries/regions in terms of the number of publications, where the country/region was established by the authorship using the two different methods presented above. About 75% (depending on the method) of contributions were made by authors from the USA, followed by Australia, Canada, Taiwan, and UK. Only Africa as a continent was not represented among the top 10 countries/regions. The results are relatively consistent with patterns reported in the IJ-STEM study (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 )

Further examination of Table 3 reveals that the two methods provide not only fairly consistent results but also yield some differences. For example, Israel and Germany had more publication credit if only the corresponding author was considered, but South Korea and Turkey had more publication credit when co-authors were considered. The results in Table 3 show that each method has value when analyzing and comparing publications by country/region or institution based on authorship.

Recognizing that, as shown in Fig. 1 , the number of publications per year increased rapidly since 2010, Table  4 shows the number of publications by country/region over a 10-year period (2009–2018) and Table 5 shows the number of publications by country/region over a 5-year period (2014–2018). The ranks in Tables  3 , 4 , and 5 are fairly consistent, but that would be expected since the larger numbers of publications in STEM education had occurred in recent years. At the same time, it is interesting to note in Table 5 some changes over the recent several years with Malaysia, but not Israel, entering the top 10 list when either method was used to calculate author's credit.

Patterns of single-author and multiple-author publications in STEM education

Since STEM education differs from traditional individual disciplinary education, we are interested in determining how common joint co-authorship with collaborations was in STEM education articles. Figure  8 shows that joint co-authorship was very common among these 798 STEM education publications, with 83.7% publications with two or more co-authors. Publications with two, three, or at least five co-authors were highest, with 204, 181, and 157 publications, respectively.

Number of publications with single or different joint authorship. (Note: 1=single author; 2=two co-authors; 3=three co-authors; 4=four co-authors; 5=five or more co-authors)

Figure  9 shows the number of publications per year using the joint authorship categories in Fig.  8 . Each category shows an increase consistent with the increase shown in Fig. 1 for all 798 publications. By the end of the time period, the number of publications with two, three, or at least five co-authors was the largest, which might suggest an increase in collaborations in STEM education research.

Publication distribution with single or different joint authorship over the years. (Note: 1=single author; 2=two co-authors; 3=three co-authors; 4=four co-authors; 5=five or more co-authors)

Co-authors can be from the same or different countries/regions. Figure  10 shows the number of publications per year by single authors (no collaboration), co-authors from the same country (collaboration in a country/region), and co-authors from different countries (collaboration across countries/regions). Each year the largest number of publications was by co-authors from the same country, and the number increased dramatically during the period of the study. Although the number of publications in the other two categories increased, the numbers of publications were noticeably fewer than the number of publications by co-authors from the same country.

Publication distribution in authorship across different categories in terms of collaboration over the years

Published articles by research topics

Figure  11 shows the number of publications in each of the seven topic categories. The topic category of goals, policy, curriculum, evaluation, and assessment had almost half of publications (375, 47%). Literature reviews were included in this topic category, as providing an overview assessment of education and research development in a topic area or a field. Sample publications included in this category are listed as follows:

DeCoito ( 2016 ). “STEM education in Canada: A knowledge synthesis.” Canadian Journal of Science , Mathematics and Technology Education , 16 (2), 114–128. (Note: this article provides a national overview of STEM initiatives and programs, including success, criteria for effective programs and current research in STEM education.)

Ring-Whalen, Dare, Roehrig, Titu, and Crotty ( 2018 ). “From conception to curricula: The role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in integrated STEM units.” International Journal of Education in Mathematics Science and Technology , 6 (4), 343–362. (Note: this article investigates the conceptions of integrated STEM education held by in-service science teachers through the use of photo-elicitation interviews and examines how those conceptions were reflected in teacher-created integrated STEM curricula.)

Schwab et al. ( 2018 ). “A summer STEM outreach program run by graduate students: Successes, challenges, and recommendations for implementation.” Journal of Research in STEM Education , 4 (2), 117–129. (Note: the article details the organization and scope of the Foundation in Science and Mathematics Program and evaluates this program.)

Frequencies of publications’ research topic distributions. (Note: 1=K-12 teaching, teacher and teacher education; 2=Post-secondary teacher and teaching; 3=K-12 STEM learner, learning, and learning environment; 4=Post-secondary STEM learner, learning, and learning environments; 5=Goals and policy, curriculum, evaluation, and assessment (including literature review); 6=Culture, social, and gender issues; 7=History, philosophy, Epistemology, and nature of STEM and STEM education)

The topic with the second most publications was “K-12 teaching, teacher and teacher education” (103, 12.9%), followed closely by “K-12 learner, learning, and learning environment” (97, 12.2%). The results likely suggest the research community had a broad interest in both teaching and learning in K-12 STEM education. The top three topics were the same in the IJ-STEM review (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ).

Figure  11 also shows there was a virtual tie between two topics with the fourth most cumulative publications, “post-secondary STEM learner & learning” (76, 9.5%) and “culture, social, and gender issues in STEM” (78, 9.8%), such as STEM identity, students’ career choices in STEM, and inclusion. This result is different from the IJ-STEM review (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ), where “post-secondary STEM teacher & teaching” and “post-secondary STEM learner & learning” were tied as the fourth most common topics. This difference is likely due to the scope of journals and the length of the time period being reviewed.

Figure  12 shows the number of publications per year in each topic category. As expected from the results in Fig.  11 the number of publications in topic category 5 (goals, policy, curriculum, evaluation, and assessment) was the largest each year. The numbers of publications in topic category 3 (K-12 learner, learning, and learning environment), 1 (K-12 teaching, teacher, and teacher education), 6 (culture, social, and gender issues in STEM), and 4 (post-secondary STEM learner and learning) were also increasing. Although Fig.  11 shows the number of publications in topic category 1 was slightly more than the number of publications in topic category 3 (see Fig.  11 ), the number of publications in topic category 3 was increasing more rapidly in recent years than its counterpart in topic category 1. This may suggest a more rapidly growing interest in K-12 STEM learner, learning, and learning environment. The numbers of publications in topic categories 2 and 7 were not increasing, but the number of publications in IJ-STEM in topic category 2 was notable (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). It will be interesting to follow trends in the seven topic categories in the future.

Publication distributions in terms of research topics over the years

Published articles by research methods

Figure  13 shows the number of publications per year by research methods in empirical studies. Publications with non-empirical studies are shown in a separate category. Although the number of publications in each of the four categories increased during the study period, there were many more publications presenting empirical studies than those without. For those with empirical studies, the number of publications using quantitative methods increased most rapidly in recent years, followed by qualitative and then mixed methods. Although there were quite many publications with non-empirical studies (e.g., theoretical or conceptual papers, literature reviews) during the study period, the increase of the number of publications in this category was noticeably less than empirical studies.

Publication distributions in terms of research methods over the years. (Note: 1=qualitative, 2=quantitative, 3=mixed, 4=Non-empirical)

Concluding remarks

The systematic analysis of publications that were considered to be in STEM education in 36 selected journals shows tremendous growth in scholarship in this field from 2000 to 2018, especially over the past 10 years. Our analysis indicates that STEM education research has been increasingly recognized as an important topic area and studies were being published across many different journals. Scholars still hold diverse perspectives about how research is designated as STEM education; however, authors have been increasingly distinguishing their articles with STEM, STEAM, or related words in the titles, abstracts, and lists of keywords during the past 10 years. Moreover, our systematic analysis shows a dramatic increase in the number of publications in STEM education journals in recent years, which indicates that these journals have been collectively developing their own professional identity. In addition, the International Journal of STEM Education has become the first STEM education journal to be accepted in SSCI in 2019 (Li, 2019a ). The achievement may mark an important milestone as STEM education journals develop their own identity for publishing and sharing STEM education research.

Consistent with our previous reviews (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ; Li, Wang, & Xiao, 2019 ), the vast majority of publications in STEM education research were contributed by authors from the USA, where STEM and STEAM education originated, followed by Australia, Canada, and Taiwan. At the same time, authors in some countries/regions in Asia were becoming very active in the field over the past several years. This trend is consistent with findings from the IJ-STEM review (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). We certainly hope that STEM education scholarship continues its development across all five continents to support educational initiatives and programs in STEM worldwide.

Our analysis has shown that collaboration, as indicated by publications with multiple authors, has been very common among STEM education scholars, as that is often how STEM education distinguishes itself from the traditional individual disciplinary based education. Currently, most collaborations occurred among authors from the same country/region, although collaborations across cross-countries/regions were slowly increasing.

With the rapid changes in STEM education internationally (Li, 2019b ), it is often difficult for researchers to get an overall sense about possible hot topics in STEM education especially when STEM education publications appeared in a vast array of journals across different fields. Our systematic analysis of publications has shown that studies in the topic category of goals, policy, curriculum, evaluation, and assessment have been the most prevalent, by far. Our analysis also suggests that the research community had a broad interest in both teaching and learning in K-12 STEM education. These top three topic categories are the same as in the IJ-STEM review (Li, Froyd, & Wang, 2019 ). Work in STEM education will continue to evolve and it will be interesting to review the trends in another 5 years.

Encouraged by our recent IJ-STEM review, we began this review with an ambitious goal to provide an overview of the status and trends of STEM education research. In a way, this systematic review allowed us to achieve our initial goal with a larger scope of journal selection over a much longer period of publication time. At the same time, there are still limitations, such as the decision to limit the number of journals from which we would identify publications for analysis. We understand that there are many publications on STEM education research that were not included in our review. Also, we only identified publications in journals. Although this is one of the most important outlets for scholars to share their research work, future reviews could examine publications on STEM education research in other venues such as books, conference proceedings, and grant proposals.

Availability of data and materials

The data and materials used and analyzed for the report are publicly available at the various journal websites.

Journals containing the word "computers" or "ICT" appeared automatically when searching with the word "technology". Thus, the word of "computers" or "ICT" was taken as equivalent to "technology" if appeared in a journal's name.

Abbreviations

Information and Communications Technology

International Journal of STEM Education

Kindergarten–Grade 12

Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

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• Contents Introduction Sherry Marx
• *"I am an innovator:" Quahn's Counter-narrative of Becoming in STEM
• Angela Calabrese Barton, Myunghwan Shin, and LaQuahn Johnson
• *"I come because I make toy.": Examining Nodes of Criticality in an Afterschool Science & Engineering (SE) Club with Refugee Youth
• Edna Tan and Beverly Faircloth
• * Sociocultural Analysis of Engineering Design: Latino High School Students' Funds of Knowledge and Implications for Culturally Responsive Engineering Education
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• * Bruised But Not Broken: African American Women Persistence in Engineering Degree Programs in Spite of Stereotype Threat
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• Angela Minichiello
• * Engineering Dropouts: A Qualitative Examination of Why Undergraduates Leave Engineering
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• * nitacimowinis: A research story in Indigenous Science Education
• * From Ambivalences toward Self-Efficacy: Bilingual Teacher Candidates' Shifting Sense of Knowing as Conocimiento with STEM
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• * Examining the Non-Rational in Science Classrooms: Girls, Sustainability, and Science Education
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• * Seven Types of Subitizing Activity Characterizing Young Children's Mental Activity
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Qualitative Research in STEM

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Qualitative Research in STEM examines the groundbreaking potential of qualitative research methods to address issues of social justice, equity, and sustainability in STEM. A collection of empirical studies conducted by prominent STEM researchers, this book examines the experiences and challenges faced by traditionally marginalized groups in STEM, most notably culturally and linguistically diverse students and women. Investigations into these issues, as well as the high dropout rate among engineering students and issues of academic integrity in STEM, come with detailed explanations of the study methodologies used in each case. Contributors also provide personal narratives that share their perspectives on the benefits of qualitative research methodologies for the topics explored. Through a variety of qualitative methodologies, including participatory action research, Indigenous research, and critical ethnography, this volume aims to reveal and remedy the inequalities within STEM education today.

Revisiting critical STEM interventions: a literature review of STEM organizational learning

Norma lópez.

1 Institute for Democracy and Higher Education, Tufts University, Medford, USA

Demetri L. Morgan

2 Department of Higher Education, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, USA

Quortne R. Hutchings

3 Department of Counseling and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA

Kendrick Davis

4 Center for Race and Equity, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

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There is inconclusive evidence on the ability of scientific research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to scale-up from one context to another and ultimately become institutionalized. The dearth of evidence draws focus on how organizations change and evolve or the process of organizational learning. We designed this systematic review of the literature to uncover to what extent and how organizational theory has been leveraged within STEM interventions or as a research tool to inform the policies and practices of STEM education organizations. Unlike previous reviews, we explicitly focused on how organizational learning informs cultural transformation toward the success of racially and ethnically underrepresented minority (URM) students in STEM. The research question was: How has organizational theory and learning informed the potential for STEM education to center the success of URM students? Our results reveal that STEM entities that did not leverage organizational theory consistently fell into either the “decision trap” identified by Langely et al. created by ignoring temporal structures or deemed the innovation threatening, as Kezar suggested. We conclude with practical recommendations for the design of STEM education interventions.

Introduction

A defining feature of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), a signature National Science Foundation (NSF) program, is contributing to the success of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). LSAMP initiatives promote collaboration among institutions in a geographic region to achieve collaborative outcomes for racial and ethnic URMs in STEM (James & Singer, 2016 ). Specifically, the LSAMP program provides support to URM students in STEM by establishing mentoring and research opportunities and implementing pedagogical innovations in STEM classrooms that promote student-centered learning. The goal of the LSAMP initiative is that, eventually, the programs and knowledge produced by the alliances become institutionalized, self-perpetuating, and self-supported. To spur this outcome, LSAMP programs funded for ten consecutive years, when applying for new funds, are required to

address the institutionalization and sustainability of LSAMP-supported activities by stating the progress they have made towards sustainability. They must also detail the institutionalized components and describe any systemic changes in STEM departments or alliance institutions that have resulted from the NSF LSAMP investment. (NSF, n.d.-b, p. 7)

Additionally, LSAMP programs must promote knowledge production and dissemination. We are part of the research team on the Illinois LSAMP. This systematic review of the literature was prompted by the dearth of published literature at the intersection of STEM education research and organizational theory to illuminate the role of organizational learning in institutionalization of URM success. Furthermore, though the Urban Institute concluded that alliances should seek to replicate the LSAMP framework based on the identified characteristics (Clewell et al., 2006 ), the report authors provided little guidance on the best strategies to encourage the process of scaling-up the identified successful components of the model from one context to another, such as mentoring, undergraduate research, and professional development for faculty. Nor is there any guidance on what institutions should or could be doing to make LSAMP programs sustainable if federal funding were to cease or critical personnel was no longer affiliated with the project (i.e., the process of institutionalization).

To understand and guide organizational learning, scholars often turn to insights from organizational theory to help provide awareness of how people interact with, shape, and become influenced by the culture, norms, and policies of an entity (Bastedo, 2012 ; Birnbaum, 1989 ; Bolman & Deal, 2017 ). Popova-Nowak and Cseh ( 2015 ) defined organizational learning as “a social process of individuals participating in collective situated practices and discourses that reproduce and simultaneously expand organizational knowledge… that results in adapting to the environment” (pp. 316–317). Scholars have leveraged organizational theory to explore a diverse array of topics, including faculty socialization (Gonzales, 2018 ; Tierney, 1997 ), institutional dynamics related to equity and inclusion initiatives (Baker & Blissett, 2018 ; LePeau et al., 2016 ), and civic engagement efforts (Barnhardt, 2015 ; Morgan, 2019 ).

Building on these studies, the purpose of this systematic literature review was to interrogate how organizational theory has been leveraged within STEM interventions or as a research tool to inform the policies and practices of STEM education organizations that advance cultural transformation toward the specific success of racially and ethnically URMs in STEM. Due to the lack of research specifically focused on organizational theory related to URM STEM institutionalization efforts, we focused this systematic literature review on both STEM interventions that specifically target URM populations and STEM interventions that LSAMP is implementing to diversify the STEM pipeline (e.g., research and mentoring opportunities, curricular innovations, etc.). The guiding question for this study was: How has organizational theory and learning informed the potential for STEM education to center the success of URM students?

Literature background

The scant research at the intersection of STEM education and scale-up efforts required the inclusion of a combination of organizational literatures. Two considerations that guided this literature review were the collective nature of LSAMP programs and the assumption that innovation, once tried and tested, is beneficial in any context (Kezar, 2011 ).

Given the inherently relational nature of the LSAMP model and other STEM networks, one way to situate our study was to leverage an ecological approach to understanding organizations. A tenet within the ecological lens is that organizations change in response to their environments (Hannan & Freeman, 1977 ). Hannan and Freeman ( 1984 ) distinguished ecological changes within organizations from adaptive change processes by noting that adaptive mechanisms to change face numerous limitations, including structural inertia, historical legacies, and political constraints. Therefore, a more precise and relevant way to explain or generate change is to ascertain how an entity is positioned relative to similar entities. To this end, organizational ecology researchers invoke the concept of isomorphism to describe why organizations change in response to internal and external environmental factors (Fumasoli & Stensaker, 2013 ). Isomorphism has been broadly defined as a “constraining process that forces one unit in a population to resemble other units that face the same set of environmental conditions” (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983 , p. 149)

Kezar ( 2011 ) highlighted that many scaling-up efforts in educational organizations had not reached successful replication because the efforts "often involve a static innovation that is considered to work in different contexts, even as circumstances change over time” (p. 240). Institutionalization and scaling-up efforts may be limited because scholars and educators do not attend to the dynamic organizational features that encompass educational interventions designed to promote the success of URMs in STEM. The following section situates our study in a broader body of knowledge related to organizational change efforts and the diffusion of ideas as one avenue to conceptualize organizational change processes related to efforts to realize broader impacts within STEM education research.

Isomorphism

DiMaggio and Powell ( 1983 ) extended the concept of isomorphism to focus on institutional isomorphism, which they argued acclimates researchers to how “organizations compete not just for resources and customers [students], but for political power and institutional legitimacy, for social as well as economic fitness” (p. 150). Isomorphic change occurs in three ways: (a) coercive isomorphism, of political or administrative pressure for change; (b) mimetic isomorphism, or the pressure to change in light of ambiguous circumstances; and (c) normative isomorphism or change associated with the expansion of training and education as well as the diffusion of ideas through a network.

Many higher education scholars have leveraged this framework to study different dimensions of institutional change efforts (Garcia, 2017 ; Pusser & Marginson, 2013 ; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004 ). Nevertheless, these studies did not establish how institutional isomorphism operates more collaboratively and synergistically. Much of the ecological and isomorphism research on institutional change presupposes a lack of resources, competition from similar entities, bureaucratic impediments, and a dearth of consensus around goals. Isomorphism researchers have clarified the need to identify and address factors in the environment that surround STEM entities in the organizational learning processes. The following section highlights organizational dynamics within a network that complement the external focus of isomorphism.

Social cognition

Over the years, scholars have explained the need to embed individual cognitive processes within organizational dynamics to account for characteristics like an entity’s organizational culture, which simultaneously shapes and is shaped by individuals in the organization (Allard-Poesi, 2005 ; Bolman & Deal, 2017 ). Given the relational nature of LSAMP programs, we looked to Akgün and colleagues (2003) 10 distinct but related factors that constitute an intra-organizational learning process:

(1) information acquisition; (2) information implementation; (3) information dissemination; (4) unlearning (i.e., discarding information); (5) thinking (i.e., manipulation of memory); (6) intelligence (i.e., ability and capability to process information); (7) improvisation (or autonomous behavior) (i.e., learning with actions or reflection); (8) sensemaking (i.e., giving meaning to information); (9) emotions; and (10) memory (i.e., information storage). (p. 844)

These features relate to Birnbaum’s ( 1988 ) foundational work in higher education governance that focused on cybernetic, or self-correcting, processes within institutions. Birnbaum’s work built on Weick’s ( 1976 ) idea that higher education institutions are unique in their organizational design in that numerous organizational cultures can be present at any given moment. Thus, to manage change and lead these organizations well, Birnbaum ( 1989 ) called for administrators to engage in organizational learning by using “multiple frames to develop richer behavioral repertoires, increase[ing] the sensitivity of institutional monitoring systems, and focus[ing] attention on important issues through systems that report data and create forums for interaction” (p. 239).

With this brief review, we tried to make evident how the isomorphism literature highlights the external environment as the main issue when seeking to understand organizational change processes within a network. However, the literature is not nuanced enough to highlight intra-organizational change dimensions, hence our focus on social cognition. Ultimately, institutions are complex social organizations, and numerous factors contribute to organizational learning. Our research will contribute to the extant literature by providing a framework that URM STEM alliances could utilize in categorizing and implementing an intentional change process. We now turn to our theoretical framework designed to help braid the isomorphic and social cognition bodies of knowledge together to help unearth the intersection between STEM education empirical studies and organizational learning.

Theoretical framework

Fiol and Lyles ( 1985 ) distinguished between two aspects of organizational learning: acquiring new awareness or knowledge and creating new systems or structures. Specifically, “organizational learning means the process of improving actions through better knowledge and understanding” (Fiol & Lyles, 1985 , p. 803). Fiol and Lyles recognized that change is not always about organizational learning but can be attributed to “defensive adjustment” (p. 805). Specifically, defensive adjustment refers to not understanding causal relationships. Therefore, our theoretical framework draws on Langley et al.’s ( 2013 ) categorization of change studies of organizations, which characterizes new insights, and Kezar’s ( 2011 ) three mechanisms for scaling-up outcomes from NSF-funded work, which illustrates systems or structures. In other words, Langley and associates work allowed us to focus the analysis on the dynamic nature of and motivation for change. In contrast, Kezar’s research drew our attention to the systems and procedures needed for that change.

Langley’s categorizations

Langley et al. ( 2013 ) reviewed responses to a call for papers focused on addressing questions “about how and why things emerge, develop, grow, or terminate over time” (p. 1). Of relevance to us, they intently focused on temporality as a way to operationalize the environmental realities organizations face as they change. Put in their terms:

Knowing that organizational practice B is generally more effective than organizational practice A reveals almost nothing about how to move from A to B. Moreover, depending on the nature of the practices concerned and the context of their application, it could be that the very process of moving between A and B itself engages resources, political dynamics, and organizational upheaval that could place the original evidence supporting the need for change in an entirely different light. (Langley et al., 2013 , p. 4)

The first concept is the ontological stance one takes in unpacking change processes. Langley et al. argued that change is either conceptualized as a successive progression with an outcome (e.g., You do X until you achieve Y) or a never-ending process (e.g., You must keep doing X while moving closer to realizing Y). The latter focuses on changes in processes, whereas the former focuses on the change in things. As a result, trying to distill the ontological underpinnings of the studies is critical in conceptualizing the ecosystem of organizational theory and STEM. The second concept is the idea of tensions or paradoxes in change processes rather than change described as a cycle or linear. Focusing on how entities wrestle with obstacles helps highlight potentially transferable aspects to other contexts. Finally, Langley et al. described the notion of stability in terms that are dynamic to account for the “active work [that] is required to maintain practices, organizations, and institutions” (p. 10). This claim highlights the importance of studies to address the aftermath of change and how entities can maintain new realities while evolving.

Kezar’s mechanisms

Regarding the mechanisms for scaling-up change efforts in an organization, Kezar ( 2011 ) first highlighted nine persistent critiques of scale-up efforts from the literature: incentives, implementation context/flexibility, depth, ownership, underlying norms, sustainability, spread, static nature, and motivation. Kezar highlighted deliberation, networks, and external support and incentives as the main levers to facilitate lasting change or operationalize institutionalized change. Deliberation refers to “a process whereby people come to an understanding and learn” (Kezar, 2011 , p. 242). Deliberation draws attention to an interactive process rooted in dialogue and the affirmation of one’s voice in the change process. On the other hand, networks draw attention to the flow of information that spurs adaptation, as “networks connect people to others with similar ideas and also provide change agents with the information needed to help move the change process along” (Kezar, 2011 , p. 242). Finally, external supports and incentives refer to “the funding, awards, and recognition necessary in order to help sustain change agents in the face of entropy and even negative dynamics” (Kezar, 2011 , p. 243). Kezar’s three mechanisms are all predicated on an organizational learning perspective of change and draw attention to specific dimensions of how individuals within an organization position themselves to approach their work.

Six dimensions of organizational change in STEM

Building on the reviewed literature and grounded in the two frameworks presented above, our operating proposition is that studies must address six dimensions of organizational change. Table ​ Table1 1 provides an overview of the dimensions and main questions we leveraged when operationalizing the framework.

Organizational change in STEM

Combining these frameworks highlights the knowledge and structures needed for scaling-up efforts and exposes tensions within each framework that can lead to failure to change. Langley et al.’s ( 2013 ) conceptualization emphasized the importance of time and points to how ignoring temporal structures, for example, “how decisions that looked good at one time turn catastrophic at another” (p.4), can cause innovations to falter or fail. Kezar ( 2011 ) further notes that not only are innovations “inherently context based” (p. 239), but they also have to adapt to the innovation to reflect their context; without these measures, innovations that are externally introduced are perceived as threats to internal interests and resources. The figure below captures the dynamic nature of our framework to better orient the reader to the harmony and tensions created by the combination (Fig.  1 ).

Dimensions of organizational change

Research design

Tranfield et al. ( 2003 ) noted systematic reviews of literature (SRLs) differ from traditional narrative reviews “by adopting a replicable, scientific and transparent process... by providing an audit trail of the reviewer’s decisions, procedures and conclusions guidelines” (p. 209). Specifically, we leveraged Rew’s ( 2011 ) 13-step process for clarity and concern translating research insights into practice. The first two steps in the process are identifying a research question to be answered and stating the purpose of the review, both of which we did in the introduction.

Setting up the SRL

Inclusion criterion.

The third step entails stringent and clearly defined inclusion criteria based on the research question (Rew, 2011 ). Using the collective insight of members of the research team (Norton, 2008 ), we focused database construction around articles that explicitly dealt with concepts of sustainability of educational interventions or taking educational interventions to scale in STEM––meaning how educational interventions go from one organizational context to another. By educational interventions, we mean initiatives identified in the Urban Institute report (Clewell et al., 2006 ), such as mentoring, undergraduate research, internships, and academic advising. This approach builds on but is different from Henderson et al.’s ( 2011 ) review of change efforts within a unit or program. Finally, given the research question, we narrowly focused on empirical studies, meaning we only included studies that had articulated research questions, study designs, and findings in the final analysis.

Search terms

Step 4 calls for demarcating search terms (Rew, 2011 ). We used STEM in different configurations accompanied by other concepts such as “organizational theory”, “curricular reform”, “academic advising”, and “research.” We used these terms as LSAMP's innovations seek to achieve URM STEM success through targeted programs focused on curricular reform, creating research opportunities, and providing advising through this additional resource. We also used terms such as “critical” and “bias” to capture articles focused on people of color in STEM.

Identifying databases

Step 5 calls for identifying the appropriate databases to search within. Following other higher education SRLs (Harper, 2012 ; Mitchell et al., 2014 ; Renn, 2010 ), we decided to focus on STEM education and higher education research journals (see Table ​ Table2 2 for a list). We delimited the search timeframe in these repositories to articles published since 1970 when calls for broadening participation in STEM commenced (James & Singer, 2016 ).

List of target journals

Data collection in an SRL

Steps 6–9 relate to searching and include specifying and reviewing the search outcomes to match the inclusion/exclusion criteria, systematically extracting data, and determining the quality of the reviewed studies. A research team member was assigned a series of journals to review. After setting the search parameters to match the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a team member read the title and abstract of any study that came up. If it was deemed worthy of inclusion in the database, the following pertinent study information was captured in an online form:

• Title of Journal
• Name of Article
• Year Published (1970–Present)
• What are the study’s research questions or hypothesis?
• What is the study’s approach to data analysis?
• What is the focus of the article? (Type of STEM Educational Intervention)
• What is the unit of analysis? (Who is the study about?)
• o If yes, what organizational theory is mentioned?

Using this process, we captured 24 manuscripts. We also reviewed Henderson et al.’s ( 2011 ) publicly available database from their literature review to see if we missed any studies that we could include but perhaps were not in our initially identified journals. We identified three additional studies from their database, added the journals to our list, and reviewed the journals to ensure no new studies fell outside the 2008 timeframe of the Henderson et al. database. In sum, 27 manuscripts met our inclusion criteria and were relevant to our research question. In step 10, we compiled critical information and the findings from each study into a table to prepare for analysis (Rew, 2011 ).

Analytical plan

The 11th consideration is a straightforward procedure for analysis (Rew, 2011 ). Phase 1 of our analysis included dividing the studies between two team members and descriptively categorizing the studies into groups based on the methodological approach, level of analysis (student, faculty, or institution), and whether an explicit organizational theory guided the work. The second author reviewed each of the categories. In the few cases where there was a discrepancy in the study’s categorization, the research team reached a consensus on how to code the study (Tracy, 2010 ).

Phase 2 of the analysis leveraged our dimensions of organizational change in the STEM framework (Table ​ (Table1) 1 ) as deductive codes (Saldaña, 2016 ) to explore how and to what extent the literature connects to these dimensions. In this phase, two team members reviewed each study again, and portions of the study were assigned codes based on the six dimensions. The first three authors then met to engage in a constant comparison discussion to explore nuances that emerged within each dimension connected to examples from the research articles (Saldaña, 2016 ).

In Phase 3, the research team distilled themes from the emerging nuances and crafted descriptive summaries of how the different studies engaged the dimensions of the theoretical framework.

Limitations and trustworthiness

The 12th step of Rew’s ( 2011 ) SRL acknowledges any inherent limitations and biases in the process.

Source limitations

A significant point of caution is that STEM studies exist in various venues and formats that we did not include in the corpus of research journals. Therefore, some studies may be relevant to the research question that we did not assess. Future researchers should expand the venues and types of formats included in the corpus to include books, monographs, reports, and website resources.

Theory limitations

Another limitation is that we focused narrowly on two related aspects of organizational learning, scaling-up interventions and making interventions institutionalized, to the exclusion of the entire change process. As a result, our analyses missed important precursors and more person-centric (e.g., identity-related) factors that are critical in both social cognition and isomorphic processes.

Identifying and addressing bias

In terms of biases, we followed suggestions in making plain the seen, unseen, and to the best extent, unforeseen issues in our collective approach to the topic (Milner, 2007 ). Our research team is diverse across race (e.g., Black and Latinx), ethnicity (e.g., Mexican), gender identity (e.g., cis-males and cis-female), sexuality (e.g., Queer), positioning in and outside the academy (e.g., faculty member, graduate students, non-profit think tank), and affiliation with the STEM community (e.g., former engineer, former STEM academic advisor, STEM mentor). These multiple vantage points meant we interacted with and coded the studies in our database differently. We resolved disagreements through critical inquiry dialogues among the team members participating in the data analysis (Ravitch & Carl, 2016 ). Nonetheless, our positionality and social locations informed our decisions throughout the study. Consequently, though we made evident the steps we took to conduct the SRL, researchers with different identities may reach different conclusions.

Enhancing credibility

To strengthen the study's trustworthiness, we addressed different aspects of Tracy’s ( 2010 ) “big-tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. To enhance the credibility of the research, the fourth author reviewed, probed, and critiqued the data analysis and presentation of the findings to support our effort to “crystalize” the present understanding of organizational learning in STEM education. Tracy noted that the goal of crystallization is to “open up a more complex, in-depth, but still thoroughly partial, understanding of the issue” (p. 844). We enhanced sincerity through our transparent account of how our theoretical framework informed our research design and how we sought to carry out the research design with authenticity by remaining open to how our narratives informed our analysis and interpretation of the data. Finally, we sought resonance by (re)presenting the results to highlight transferable findings in future research and implications for policy and practice––aided by thick descriptions of themes with concrete and representative examples from the studies in the database (Tracy, 2010 ).

We first present the descriptive results of our SRL to provide a sense of the types of studies in the database. Table ​ Table3 3 summarizes the databases' studies by their approach to research and presents a representative study from each category. Research approaches included qualitative research, quantitative research, literature/discourse analysis, and mixed/multiple methods. Table ​ Table4 4 highlights the unit of analysis and research questions and leverages a different set of illustrative studies. Units of analysis included studies concerned with the entire field of STEM education, the college/university as an entity, programs/departments, or students. Table ​ Table5 5 showcases categories that focused on different types of explicit organizational theories used in the studies in the database.

Research design examples

Unit of analysis and research question examples

Theory families examples

Nuancing organizational learning theory in STEM

To present the results of the second phase of analysis, we highlight an overarching theme and textual evidence for each dimension of organizational change identified from the theoretical framework.

Ontological stance

The first dimension focused on whether the study articulated an intentional ontological stance on change. The overarching theme in the articles was that change is vital and desirable in terms of realizing STEM educational interventions. In other words, change is invoked and called for because the status quo does not realize intended goals or outcomes. Studies fell into two categories in terms of how they operationalized this sentiment. One group displayed some gradation in how change is articulated within a process, from explicitly stated (Kezar et al., 2015 ) to implied based on contextual information from other parts of the study (Su & Bozeman, 2016 ). For instance, Su and Bozeman ( 2016 ) focused on enhancing the representation of female and minority faculty members through structural changes. They acknowledged that “self-assessment is at least an important early step toward more comprehensive changes in departments” (p. 1004). This implicit approach contrasts with explicit and necessary components of the change process outlined in other studies.

Moreover, other studies simply highlighted changing elements without narrating a change process (Ong et al., 2011 ). In their synthesis of research on factors that contribute to the persistence and success of women of color in STEM fields, Ong et al. ( 2011 ) called for transformative and “cultural changes that would improve overall faculty support for and increase the enrollment and retention of minority women” (p. 195). They identified several factors influencing their call for diversifying STEM, including globalization and representation (i.e., external forces), but not a process for this change. However, they recognized the salience “to individual colleges and universities… that support the need to address STEM pedagogy and curriculum for diverse populations as well as research on the relationship between pedagogical changes and cognitive outcomes for women of color” (Ong et al., 2011 , p. 198). Ong et al. note the significance of improving the outcomes for women of color in STEM without outlining how to arrive at that desired outcome.

Tensions and paradoxes

The second dimension identifies tensions or paradoxical experiences in change processes. Given the nature of paradoxes, it may not be surprising that the dominant theme for this dimension was inconsistency. The tensions or paradoxes identified varied between studies. Most studies did identify tensions/paradoxes in the change process. However, the change was not always nuanced as to what it meant for different stakeholders (Carlisle & Weaver, 2018 ). Some articles named the role of higher education environments and tensions related to the environment (Rodriguez et al., 2017 ). Others specified tensions in the research itself versus tensions in the change process (Armstrong & Jovanovic, 2017 ). The change appeared to bring about a protective nature in wanting to retain previous practices or possession of resources and support, which were concerns specifically emphasized by Kezar ( 2011 ). Colbeck ( 2002 ) acknowledged that “this planning process is likely to involve considerable conflict as different groups maneuver to ensure their interests are represented” (p. 398). Finally, internal struggles and conflicts often related to infrastructure (Kezar et al., 2015 ; Lounsbury, 2001 ). In particular, bottom-up change often had considerable problems with alignment, incentives, involvement, and resources (Kezar et al., 2015 ).

Sustainable change

The third dimension addresses the stability of the change process over time. In examining this dimension, studies described the change as either time-bound or cyclical. Time-bound studies identified a specific period wherein change activities took place, and then the change process came to a resolution. For example, Carlisle and Weaver ( 2018 ) described how STEM education “centers [SECs] engage institutions and departments in processes that foster change in undergraduate STEM education, which, if sustained, could lead to the adaptation of traditional norms” (p. 3). This approach implied the changes are not cyclical but end once the centers are a part of institutional norms. Additionally, the purpose of SECs was described as enhancing teaching and learning to broaden participation. In seeking to establish SECs, institutions presumed that establishing centers would provide “a home, as well as resources, for previously funded successful STEM programs and initiatives, thereby contributing to their continuation” (Carlisle & Weaver, 2018 , p. 14). This statement again alludes to protecting resources and interests.

The studies that described change as cyclical highlighted adaptive structures to different levels and created the impetus for on-going change. Gehrke and Kezar ( 2019 ) suggested that this process should “nurture a regular rhythm for the community, which ensures a continuous cycle of events and involvement opportunities so members can anticipate what is to come through their regular involvement” (p. 849). Kezar and Holcolmbe ( 2019 ) pointed out that sustainable change is influenced by multiple levels of change occurring.

Stakeholder engagement

The fourth dimension reflects that the change process involves deliberation among stakeholders. The primary theme was that the deliberation process is as much about who is involved as it is about where it happens and how it unfolds. In researching STEM faculty communities of practice, Gehrke and Kezar ( 2017 ) were explicitly interested in “focusing on organizationally related outcomes such as department and institutional change” and identifying “the ways in which individual faculty involvement in these communities is related to localized efforts at STEM reform and can thus be leveraged to scale-up reform efforts” (p. 806). Institutional type and structural distinctions also require nuance in the change process deliberation. For example, structural differences might limit collective work (Kezar & Holcombe, 2019 ) due to timing in collaboration and institutional type contributing to competition for resources.

Reinholz and Apkarian ( 2018 ) described “collective goals that attend to, and include, individual goals and concerns”, and a “shared vision for the department can help shape the direction of future change initiatives to align with the needs of individual members as well as build coherence among those goals and ideals” (p. 4). Though some might feel limited in doing collective work, others are deliberately working toward a shared vision. Armstrong and Jovanovic ( 2017 ) cited structures or venues that bring URM women together and empower them to promote “community structures” versus deliberation.

Network expansion

The fifth dimension explores whether the change process involves expanding the stakeholder’s social network. This theme indicates that the change process is tied to helping stakeholders tap into resources beyond their immediate locus of control. Our findings show this can be prompted in response to external isomorphic pressures or encouraged by what the expanded network could do to support change. The expansion is often related to connections with funding agencies, people with specific expertise, and professional development opportunities. Carlisle and Weaver ( 2018 ) ascertained that “a network of partners contributed to STEM education centers’ unique ability to expand institutional capacity” (p. 12). This building of partnerships “consisted of (1) connecting faculty with similar and complementary interests, (2) connecting faculty to available resources, as well as (3) connecting upper administrators to faculty efforts” (p. 12). External agencies identified were related to funding agencies, consultants for their expertise, and professional development opportunities (Gehrke & Kezar, 2017 ; Henderson et al., 2011 ). Focusing on external pressure to expand networks comes from isomorphic influences and could relate to intentional efforts versus responding to contextual realities (Su & Bozeman, 2016 ). Kezar and Holcombe ( 2019 ) highlighted what building networks within the institution could do to support the change effort, particularly in terms of espoused versus enacted efforts.

Timely access to support and incentives

The sixth and final dimension considers whether the articles narrated timely access to support or incentives. The theme of this dimension focused on structural incentives versus other incentives. Reinholz and Apkarian ( 2018 ) indicated that “the inclusion of incentives and rewards for participation in the DAT [Department Action Team] and coordination system as part of the process is aligned with the structural frame” (p. 7). Their structural frame recognizes a culture that includes structures, symbols, power, and people and acknowledges the pressure to maintain power and resources. Rewards and incentives are related to the institutional type and setting and connect to how well-supported faculty and staff feel (Gehrke & Kezar, 2019 ). The role of stakeholders can help continue to support student success holistically by providing interpersonal support between stakeholders (Rodriguez et al., 2017 ). It is unclear how timely the support/incentives were within the studies and assumes that support/incentives are ever-present. For example, Carlisle and Weaver ( 2018 ) write, “through their scholarship, [STEM education centers] contribute to the knowledge base and provide funding, which adds resources and incentives for the implementation of [evidence-based instructional practices] and educational research” (p. 1).

Much of the research within STEM education focuses on student-level insights (Harper, 2010 ; Sax et al., 2017 ) rather than organizational or macro-level dynamics (Bastedo, 2012 ). In response to our research question, we contend that STEM entities that did not leverage organizational theory and consistently fell into either the “decision trap” identified by Langley et al. ( 2013 ) created by ignoring temporal structures or deemed the innovation as threatening as Kezar ( 2011 ) suggested. Although not all the innovations focused on URM STEM success, they did attend to innovations that LSAMP is engaging. Hence, the results of our SRL presents two relevant takeaways that complement and challenge the existing knowledge related to the process of scaling an intervention from one context to another and making change sustainable via the institutionalization of structures and supports.

Can mimetic isomorphism go beyond creating pressure?

A tension we identified in the theoretical framework was that we might be working with “faulty assumptions of change/innovation” (Kezar, 2011 , p. 236). Kezar argued that some “practices or ideas that may be perceived as threatening to a community” and, therefore, mutual adaptation is more common (p. 242). Mutual adaption is described as a process whereby an external group or force that views an innovation as beneficial to students persuades and encourages internal groups who may see this innovation as a threat. The findings demonstrate that broadening the impact of innovations that help URM students achieve success in STEM can be viewed as a threat to resources and power within higher education. Creating inclusive practices for STEM URM students has undoubtedly been an external force, often without enough internal champions within various institutions (Ong et al., 2011 ).

Furthermore, evoking the literature on mimetic isomorphism, the call for a more diverse STEM pipeline has helped to make URM STEM success a priority. Yet ironically, URM STEM success has been so elusive (Ong et al., 2011 ) that it may allow universities to avoid making real investments and progress in this area. In other words, universities want to imitate their peers in innovating toward URM STEM success. However, if no one achieves this success, there is no real pressure to achieve genuine progress. The work of broadening impacts, specifically concerning URM STEM success, becomes about appearing to scale-up innovations rather than effectively institutionalizing innovative best practices. An interest in the appearance of, rather than a real commitment to innovation, is primarily due to considering innovations a threat to power and resources that could also be influenced by timely decision-making.

Can organizational frameworks deliver meaningful change in STEM?

Half of the studies that used organizational frameworks focused on organizational learning/theories of change. The other half focused on neo-institutional theories that are more broadly concerned with environmental dynamics. As our second phase of analysis highlighted, some representative studies (Carlisle & Weaver, 2018 ; Gehrke & Kezar, 2017 ) attended to both internal and external dynamics of scaling-up an intervention and institutionalized it. This emergent issue highlights the extent to which organizational frameworks help to address whether change efforts are sustainable over time. It is difficult to say definitively since studies in our sample were not designed to answer the question of longevity. The commonality is that change was typically going well at the moment of data collection and journal submission. However, it is much more challenging to determine whether that same success was realized 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years beyond the data collection period and publication time frame.

This raises two additional questions on the utility of organizational frameworks. First, is change meaningful or consequential if it exists for a moment but dissipates over time? Another way of asking the question is how lasting must a change be for it to be meaningful and to what extent does an organizational framework account for the temporal nature of change? The second consideration is how embedded within the organizational framework are insights that prompt reflection or re-engagement with topics after time has passed? As noted, we did not readily identify organizational frameworks or studies that dealt with this issue well beyond Kezar’s ( 2011 ) assertion that sustainability of interventions matter.

Consequently, our framework draws attention to the need for stakeholders to reconsider these dimensions in the design and implementation of their change efforts. Hence, we translate these insights into suggestions for STEM organizations within networks that are charged with scaling their innovations and making them sustainable.

Implications for practice and future research

We distinguish between adaptation and learning in our framework because adaptation refers to defensively changing rather than learning how to apply knowledge and awareness “beyond the immediate event” (Fiol & Lyles, 1985 , p. 805). Adapting is not necessarily excluded from organizational learning but is lower-level learning. Fiol and Lyles ( 1985 ) contended that higher-level learning “aims at adjusting overall rules and norms rather than specific activities or behaviors” (p. 808). More telling is that lower-level organizational learning is contained within specific areas of an organization, adjusts rules but continues to work within them, and prefers the routine of known and controlled environments.

Unfortunately, STEM initiatives for URMs often function precisely this way. For example, Gomez et al. ( 2021 ) researched STEM program directors and described two types of leaders: grassroots leaders and institutional agents. The challenges they identified for each were related to lower-level organizational learning. Grassroots leaders lacked the power and authority to change structures, policies, and resources. Nevertheless, institutional agents also operated within known and controlled environments and often sought to change student behavior rather than their institutions’ rules and norms. Ultimately, they recommended that institutional agents who have the power and authority to change structures become transformation leaders. Doing so requires understanding how their behavior contributes to lower-level rather than higher-level organizational learning. Higher-level organizational learning requires changing mission and direction rather than simply behaviors and rules. Further research could apply lower and higher-level organizational learning to our framework.

The realization that lower-level learning may be acutely linked to URM STEM programs is not unexpected, given what Ray ( 2019 ) called the racialization of organizations. Ray asserted that segregation and hierarchy within organizations shape agency, which means there is a disproportionate allocation of resources, specifically for people with minoritized identities. Conversely, Whiteness becomes a “credential providing access to organizational resources, legitimizing work hierarchies, and expanding White agency” (p. 41). This leads to organizations disassociating from even official commitments to equity and inclusion (Ray, 2019 ). Decoupling from commitments to changing structures, norms, and missions is crucial to organizational higher learning. Leaders and stakeholders should examine how our theoretical framework can be applied in specific ways to consider how racialized organizations influence timely decisions or threats to power. For example, LSAMP alliances could ask if they explicitly understand the process of change and how race influences that process?

Given the evolving landscape of higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, intentional steps that safeguard the STEM ecosystem for URMs (Lord et al., 2019 ) and access to external resources to support research are critical (Bozeman & Youtie, 2017 ). We contend that now more than ever, an organizing theory, such as the dimensions of our theoretical framework, is necessary to bring added coherency and credibility to efforts that attend to the needs of marginalized URM students, faculty, and administration who will be differentially impacted by the crisis (Gonzales & Griffin, 2020 ). Further research and practice are needed to critically, intentionally, and continually examine how this global pandemic can limit how individuals and collective entities engage in organizational learning and change within higher education institutions. By leveraging our key considerations informed by research on this topic to date, we envision a new line of inquiry and practice can be generated to guide how colleges and universities function under this difficult, complex, and challenging time in our history.

Acknowledgements

We would like to also acknowledge the editing services of Amy Gralewski.

Author contributions

DM, NL, and KD conceptualized the project. DM and NL created the analysis scheme. NL and QH collected, organized, and analyze the study reviews. All authors participated in identifying findings. NL, DM, and QH wrote an initial draft of the manuscript. KD provided feedback and editing. NL revised the manuscript for submission. All authors approved the manuscript for submission. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

The authors disclose receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: this work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant [#1911341].

Availability of data and materials

Declarations.

We have no competing interests to disclose.

Publisher's Note

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Contributor Information

Norma López, Email: ude.stfut@60zepoln .

Demetri L. Morgan, Email: ude.cul@6nagromd .

Quortne R. Hutchings, Email: ude.uin@sgnihctuhq .

Kendrick Davis, Email: ude.csu@10sivadk .

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION: Studies of Equity, Access and Innovation

Qualitative Research in STEM Education examines the ground-breaking potential of qualitative research methods to address issues of social justice, equity, and sustainability in STEM. A collection of empirical studies conducted by prominent STEM researchers, this book examines the experiences and challenges faced by traditionally marginalized groups in STEM, most notably minority students and women. Investigations ito these issues, as well as the high dropout rate among engineering students and issues of academic integrity in STEM, come with detailed explanations of the study methodologies used in each case. Contributors also provide personal narratives that share their perspectives on the benefits of qualitative research methodologies for the topics explored. Through a variety of qualitative methodologies, including participatory action research, indigenous research, and critical ethnography, this volume aims to reveal and remedy the inequalities within STEM education today.

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Home » 500+ Qualitative Research Titles and Topics

500+ Qualitative Research Titles and Topics

Table of Contents

Qualitative research is a methodological approach that involves gathering and analyzing non-numerical data to understand and interpret social phenomena. Unlike quantitative research , which emphasizes the collection of numerical data through surveys and experiments, qualitative research is concerned with exploring the subjective experiences, perspectives, and meanings of individuals and groups. As such, qualitative research topics can be diverse and encompass a wide range of social issues and phenomena. From exploring the impact of culture on identity formation to examining the experiences of marginalized communities, qualitative research offers a rich and nuanced perspective on complex social issues. In this post, we will explore some of the most compelling qualitative research topics and provide some tips on how to conduct effective qualitative research.

Qualitative Research Titles

Qualitative research titles often reflect the study’s focus on understanding the depth and complexity of human behavior, experiences, or social phenomena. Here are some examples across various fields:

• “Understanding the Impact of Project-Based Learning on Student Engagement in High School Classrooms: A Qualitative Study”
• “Navigating the Transition: Experiences of International Students in American Universities”
• “The Role of Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education: Perspectives from Teachers and Parents”
• “Exploring the Effects of Teacher Feedback on Student Motivation and Self-Efficacy in Middle Schools”
• “Digital Literacy in the Classroom: Teacher Strategies for Integrating Technology in Elementary Education”
• “Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices: A Case Study in Diverse Urban Schools”
• “The Influence of Extracurricular Activities on Academic Achievement: Student Perspectives”
• “Barriers to Implementing Inclusive Education in Public Schools: A Qualitative Inquiry”
• “Teacher Professional Development and Its Impact on Classroom Practice: A Qualitative Exploration”
• “Student-Centered Learning Environments: A Qualitative Study of Classroom Dynamics and Outcomes”
• “The Experience of First-Year Teachers: Challenges, Support Systems, and Professional Growth”
• “Exploring the Role of School Leadership in Fostering a Positive School Culture”
• “Peer Relationships and Learning Outcomes in Cooperative Learning Settings: A Qualitative Analysis”
• “The Impact of Social Media on Student Learning and Engagement: Teacher and Student Perspectives”
• “Understanding Special Education Needs: Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Support Services in Schools

Health Science

• “Living with Chronic Pain: Patient Narratives and Coping Strategies in Managing Daily Life”
• “Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on the Challenges of Rural Healthcare Delivery”
• “Exploring the Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 on Frontline Healthcare Workers: A Qualitative Study”
• “Patient and Family Experiences of Palliative Care: Understanding Needs and Preferences”
• “The Role of Community Health Workers in Improving Access to Maternal Healthcare in Rural Areas”
• “Barriers to Mental Health Services Among Ethnic Minorities: A Qualitative Exploration”
• “Understanding Patient Satisfaction in Telemedicine Services: A Qualitative Study of User Experiences”
• “The Impact of Cultural Competence Training on Healthcare Provider-Patient Communication”
• “Navigating the Transition to Adult Healthcare Services: Experiences of Adolescents with Chronic Conditions”
• “Exploring the Use of Alternative Medicine Among Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Qualitative Inquiry”
• “The Role of Social Support in the Rehabilitation Process of Stroke Survivors”
• “Healthcare Decision-Making Among Elderly Patients: A Qualitative Study of Preferences and Influences”
• “Nurse Perceptions of Patient Safety Culture in Hospital Settings: A Qualitative Analysis”
• “Experiences of Women with Postpartum Depression: Barriers to Seeking Help”
• “The Impact of Nutrition Education on Eating Behaviors Among College Students: A Qualitative Approach”
• “Understanding Resilience in Survivors of Childhood Trauma: A Narrative Inquiry”
• “The Role of Mindfulness in Managing Work-Related Stress Among Corporate Employees: A Qualitative Study”
• “Coping Mechanisms Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder”
• “Exploring the Psychological Impact of Social Isolation in the Elderly: A Phenomenological Study”
• “Identity Formation in Adolescence: The Influence of Social Media and Peer Groups”
• “The Experience of Forgiveness in Interpersonal Relationships: A Qualitative Exploration”
• “Perceptions of Happiness and Well-Being Among University Students: A Cultural Perspective”
• “The Impact of Art Therapy on Anxiety and Depression in Adult Cancer Patients”
• “Narratives of Recovery: A Qualitative Study on the Journey Through Addiction Rehabilitation”
• “Exploring the Psychological Effects of Long-Term Unemployment: A Grounded Theory Approach”
• “Attachment Styles and Their Influence on Adult Romantic Relationships: A Qualitative Analysis”
• “The Role of Personal Values in Career Decision-Making Among Young Adults”
• “Understanding the Stigma of Mental Illness in Rural Communities: A Qualitative Inquiry”
• “Exploring the Use of Digital Mental Health Interventions Among Adolescents: A Qualitative Study”
• “The Psychological Impact of Climate Change on Young Adults: An Exploration of Anxiety and Action”
• “Navigating Identity: The Role of Social Media in Shaping Youth Culture and Self-Perception”
• “Community Resilience in the Face of Urban Gentrification: A Case Study of Neighborhood Change”
• “The Dynamics of Intergenerational Relationships in Immigrant Families: A Qualitative Analysis”
• “Social Capital and Economic Mobility in Low-Income Neighborhoods: An Ethnographic Approach”
• “Gender Roles and Career Aspirations Among Young Adults in Conservative Societies”
• “The Stigma of Mental Health in the Workplace: Employee Narratives and Organizational Culture”
• “Exploring the Intersection of Race, Class, and Education in Urban School Systems”
• “The Impact of Digital Divide on Access to Healthcare Information in Rural Communities”
• “Social Movements and Political Engagement Among Millennials: A Qualitative Study”
• “Cultural Adaptation and Identity Among Second-Generation Immigrants: A Phenomenological Inquiry”
• “The Role of Religious Institutions in Providing Community Support and Social Services”
• “Negotiating Public Space: Experiences of LGBTQ+ Individuals in Urban Environments”
• “The Sociology of Food: Exploring Eating Habits and Food Practices Across Cultures”
• “Work-Life Balance Challenges Among Dual-Career Couples: A Qualitative Exploration”
• “The Influence of Peer Networks on Substance Use Among Adolescents: A Community Study”

Business and Management

• “Navigating Organizational Change: Employee Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies in Mergers and Acquisitions”
• “Corporate Social Responsibility: Consumer Perceptions and Brand Loyalty in the Retail Sector”
• “Leadership Styles and Organizational Culture: A Comparative Study of Tech Startups”
• “Workplace Diversity and Inclusion: Best Practices and Challenges in Multinational Corporations”
• “Consumer Trust in E-commerce: A Qualitative Study of Online Shopping Behaviors”
• “The Gig Economy and Worker Satisfaction: Exploring the Experiences of Freelance Professionals”
• “Entrepreneurial Resilience: Success Stories and Lessons Learned from Failed Startups”
• “Employee Engagement and Productivity in Remote Work Settings: A Post-Pandemic Analysis”
• “Brand Storytelling: How Narrative Strategies Influence Consumer Engagement”
• “Sustainable Business Practices: Stakeholder Perspectives in the Fashion Industry”
• “Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges in Global Teams: Strategies for Effective Collaboration”
• “Innovative Workspaces: The Impact of Office Design on Creativity and Collaboration”
• “Consumer Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Customer Service: A Qualitative Exploration”
• “The Role of Mentoring in Career Development: Insights from Women in Leadership Positions”
• “Agile Management Practices: Adoption and Impact in Traditional Industries”

Environmental Studies

• “Community-Based Conservation Efforts in Tropical Rainforests: A Qualitative Study of Local Perspectives and Practices”
• “Urban Sustainability Initiatives: Exploring Resident Participation and Impact in Green City Projects”
• “Perceptions of Climate Change Among Indigenous Populations: Insights from Traditional Ecological Knowledge”
• “Environmental Justice and Industrial Pollution: A Case Study of Community Advocacy and Response”
• “The Role of Eco-Tourism in Promoting Conservation Awareness: Perspectives from Tour Operators and Visitors”
• “Sustainable Agriculture Practices Among Smallholder Farmers: Challenges and Opportunities”
• “Youth Engagement in Climate Action Movements: Motivations, Perceptions, and Outcomes”
• “Corporate Environmental Responsibility: A Qualitative Analysis of Stakeholder Expectations and Company Practices”
• “The Impact of Plastic Pollution on Marine Ecosystems: Community Awareness and Behavioral Change”
• “Renewable Energy Adoption in Rural Communities: Barriers, Facilitators, and Social Implications”
• “Water Scarcity and Community Adaptation Strategies in Arid Regions: A Grounded Theory Approach”
• “Urban Green Spaces: Public Perceptions and Use Patterns in Megacities”
• “Environmental Education in Schools: Teachers’ Perspectives on Integrating Sustainability into Curricula”
• “The Influence of Environmental Activism on Policy Change: Case Studies of Grassroots Campaigns”
• “Cultural Practices and Natural Resource Management: A Qualitative Study of Indigenous Stewardship Models”

Anthropology

• “Kinship and Social Organization in Matrilineal Societies: An Ethnographic Study”
• “Rituals and Beliefs Surrounding Death and Mourning in Diverse Cultures: A Comparative Analysis”
• “The Impact of Globalization on Indigenous Languages and Cultural Identity”
• “Food Sovereignty and Traditional Agricultural Practices Among Indigenous Communities”
• “Navigating Modernity: The Integration of Traditional Healing Practices in Contemporary Healthcare Systems”
• “Gender Roles and Equality in Hunter-Gatherer Societies: An Anthropological Perspective”
• “Sacred Spaces and Religious Practices: An Ethnographic Study of Pilgrimage Sites”
• “Youth Subcultures and Resistance: An Exploration of Identity and Expression in Urban Environments”
• “Cultural Constructions of Disability and Inclusion: A Cross-Cultural Analysis”
• “Interethnic Marriages and Cultural Syncretism: Case Studies from Multicultural Societies”
• “The Role of Folklore and Storytelling in Preserving Cultural Heritage”
• “Economic Anthropology of Gift-Giving and Reciprocity in Tribal Communities”
• “Digital Anthropology: The Role of Social Media in Shaping Political Movements”
• “Migration and Diaspora: Maintaining Cultural Identity in Transnational Communities”
• “Cultural Adaptations to Climate Change Among Coastal Fishing Communities”

Communication Studies

• “The Dynamics of Family Communication in the Digital Age: A Qualitative Inquiry”
• “Narratives of Identity and Belonging in Diaspora Communities Through Social Media”
• “Organizational Communication and Employee Engagement: A Case Study in the Non-Profit Sector”
• “Cultural Influences on Communication Styles in Multinational Teams: An Ethnographic Approach”
• “Media Representation of Women in Politics: A Content Analysis and Audience Perception Study”
• “The Role of Communication in Building Sustainable Community Development Projects”
• “Interpersonal Communication in Online Dating: Strategies, Challenges, and Outcomes”
• “Public Health Messaging During Pandemics: A Qualitative Study of Community Responses”
• “The Impact of Mobile Technology on Parent-Child Communication in the Digital Era”
• “Crisis Communication Strategies in the Hospitality Industry: A Case Study of Reputation Management”
• “Narrative Analysis of Personal Stories Shared on Mental Health Blogs”
• “The Influence of Podcasts on Political Engagement Among Young Adults”
• “Visual Communication and Brand Identity: A Qualitative Study of Consumer Interpretations”
• “Communication Barriers in Cross-Cultural Healthcare Settings: Patient and Provider Perspectives”
• “The Role of Internal Communication in Managing Organizational Change: Employee Experiences”

Information Technology

• “User Experience Design in Augmented Reality Applications: A Qualitative Study of Best Practices”
• “The Human Factor in Cybersecurity: Understanding Employee Behaviors and Attitudes Towards Phishing”
• “Adoption of Cloud Computing in Small and Medium Enterprises: Challenges and Success Factors”
• “Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management: A Qualitative Exploration of Potential Impacts”
• “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Personalizing User Experiences on E-commerce Platforms”
• “Digital Transformation in Traditional Industries: A Case Study of Technology Adoption Challenges”
• “Ethical Considerations in the Development of Smart Home Technologies: A Stakeholder Analysis”
• “The Impact of Social Media Algorithms on News Consumption and Public Opinion”
• “Collaborative Software Development: Practices and Challenges in Open Source Projects”
• “Understanding the Digital Divide: Access to Information Technology in Rural Communities”
• “Data Privacy Concerns and User Trust in Internet of Things (IoT) Devices”
• “The Effectiveness of Gamification in Educational Software: A Qualitative Study of Engagement and Motivation”
• “Virtual Teams and Remote Work: Communication Strategies and Tools for Effectiveness”
• “User-Centered Design in Mobile Health Applications: Evaluating Usability and Accessibility”
• “The Influence of Technology on Work-Life Balance: Perspectives from IT Professionals”

Tourism and Hospitality

• “Exploring the Authenticity of Cultural Heritage Tourism in Indigenous Communities”
• “Sustainable Tourism Practices: Perceptions and Implementations in Small Island Destinations”
• “The Impact of Social Media Influencers on Destination Choice Among Millennials”
• “Gastronomy Tourism: Exploring the Culinary Experiences of International Visitors in Rural Regions”
• “Eco-Tourism and Conservation: Stakeholder Perspectives on Balancing Tourism and Environmental Protection”
• “The Role of Hospitality in Enhancing the Cultural Exchange Experience of Exchange Students”
• “Dark Tourism: Visitor Motivations and Experiences at Historical Conflict Sites”
• “Customer Satisfaction in Luxury Hotels: A Qualitative Study of Service Excellence and Personalization”
• “Adventure Tourism: Understanding the Risk Perception and Safety Measures Among Thrill-Seekers”
• “The Influence of Local Communities on Tourist Experiences in Ecotourism Sites”
• “Event Tourism: Economic Impacts and Community Perspectives on Large-Scale Music Festivals”
• “Heritage Tourism and Identity: Exploring the Connections Between Historic Sites and National Identity”
• “Tourist Perceptions of Sustainable Accommodation Practices: A Study of Green Hotels”
• “The Role of Language in Shaping the Tourist Experience in Multilingual Destinations”
• “Health and Wellness Tourism: Motivations and Experiences of Visitors to Spa and Retreat Centers”

Qualitative Research Topics

Qualitative Research Topics are as follows:

• Understanding the lived experiences of first-generation college students
• Exploring the impact of social media on self-esteem among adolescents
• Investigating the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction
• Analyzing the perceptions of employees regarding organizational culture
• Examining the impact of parental involvement on academic achievement of elementary school students
• Investigating the role of music therapy in managing symptoms of depression
• Understanding the experience of women in male-dominated industries
• Exploring the factors that contribute to successful leadership in non-profit organizations
• Analyzing the effects of peer pressure on substance abuse among adolescents
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with disabilities in the workplace
• Understanding the factors that contribute to burnout among healthcare professionals
• Examining the impact of social support on mental health outcomes
• Analyzing the perceptions of parents regarding sex education in schools
• Investigating the experiences of immigrant families in the education system
• Understanding the impact of trauma on mental health outcomes
• Exploring the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy for individuals with anxiety
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful intergenerational relationships
• Investigating the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace
• Understanding the impact of online gaming on social skills development among adolescents
• Examining the perceptions of teachers regarding technology integration in the classroom
• Analyzing the experiences of women in leadership positions
• Investigating the factors that contribute to successful marriage and long-term relationships
• Understanding the impact of social media on political participation
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with mental health disorders in the criminal justice system
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community-based programs for youth development
• Investigating the experiences of veterans in accessing mental health services
• Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health outcomes
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood obesity prevention
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful multicultural education programs
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in the workplace
• Understanding the impact of poverty on academic achievement
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in the workplace
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful employee retention strategies
• Investigating the experiences of caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
• Understanding the impact of parent-child communication on adolescent sexual behavior
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health services on campus
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in the workplace
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of mentorship on career success
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with physical disabilities in the workplace
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community-based programs for mental health
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of social media on romantic relationships
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding child discipline strategies
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful cross-cultural communication in the workplace
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of cultural differences on healthcare delivery
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with hearing loss in the workplace
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful parent-teacher communication
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with depression in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of childhood trauma on adult mental health outcomes
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding alcohol and drug use on campus
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful mentor-mentee relationships
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the workplace
• Understanding the impact of work-family balance on employee satisfaction and well-being
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in vocational rehabilitation programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful project management in the construction industry
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in peer support groups
• Understanding the impact of mindfulness meditation on stress reduction and mental health
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood nutrition
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful environmental sustainability initiatives in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with bipolar disorder in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of job stress on employee burnout and turnover
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with physical disabilities in recreational activities
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful strategic planning in nonprofit organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with hoarding disorder in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of culture on leadership styles and effectiveness
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding sexual health education on campus
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain management in the retail industry
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with personality disorders in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of multiculturalism on group dynamics in the workplace
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in mindfulness-based pain management programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful employee engagement strategies in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with internet addiction disorder in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of social comparison on body dissatisfaction and self-esteem
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood sleep habits
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful diversity and inclusion initiatives in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with schizophrenia in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of job crafting on employee motivation and job satisfaction
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with vision impairments in navigating public spaces
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer relationship management strategies in the service industry
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative amnesia in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of cultural intelligence on intercultural communication and collaboration
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding campus diversity and inclusion efforts
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain sustainability initiatives in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of transformational leadership on organizational performance and employee well-being
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with mobility impairments in public transportation
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful talent management strategies in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in harm reduction programs
• Understanding the impact of gratitude practices on well-being and resilience
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood mental health and well-being
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful corporate social responsibility initiatives in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with borderline personality disorder in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of emotional labor on job stress and burnout
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with hearing impairments in healthcare settings
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer experience strategies in the hospitality industry
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with gender dysphoria in gender-affirming healthcare
• Understanding the impact of cultural differences on cross-cultural negotiation in the global marketplace
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding academic stress and mental health
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain agility in organizations
• Understanding the impact of music therapy on mental health and well-being
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with dyslexia in educational settings
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful leadership in nonprofit organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in online support groups
• Understanding the impact of exercise on mental health and well-being
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood screen time
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful change management strategies in organizations
• Understanding the impact of cultural differences on international business negotiations
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with hearing impairments in the workplace
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in corporate settings
• Understanding the impact of technology on communication in romantic relationships
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community engagement strategies for local governments
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of financial stress on mental health and well-being
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful mentorship programs in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with gambling addictions in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of social media on body image and self-esteem
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood education
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful virtual team management strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative identity disorder in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of cultural differences on cross-cultural communication in healthcare settings
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in cognitive-behavioral therapy programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community-building strategies in urban neighborhoods
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with alcohol use disorders in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of personality traits on romantic relationships
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health stigma on campus
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful fundraising strategies for political campaigns
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with traumatic brain injuries in rehabilitation programs
• Understanding the impact of social support on mental health and well-being among the elderly
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in medical treatment decision-making processes
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful innovation strategies in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative disorders in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of cultural differences on cross-cultural communication in education settings
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood physical activity
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful conflict resolution in family relationships
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with opioid use disorders in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of emotional intelligence on leadership effectiveness
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with learning disabilities in the workplace
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful change management in educational institutions
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in recovery support groups
• Understanding the impact of self-compassion on mental health and well-being
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding campus safety and security measures
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with postpartum depression in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of ageism in the workplace
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with dyslexia in the education system
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in cognitive-behavioral therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of socioeconomic status on access to healthcare
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood screen time usage
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain management strategies
• Understanding the impact of parenting styles on child development
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with addiction in harm reduction programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful crisis management strategies in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with trauma in trauma-focused therapy programs
• Examining the perceptions of healthcare providers regarding patient-centered care
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful product development strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in employment programs
• Understanding the impact of cultural competence on healthcare outcomes
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in healthcare navigation
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful community engagement strategies for non-profit organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with physical disabilities in the workplace
• Understanding the impact of childhood trauma on adult mental health
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain sustainability strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with personality disorders in dialectical behavior therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of gender identity on mental health treatment seeking behaviors
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with schizophrenia in community-based treatment programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful project team management strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder in exposure and response prevention therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of cultural competence on academic achievement and success
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding academic integrity
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful social media marketing strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with bipolar disorder in community-based treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of mindfulness on academic achievement and success
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in medication-assisted treatment programs
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in exposure therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of healthcare disparities on health outcomes
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain optimization strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with borderline personality disorder in schema therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of culture on perceptions of mental health stigma
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with trauma in art therapy programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful digital marketing strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in online support groups
• Understanding the impact of workplace bullying on job satisfaction and performance
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health resources on campus
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful supply chain risk management strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in mindfulness-based pain management programs
• Understanding the impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy on social anxiety disorder
• Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with eating disorders in treatment programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful leadership in business organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in cognitive-behavioral therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of cultural differences on intercultural communication
• Examining the perceptions of teachers regarding inclusive education for students with disabilities
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with depression in therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of workplace culture on employee retention and turnover
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with traumatic brain injuries in rehabilitation programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful crisis communication strategies in organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with anxiety disorders in mindfulness-based interventions
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in healthcare settings
• Understanding the impact of technology on work-life balance
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with learning disabilities in academic settings
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful entrepreneurship in small businesses
• Understanding the impact of gender identity on mental health and well-being
• Examining the perceptions of individuals with disabilities regarding accessibility in public spaces
• Understanding the impact of religion on coping strategies for stress and anxiety
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in complementary and alternative medicine treatments
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer retention strategies in business organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with postpartum depression in therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of ageism on older adults in healthcare settings
• Examining the perceptions of students regarding online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in virtual work environments
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with gambling disorders in treatment programs
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in peer support groups
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful social media marketing strategies for businesses
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with ADHD in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of sleep on cognitive and emotional functioning
• Examining the perceptions of individuals with chronic illnesses regarding healthcare access and affordability
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with borderline personality disorder in dialectical behavior therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of social support on caregiver well-being
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in disability activism
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful cultural competency training programs in healthcare settings
• Understanding the impact of personality disorders on interpersonal relationships
• Examining the perceptions of healthcare providers regarding the use of telehealth services
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with dissociative disorders in therapy programs
• Understanding the impact of gender bias in hiring practices
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with visual impairments in the workplace
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful diversity and inclusion programs in the workplace
• Understanding the impact of online dating on romantic relationships
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood vaccination
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful communication in healthcare settings
• Understanding the impact of cultural stereotypes on academic achievement
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with substance use disorders in sober living programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful classroom management strategies
• Understanding the impact of social support on addiction recovery
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding mental health stigma
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful conflict resolution in the workplace
• Understanding the impact of race and ethnicity on healthcare access and outcomes
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder in treatment programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful project management strategies
• Understanding the impact of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful customer service strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with social anxiety disorder in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of workplace stress on job satisfaction and performance
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with disabilities in sports and recreation
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful marketing strategies for small businesses
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with phobias in treatment programs
• Understanding the impact of culture on attitudes towards mental health and illness
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding sexual assault prevention
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful time management strategies
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with addiction in recovery support groups
• Understanding the impact of mindfulness on emotional regulation and well-being
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in treatment programs
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful conflict resolution in romantic relationships
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in social skills training programs
• Understanding the impact of parent-child communication on adolescent substance use
• Examining the perceptions of parents regarding childhood mental health services
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses in support groups
• Understanding the impact of personality traits on career success and satisfaction
• Exploring the experiences of individuals with disabilities in accessing public transportation
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to successful team building in sports teams
• Investigating the experiences of individuals with chronic pain in alternative medicine treatments
• Understanding the impact of stigma on mental health treatment seeking behaviors
• Examining the perceptions of college students regarding diversity and inclusion on campus.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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1st Edition

Qualitative Research in STEM Studies of Equity, Access, and Innovation

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Description

Qualitative Research in STEM examines the groundbreaking potential of qualitative research methods to address issues of social justice, equity, and sustainability in STEM. A collection of empirical studies conducted by prominent STEM researchers, this book examines the experiences and challenges faced by traditionally marginalized groups in STEM, most notably culturally and linguistically diverse students and women. Investigations into these issues, as well as the high dropout rate among engineering students and issues of academic integrity in STEM, come with detailed explanations of the study methodologies used in each case. Contributors also provide personal narratives that share their perspectives on the benefits of qualitative research methodologies for the topics explored. Through a variety of qualitative methodologies, including participatory action research, Indigenous research, and critical ethnography, this volume aims to reveal and remedy the inequalities within STEM education today.

Table of Contents

Sherry Marx is Associate Professor of English as Second Language (ESL) Education, Multicultural Education, and Qualitative Research Methods at Utah State University.

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189+ Most Exciting Qualitative Research Topics For Students

Researchers conduct qualitative studies to gain a holistic understanding of the topic under investigation. Analyzing qualitative? Looking for the best qualitative research topics? 

If yes, you are here at the right place. We are discussing here all the topics in every field. Basically, qualitative research is the most valuable approach within the fields of social sciences, humanities, and various other fields. 

Qualitative research uses a wide array of methods such as interviews, focus groups, participant observation, content analysis, and case studies. Even among others, to gather and analyze non-numerical data. 

In this blog, we will explore the diverse, most interesting qualitative research topics, highlighting their importance. Whether you are a student, a scholar, or a practitioner in your field, these best qualitative research ideas are most helpful for you.

Must Read: 21 Ways To Get Good Grades In College

What Is Qualitative Research?

Table of Contents

Qualitative research is a systematic and exploratory approach to research that focuses on understanding and interpreting the complexities of human experiences, behaviors, and phenomena. It aims to provide in-depth insights into the “how” and “why” of various issues by examining them in their natural settings and contexts. Unlike quantitative research, which primarily deals with numerical data and statistical analysis, qualitative research relies on non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, textual analysis, and participant narratives to uncover deeper meanings and patterns.

Key Characteristics of Qualitative Research

• Purpose : Qualitative research is used to delve into new or less understood areas, aiming to generate new hypotheses and theories.
• Example : Investigating the coping mechanisms of natural disaster survivors in regions where little prior research exists.
• Purpose : It seeks to understand and interpret participants’ perspectives, emotions, and experiences.
• Example : Examining how individuals with chronic pain perceive their condition and the medical care they receive.
• Purpose : Highlights the importance of context and situational factors in shaping human behavior and experiences.
• Example : Exploring how cultural backgrounds influence parenting styles in different communities.
• Purpose : Employs adaptable and open-ended data collection methods that evolve as new insights are gained.
• Example : Conducting semi-structured interviews where the researcher can ask follow-up questions based on participants’ answers.
• Purpose : Generates detailed, narrative data that offer deep insights into the studied topic, capturing the complexity of human experiences.
• Example : Collecting and analyzing detailed personal stories to understand career development and personal growth.

These characteristics enable qualitative research to provide a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of complex issues, often revealing insights that quantitative approaches might miss.

8 Great Tips On How To Choose Good Qualitative Research Topics

Here are some tips to help you select strong qualitative research topics:

1. Personal Interest and Passion: Start by considering what genuinely interests and excites you. Your enthusiasm for the topic will sustain your motivation throughout the research process.

2. Relevance: Ensure that your chosen topic is relevant to your field of study or the discipline you are working within. It should contribute to existing knowledge or address a meaningful research gap.

3. Research Gap Identification: Review relevant literature and research to identify gaps or areas where there is limited qualitative research. Look for unanswered questions or underexplored aspects of a particular subject.

4. Feasibility: Assess whether the topic is feasible within the scope of your research project. Consider factors like available time, resources, and access to potential participants or data sources.

5. Clarity and Specificity: Your research topic should be clear, specific, and well-defined. Avoid overly broad topics that are difficult to explore in depth. Narrow it down to a manageable focus.

6. Significance: Ask yourself why your research topic matters. Consider the potential implications and applications of your findings. How might your research contribute to understanding, policy, or practice?

7. Originality: Aim for a unique angle or perspective on the topic. While you can build on existing research, strive to offer a fresh viewpoint or new insights.

8. Researchable : Ensure that your topic is researchable using qualitative methods. It should allow you to collect relevant data and answer research questions effectively.

137+ Most Exciting Qualitative Research Topics For All Students  

Qualitative research topics in health and medicine.

• Experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Perceptions of alternative medicine among cancer patients.
• Coping mechanisms of individuals with chronic illnesses.
• The impact of telemedicine on patient-doctor relationships.
• Barriers to mental health treatment-seeking among minority populations.
• Qualitative analysis of patient experiences with organ transplantation.
• Decision-making processes of families regarding end-of-life care.

Qualitative Research Topics In Education

• The role of parental involvement in student academic achievement.
• Teacher perceptions of remote learning during a pandemic.
• Peer influence on academic motivation and performance.
• Exploring the experiences of homeschooling families.
• The impact of technology on the classroom environment.
• Factors influencing student dropout rates in higher education.

Qualitative Research Topics In Psychology and Mental Health

• Understanding the stigma associated with seeking therapy.
• Experiences of individuals living with anxiety disorders.
• Perceptions of body image among adolescents.
• Coping strategies of survivors of traumatic events.
• The impact of social support on mental health recovery.
• Narratives of individuals with eating disorders.

Qualitative Research Topics In Sociology and Culture

• Experiences of immigrants in adapting to a new culture.
• The role of social media in shaping cultural identities.
• Perceptions of police-community relations in marginalized communities.
• Gender dynamics in the workplace and career progression.
• Qualitative analysis of online dating experiences.
• Narratives of LGBTQ+ individuals coming out to their families.

Qualitative Research Topics In Technology and Society

• User experiences with augmented reality applications.
• Perceptions of online privacy and data security.
• The impact of social media on political activism.
• Ethical considerations in artificial intelligence development.
• Qualitative analysis of online gaming communities.
• Experiences of individuals participating in virtual reality environments.

Qualitative Research Topics In Environmental Studies

• Public perceptions of climate change and environmental policies.
• Experiences of individuals involved in sustainable living practices.
• Qualitative analysis of environmental activism movements.
• Community responses to natural disasters and climate change.
• Perspectives on wildlife conservation efforts.

Qualitative Research Topics In Business and Economics

• Qualitative analysis of consumer behavior and brand loyalty.
• Entrepreneurial experiences of women in male-dominated industries.
• Factors influencing small business success or failure.
• Corporate social responsibility and its impact on consumer trust.
• Experiences of employees in remote work settings.

Qualitative Research Topics In Politics and Governance

• Perceptions of voter suppression and electoral integrity.
• Experiences of political activists in grassroots movements.
• The role of social media in shaping political discourse.
• Narratives of individuals involved in civil rights movements.
• Qualitative analysis of government responses to crises.

Qualitative Research Topics In Family and Relationships

• Experiences of couples in long-distance relationships.
• Parenting styles and their impact on child development.
• Sibling dynamics and their influence on individual development.
• Narratives of individuals in arranged marriages.
• Experiences of single parents in raising their children.

Qualitative Research Topics In Art and Culture

• Qualitative analysis of the impact of art therapy on mental health.
• Experiences of artists in exploring social and political themes.
• Perceptions of cultural appropriation in the arts.
• Narratives of individuals involved in the hip-hop culture.
• The role of art in preserving cultural heritage.

Qualitative Research Topics In Crime and Justice

• Experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals reentering society.
• Perceptions of racial profiling and police violence.
• Qualitative analysis of restorative justice programs.
• Narratives of victims of cyberbullying.
• Perspectives on juvenile justice reform.

Qualitative Research Topics In Sports and Recreation

• Experiences of athletes in overcoming career-threatening injuries.
• The role of sports in building resilience among youth.
• Perceptions of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports.
• Qualitative analysis of sports fandom and its impact on identity.
• Narratives of individuals involved in adaptive sports.

Qualitative Research Topics In History and Heritage

• Experiences of descendants of historical events or figures.
• Perceptions of cultural preservation and heritage conservation.
• Narratives of individuals connected to indigenous cultures.
• The impact of oral history on preserving traditions.
• Qualitative analysis of historical reenactment communities.

Qualitative Research Topics In Religion and Spirituality

• Experiences of individuals who have undergone religious conversion.
• Perceptions of spirituality and well-being.
• The role of religion in shaping moral values and ethics.
• Narratives of individuals who have left religious communities.
• Qualitative analysis of interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

Qualitative Research Topics In Travel and Tourism

• Experiences of solo travelers in foreign countries.
• Perceptions of sustainable tourism practices.
• Qualitative analysis of cultural immersion through travel.
• Narratives of individuals on pilgrimages or spiritual journeys.
• Experiences of individuals living in tourist destinations.

Qualitative Research Topics In Human Rights and Social Justice

• Narratives of human rights activists in advocating for change.
• Experiences of refugees and asylum seekers.
• Perceptions of income inequality and wealth distribution.
• Qualitative analysis of anti-discrimination campaigns.
• Perspectives on global efforts to combat human trafficking.

Qualitative Research Topics In Aging and Gerontology

• Experiences of individuals in assisted living facilities.
• Perceptions of aging and quality of life in older adults.
• Narratives of caregivers for elderly family members.
• The impact of intergenerational relationships on well-being.
• Qualitative analysis of end-of-life decisions and hospice care.

Qualitative Research Topics In Language and Communication

• Experiences of individuals learning a second language.
• Perceptions of non-verbal communication in cross-cultural interactions.
• Narratives of people who communicate primarily through sign language.
• The role of language in shaping identity and belonging.
• Qualitative analysis of online communication in virtual communities.

Qualitative Research Topics In Media and Entertainment

• Experiences of content creators in the digital media industry.
• Perceptions of representation in the film and television industry.
• The impact of music on emotional well-being and identity.
• Narratives of individuals involved in fan communities.
• Qualitative analysis of the effects of binge-watching on mental health.

Qualitative Research Topics In Ethics and Morality

• Experiences of individuals faced with ethical dilemmas.
• Perceptions of moral relativism and cultural differences.
• Narratives of whistleblowers in exposing corporate misconduct.
• The role of empathy in ethical decision-making.
• Qualitative analysis of the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Qualitative Research Topics In Technology and Education

• Experiences of teachers integrating technology in the classroom.
• Perceptions of online learning and its effectiveness.
• The impact of educational apps on student engagement.
• Narratives of students with disabilities using assistive technology.
• Qualitative analysis of the digital divide in education.

Qualitative Research Topics In Gender and Sexuality

• Experiences of transgender individuals in transitioning.
• Perceptions of gender roles and expectations.
• Narratives of individuals in same-sex relationships.
• The impact of intersectionality on experiences of gender and sexuality.
• Qualitative analysis of gender-based violence and advocacy.

Qualitative Research Topics In Migration and Diaspora

• Experiences of immigrants in maintaining cultural ties to their home country.
• Perceptions of identity among second-generation immigrants.
• Narratives of refugees resettling in new countries.
• The role of diaspora communities in supporting homeland causes.
• Qualitative analysis of immigration policies and their impact on families.

Qualitative Research Topics In Food and Nutrition

• Experiences of individuals with specific dietary restrictions.
• Perceptions of food sustainability and ethical consumption.
• Narratives of people with eating disorders seeking recovery.
• The role of food in cultural identity and traditions.
• Qualitative analysis of food insecurity and hunger relief efforts.

Qualitative Research Topics In Urban Studies and Community Development

• Experiences of residents in gentrifying neighborhoods.
• Perceptions of community engagement and empowerment.
• Narratives of individuals involved in urban farming initiatives.
• The impact of housing policies on homelessness.
• Qualitative analysis of neighborhood safety and crime prevention.

Qualitative Research Topics In Science and Technology Ethics

• Experiences of scientists in navigating ethical dilemmas.
• Perceptions of scientific responsibility in climate change research.
• Narratives of whistleblowers in scientific misconduct cases.
• The role of ethics in emerging technology development.
• Qualitative analysis of the ethics of genetic engineering.

Qualitative Research Topics In Social Media and Online Communities

• Experiences of individuals in online support groups.
• Perceptions of social media’s influence on self-esteem.
• Narratives of social media influencers and their impact.
• The role of online communities in social and political movements.
• Qualitative analysis of cyberbullying and online harassment.

Qualitative Research Topics in Daily Life

• The Impact of Social Media on Personal Relationships and Well-being.
• Exploring the Experience of Remote Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Perceptions of Sustainable Living Practices Among Urban Dwellers.
• Qualitative Analysis of Food Choices and Eating Habits in a Fast-paced Society.
• Understanding the Motivations and Barriers to Physical Activity Among Adults.

Qualitative Research Topics for Students

• Student Perceptions of Online Learning: Challenges and Opportunities.
• Peer Pressure and Decision-making Among Adolescents.
• Exploring the Transition from High School to College: Student Experiences.
• The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Student Development.
• Motivations and Challenges of Student Entrepreneurs in Starting Their Businesses.

Qualitative Research Topics for STEM Students

Here are some original qualitative research topic ideas for STEM students:

• Exploring the Ethical Implications of AI in Healthcare Decision-Making : Investigate healthcare professionals’ ethical perspectives and decision-making processes regarding the use of AI technologies in clinical settings.
• Gender Dynamics in STEM Education and Career Aspirations : Analyze how gender influences students’ educational experiences and career choices in STEM fields at the university level.
• Public Perception and Acceptance of Genome Editing Technologies : Conduct interviews and surveys to understand public attitudes and concerns about genome editing technologies such as CRISPR.
• Effectiveness of Online Interactive Tools in Teaching Middle School Mathematics : Explore how digital tools impact student learning and engagement in middle school mathematics education.
• Community Engagement and Impact of Renewable Energy Projects : Investigate community perceptions, concerns, and benefits related to local renewable energy initiatives like wind farms or solar installations.
• Challenges and Opportunities in Adopting Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management : Interview industry professionals to identify barriers and opportunities for integrating blockchain into supply chain operations.
• Decision-Making Processes in Software Development Methodologies : Explore how software engineers and development teams choose between different methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall) and the factors influencing these decisions.
• Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Space Exploration : Analyze interviews with stakeholders from different cultural backgrounds to understand diverse perspectives on space exploration missions and collaborations.
• User Experience and Usability of Wearable Health Monitoring Devices : Conduct qualitative usability studies and interviews to evaluate user experiences with wearable health monitoring technologies.
• Impact of Virtual Reality on Engineering Design Processes : Study how virtual reality tools influence the design process, collaboration among engineering teams, and project outcomes.

These research topics for stem students qualitative to explore a wide range of social, ethical, cultural, and practical dimensions within their fields of study, providing opportunities for meaningful qualitative research.

Qualitative Research Titles Examples

• “Voices of Resilience: Narratives of Cancer Survivors.”
• “Exploring Cultural Identity Among Immigrant Communities.”
• “From Addiction to Recovery: Life Stories of Former Substance Abusers.”
• “Inside the Classroom: Student and Teacher Perspectives on Inclusive Education.”
• “Navigating Caregiving: Experiences of Family Members Caring for Alzheimer’s Patients.”

Qualitative Research Topics in Education

• Teacher Beliefs and Practices in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.
• Qualitative Study of Bullying Incidents in Elementary Schools.
• Homeschooling: Parent and Student Perspectives on Alternative Education.
• Evaluating the Impact of Technology Integration in Classroom Learning.
• Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education: A Qualitative Analysis.

Qualitative Research Topics for Nursing Students

• Patient Experiences of Chronic Illness Management.
• The Role of Empathy in Nursing Practice: A Qualitative Study.
• Qualitative Exploration of End-of-Life Care Decision-making.
• Perceptions of Nurse-Patient Communication in Intensive Care Units.
• Nursing Burnout: Causes, Consequences, and Coping Strategies.

Qualitative Research Topics for Human Studies

• Understanding the Impact of Climate Change on Vulnerable Communities.
• The Role of Social Support in Mental Health Recovery.
• Experiences of First-time Homebuyers in the Real Estate Market.
• Exploring the Motivations and Challenges of Volunteering.
• Narratives of Trauma Survivors: Coping and Resilience.

Qualitative Research Topics 2023

• Emerging Trends in Remote Work: Employee Perspectives.
• The Influence of Social Media on Political Engagement in the Post-COVID-19 Era.
• Qualitative Study of Mental Health Stigma Reduction Campaigns.
• Sustainability Practices in Business: Stakeholder Perceptions and Implementation.
• Narratives of Long COVID: The Lived Experience of Survivors.

Qualitative research methods such as interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and content analysis allow researchers to delve deeply into these topics, capturing rich and detailed data that can illuminate complexities, contradictions, and underlying meanings. These methods emphasize understanding context, exploring subjective experiences, and generating nuanced insights that can inform theory-building and contribute to addressing real-world challenges.

10 Major Differences Between Qualitative And Quantitative Research 

Here are the 10 best differences between qualitative and quantitative research:

Consequently, the selection of qualitative research topics is a critical phase in the journey of any researcher or student pursuing qualitative inquiry. The process of choosing the right topic involves a delicate balance of personal passion, research significance, feasibility, and ethical considerations. 

As we’ve discussed, it’s essential to choose a topic that not only resonates with your interests but also contributes to the broader academic or practical discourse. Qualitative research offers a unique lens through which to examine the complexities of human experiences, behaviors, and phenomena. 

It provides the opportunity to delve deep into the “how” and “why” of various subjects, offering nuanced insights that quantitative methods may not capture. Whether you are investigating personal narratives, cultural dynamics, educational practices, or social phenomena, qualitative research allows you to uncover the rich tapestry of human existence.

What is a good topic for qualitative research?

Self-esteem among people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The advantages of online learning over physical learning.

What are the five topics of qualitative research?

These are biography, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, and case study.

What is the easiest type of qualitative research?

Content analysis is possibly the most common and straightforward QDA method. At the simplest level, content analysis.

What are the 4 R’s of qualitative research?

Qualitative social research, whether conducted as ethnography, participant observation, or in situ interviewing, fares poorly when examined by the criteria of representativeness, reactivity, reliability, and replicability.

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Qualitative Research Title

Hii! Ask ko lang po if paano po mapapaganda yung title na:

A phenomenological investigation into the lived experiences of stem students who studied the entire course of senior high school during the pandemic

para po kasing naging sentence na siya hehe. atsaka i would also like to hear your thoughts about the topic. ok po bang ayan yung gawing research topic kahit na stem students po kami?

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Home > ETD > Doctoral > 5818

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The qualitative ethnographic research of the relationship related to parental involvement, community support, and school administrative substructure amid to inner-city title-i high school band programs in memphis, tennessee.

Thomas Akil Perry , Liberty University Follow

School of Music

Doctor of Music Education (DME)

Jerry Newman

Band, High School, Music, Education, Administration Community, Ethnography, Fine Arts, Inner-City, Qualitative, Title-I, Support

Disciplines

Education | Music

Recommended Citation

Perry, Thomas Akil, "The Qualitative Ethnographic Research of the Relationship Related to Parental Involvement, Community Support, and School Administrative Substructure Amid to Inner-City Title-I High School Band Programs in Memphis, Tennessee" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects . 5818. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5818

This qualitative ethnographic research investigated the fundamental unsubstantiated relationship related to parental involvement, community support, and school administrative substructure amid two inner-city Title-I high school band programs. This qualitative research embraced an ethnographic process managed by anthropology and sociology approached framework geared to study cultural responses over some time based on similar analytical cultural statistics. This study depicts the socioeconomic domain of a high school band community, highlighting key factors that add to the success and decline of the inner-city and Title-I high school band programs. It was conducted within Memphis, TN, within the North Memphis region, outlining the Raleigh, Douglas, and Berclair areas. Inner-city music programs may significantly increase the success rate of at-risk high school students by creating opportunities for higher education, engaging socially by requiring participation within the community, and earnestly developing discipline as active high school bandsmen. Despite the diverse respects of Fine Arts throughout the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), all students in Memphis, TN, must engage in a Fine art elective such as art, dance, choir, or band. Still, ultimately, some form of music overshadows Fine Arts prerequisites. Findings will intentionally reveal relevant traits that contribute to the results of their relatively identical climate within MCSC high school band programs as it relates to support from parents, community, and school administration.

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