A comparative analysis of master's theses in STEM-related disciplines published in Türkiye and Finland

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the master's (MA) theses in T & uuml;rkiye (TR) and Finland (FIN)published between 2015-2019. A total of 765 theses were analysed in terms of year, discipline,methodological approach, research method, didactic foci, data collection tool, target group, andsample size. The results showed that FIN theses grounded on research-based teacher education, andprioritised research methods for the understanding and development of learning environments. FINtheses research questions focussed on teacher, student, and content interaction and covered uppersecondary school and bachelor's students and teachers. In contrast, majority of TR theses involvedthe quasi-experimental, survey, and case study methods, and research questions focussed onexamining student characteristics and student-content interaction. The majority of TR theses wereconducted with student from lower and upper secondary school, undergraduates and teachers aswell as TR theses conducted with different sample types and sizes.