Abstract
This study aims to reveal the trends and foundations in research on students’ conceptual understanding in science education. The literature was selected from three recognized journals in science education. The Structural Topic Model (STM) method was used to categorize articles into ten topics considering information about the semantic cohesion and exclusivity of words to topics. The topic, which has attracted increasing research interest, was selected using a method similar to standard regression analysis, and its changing focus was identified through an analysis of its research contents. Foundations of research about students’ conceptual understanding between 1980–1999 and 2000–2019 were obtained through a review of their top 10 most-cited papers. Three conclusions were drawn: a) there were ten sub-topics of research about students’ conceptual understanding; b) the research on the development (or pathways) of students’ scientific argumentation/reasoning is likely to attract further interest in the future; and c) compared to the studies in the first period, the studies in the second stage favor research on the description (nature, mental process, etc.) of the process of students’ conceptual understanding as the research foundation. Keywords: conceptual understanding, journal publication, structural topic model, text mining.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
