RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
A Literature Review across Discipline-Based Education Research: What is Theoretical Framework and How is it Used in Education Research?
Page: 953
Extant literature has emphasized the importance of education research being theory-based. To this end, many studies have an explicit “theoretical framework” section that describes the theoretical assumptions that inform the research. Nevertheless, there is large variation in the extent to which studies incorporate theory in the research process. This work describes a literature review conducted across discipline-based education research, focusing on the role of theory in research. We focus on a snapshot of theory use by analyzing studies published in 2021 (n=589) across biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics education research journals. Preliminary analysis focuses on trends related to the presence of a theoretical framework and reflecting on how the theory is used in the research process. Our goal is not to evaluate the quality of research, but rather describe how theory is used to inform future work and open a cross-disciplinary dialogue about theory.