The Scope of Second Language Teacher Education Research from 1980 to 2020: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive and rigorous systematic review of the trajectories and challenges in Research Articles (RAs) of Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE) from 1980 to 2020. The RAs were carefully retrieved from two sources: (1) a pool of 100 top-tier journals based on SCImago Journal Ranking (SJR) in Linguistics and Language category and (2) seven well-known electronic databases. This study used thematic analysis. After conducting full-text screening and data extraction, each study was systematically coded for publication contents, themes, theories, and variable levels. Each study was further coded for methodological features, including research design, analyses, and sampling. The findings indicate a rapid and consistent growth in SLTE research with a notable emphasis on Teacher Professional Development Programs (TPDP), research in teacher education, psychology in teacher education, culture, knowledge-based teacher education, and CALL. In addition, analysis of the data revealed several trajectories, including fewer publications in teacher education journals compared to other journals, lack of adherence to a clear theoretical framework in 27% of the studies, limited use of software in qualitative studies, and underdeveloped themes that received little attention. This review sheds light on the most significant and emerging areas of research in the field, and the article concludes with implications for SLTE scholars, researchers, and practitioners.