Descriptive content analysis of graduate theses in the field of preschool science education in Turkey

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze graduate theses carried out in the field of pre-school science education in Turkey to reveal general tendency in this field. For this purpose, the database of Council of Higher Education (CHE) National Thesis Center was used to determine theses. As a result of the screening, a total of 86 graduate theses including 67 master's theses and 19 doctoral dissertations
conducted between the years of 1994 and 2018 were included in to the study. The theses were examined through descriptive content analysis by a data collection tool called the theses classification form. The data obtained in the form were transferred to Microsoft Excel and the descriptive statistics were presented as graphs, percentage, and frequency tables. According to the results, it was found that more studies are needed in the field of pre-school science education. Based on findings, recommendations were made.