Current Trends in Teacher Education Research: A Thematic and Content Analysis of Articles Published in SSCI Q1 Indexed Journals

Focusing on identifying current research trends and methodological approaches in teacher education, this study conducted content and thematic analysis of articles published in Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) Q1 journals in 2024. The research examined 454 articles from 11 different journals using document analysis technique. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis method. The findings revealed nine major themes in teacher education research. Among these, 'teacher professional development' emerged as the most comprehensive research area, followed by 'teaching profession and employment dynamics,' 'teacher beliefs, attitudes, and emotions,' 'teacher identity and roles,' and 'teaching practices'. Research results indicate that teacher education studies prioritize professional development processes, identity formation, employment, emotional factors, and classroom practices, while education policies, curriculum design, and student development receive relatively less attention. From a methodological perspective, qualitative research was predominant (58.81%), followed by quantitative (26.43%), theoretical/review (9.25%), and mixed methods studies (5.51%). In terms of participant profiles, in-service teachers (33.70%) and pre-service teachers (26.43%) were the most prominent. Overall, the research demonstrates that micro-level themes receive more attention than macro-level issues in teacher education, methodological diversity remains limited, and participant groups are predominantly restricted to teachers. These findings suggest a need for more comprehensive research approaches in teacher education that incorporate macro-level issues, greater methodological diversity, and broader participant inclusion beyond the teaching profession.