TRENDS AND ISSUES IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES: A REVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH IN TOJET
ABSTRACT
The aim of this research study is to investigate the articles published between 2003-2007 in Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology (TOJET) in order to reveal the trends and issues addressed in this electronic journal for the field of educational technology. The specific purposes of this article are to reveal: (1) the methodologies and theories that underlie research, (2) the topics that have been most and least heavily researched, (3) the design types that shapes research, (4) the issues on selection, size and level of the sample, and (5) some other issues like number of authors, data collection methods, references and variables. After a detailed document analysis, the articles are carefully investigated and categorized according to the selected criteria. Then these qualitative data were analyzed inductively, categorized according to already existing or emerging themes. Moreover, some parts of the analyzed data are transformed into numerical values and presented as graphics. The results showed that in order to improve the quality of research in the field of educational technology; research studies should have a theoretical basis, the mixed method of research (qualitative and quantitative) should be used to complement each other, the research studies should address K-12 as much as Higher Education, new and emerging research topics should be sought, interdisciplinary topics should be investigated, and diversity in terms of sample selection, data collection, and research design should be sought.