Educational Technology Research Trends in Turkey: A Content Analysis of the 2000-2009 Decade*
Authors: Yüksel Göktaş, Sevda Küçük, Melike Aydemir, Esra Telli, Ömer Arpacık, Gürkan Yıldırım, İlknur Reisoğlu
Published in: Educational Sciences Theory & Practice (2012-01-01)

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine Turkish studies in the academic literature within the scope of SSCI, and to reveal methodological trends within these studies. For this purpose, 460 Turkeyaddressed articles, published between the years of 2000-2009 in 32 international journals, within the scope of 2010 SSCI were collected as data through ETPCF. The data were examined via content analysis and presented using descriptive statistical methods. According to the results, educational and technology were the topics mostly focused on in the articles. Regarding the research methods, quantitative analysis was generally used in these studies. Questionnaires were used as a data collection tool, and convenience sampling methods were also used widely. Descriptive analyses were mainly preferred as a data analysis method. The results coming out of this study will be helpful for directing the future studies. Key Words Educational Technology, Instructional Technology, Research Trends, Publication Classification. Educational technologies, which emerge as innovative solutions to the question, How can I learn more effectively? change as a result of external factors on a day to day basis. Researchers have conducted numerous studies on the effects of these changes for students, teachers, learning environments and learning processes. Their researches take a variety of studies, depending on the narrower focus within the field of education. But in order to direct future research, determining the kinds of studies, which are still needed, is also important. Therefore, this study will review recent Turkey-addressed technologies articles, which were published in international journals, to take note of both their topics of research and to find out the potential topics that need further studies. Trends of have drawn the attention of many researchers from around the world (Caffarella, 1999; Costa, 2007; Hew, Kale, & Kim, 2007; Hranstinski & Keller, 2007; Klein, 1997; Latchem, 2006; Ma, 2000; Masood, 2004; Mihalca & Miclea, 2007; Ross, Morrison, & Lowther, 2010). The researchers themselves typically determine which topics to focus on, which research methods are best suited to their topics, which data to collect, how to select samples, and how to perform statistical analyses. All current tendencies in the field are a result of the precedents and trends that earlier researchers set as they worked out these elements in their studies. Some researchers examined a considerable number of the trends in the field of technologies. For instance, focus on journals of Klein (1997), Masood (2004), Hew et al., (2007), Ross et al., (2010) Educational Technology Research and Development (ETRD Hranstinski and Keller (2007) Computers & Education, Educational Media International, Journal of Educational Computing Research and Journal of Educational Media; Latchem (2006) British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET) were examined. As a result of the conducted analysis, it was found out that most of studies in are concentrated on media research, computer based and computer aided instruction, learning psychology, distribution systems, instructional development, instructional methods, and instructional design. Once experimental methods were often employed, but recently, qualitative methods have been increasingly used. The contributing authors of ETRD Costa, 2007; Ma, 2000). Computer-based and computer-aided instruction topics are generally the focus of these, and quantitative research methods are employed in most of these studies. But recently, qualitative studies have been increasing while experimental studies have been considered important. …