Evaluation of graduate theses on socioscientific subjects in terms of content and method

The research aims to reveal the research trends in the fields by systematically analyzing the postgraduate theses on socioscientific issues studied in universities in our country. Such studies are important in terms of analyzing the prepared theses, evaluating the results, interpreting, supporting and helping new research by drawing conclusions. Socioscientific issues are the ones that come up all the time, are open to discussion whether they are positive or negative, and are difficult to understand. These issues are scientifically and socially contradictory, requiring critical thinking and judgment. The aim of the study is to examine the theses made with students, teachers and university students studying on socioscientific issues in our country in the last fourteen years. In this study, which benefited from a systematic review, 127 graduate theses on SBK published in Turkey between the years 2008-2022 were examined in line with the determined criteria. Most of the examined theses were carried out with postgraduate level data source and teacher candidates. It has been seen that the majority of studies on self-efficacy studies, argumentation-based learning and teacher opinions on teaching socioscientific issues about SSI are in the majority. It has been determined that the case study, survey model and Experimental-Semi-experimental design methods are mostly used and the questionnaire and interview form are more used as data collection tools than other data collection tools. In the theses examined, it was observed that the teachers mostly did not have enough self-efficacy and knowledge in teaching the subjects. It can be suggested that teacher candidates should be taught effective educational content, that it should be included in the curriculum of formal education, and that in-service training should be given to teachers for the teaching of these contents.