A Comparative Study of Doctoral Dissertation Research Category in Educational Technology between Mainland China and America

Abstract

The study employed a content analysis to analyze comparatively doctoral dissertations of America and Mainland China in the field of educational technology from 2002 to 2011. Number of doctoral dissertations in educational technology field in America was much more than that in Mainland China. Educational technology research field was divided into six categories: “design”, “development”, “utilization”, “management”, “evaluation”, and “educational technology subject theory”. Among six research categories in America, “evaluation” category had an overwhelming role. However, no Ph.D. students focused on the “educational technology subject theory” for the past ten years in America. Among six research categories in China, the most studied category was “development”, and the least studied category was “management”. The focuses on “evaluation” were significantly different among the students in America and China, and both Chinese and American doctoral students paid little attention to “management”.