Analyzing Research Trends in Graduate School of Education Theses Using Topic Modeling

This study analyzes major research themes and their evolution in graduate school of education theses by applying text mining and topic modeling to 102,229 master’s and doctoral dissertation abstracts listed in RISS between 2000 and 2025. Using noun-based morpheme extraction, frequency and TF-IDF analysis, LDA topic modeling, and keyword network analysis, the study examined large-scale patterns in educational graduate research. Results indicate that practice-oriented studies—centered on “education, learning, students, and instruction”—constitute a substantial portion of graduate school of education research. The LDA analysis identified eight latent topics: language education; assessments for early childhood and special populations; literature and cultural interpretation; subject-matter learning effects; teachers and school organizations; sports and physical activity; science and convergence; and arts education. The keyword network analysis further revealed a central hub composed of “education, students, research, and curriculum,” suggesting that, while the field encompasses diverse specializations, it maintains a shared orientation toward solving educational problems in practice. These findings highlight the function of graduate schools of education as spaces for strengthening the practical expertise and research capacity of teachers and preservice teachers, and they provide foundational insights into the structure and dynamics of the educational research ecosystem in Korea.