Methodology gaps in Social Science

Representative open questions

Showing 30 of 65 — one per source paper, highest-quality first.

• Scenario-based sociotechnical envisioning (SSE): an approach to enhance systemic risk assessments (2026) · doi

  The paper acknowledges that SSE produces qualitative narrative evidence rather than standardizable metrics, but does not provide operationalized methods for translating qualitative scenario narratives into actionable policy criteria or regulatory compliance thresholds that standardization bodies and industry actors can implement consistently.

• Adequacy and Utilization of Physical Resources: Implications for Effective Teaching and Learning (2026) · doi

  The study found significant disparities in physical resource adequacy between urban and rural schools in Delta State, but did not investigate the specific mechanisms driving these disparities across different school types (secondary vs. primary) or administrative structures. Future research should systematically compare resource allocation patterns, infrastructure investment cycles, and maintenance protocols between urban and rural schools to identify actionable policy interventions.

• The use of large language models to solve mathematical modeling problems: preservice mathematics teachers’ use practices, perceived affordances and challenges, and trustworthiness judgments of AI-generated outputs (2026) · doi

  The study identifies that validation and interpretation phases of the modeling cycle were the least supported by LLMs and were often omitted in submitted group work, but does not investigate what specific instructional interventions or prompt design strategies could redirect PSTs' LLM use toward these critical evaluative components during mathematical modeling.

• Development of User Story and Design Thinking Integration Teaching Model for Software Engineering Education (2026) · doi

  The research relied exclusively on quantitative methods (Mann-Whitney U Test and Cliff's Delta effect size) without capturing qualitative data on student experiences, specific challenges encountered during DT phases, and perceived barriers to usability. Future research should integrate qualitative analysis methods such as semi-structured interviews or focus groups to understand why PEOU remains problematic in the US-DT model implementation.

• Is It Worth It? An Experimental Examination of the Added Value of Deliberation in a Direct Democratic Process (2026) · doi

  The linear regression models assume linear effects on the 1-7 ordinal scale outcome acceptance measure, which may not be reasonable given the distribution characteristics. Future analyses should employ ordinal logistic regression or other ordinal response models to properly account for the non-linear structure of the outcome acceptance dependent variable in this deliberative process experiment.

• Undergraduate occupational medicine tuition in UK schools of medicine (2011) · doi

  Only three schools have a formal syllabus or learning outcomes statement for occupational medicine teaching; there is a critical need to develop and validate standardized occupational medicine curricula frameworks across UK medical schools that explicitly define competencies for sickness certification, fitness-to-work assessment, and return-to-work planning.

• Profil Kesiapan Siswa pada Pembelajaran Biologi Berbasis Deep Learning Berdasarkan Self-Regulation dan Critical Thinking di Kelas X SMA (2026) · doi

  Time management and adherence to learning schedules in self-regulation remain inconsistent among students; future research should investigate specific intervention strategies (e.g., structured planning routines, digital reminders, metacognitive scaffolding) to improve consistent implementation of learning plans in deep learning-based biology instruction.

• Exploring communication strategies and cultural inheritance of music education in the context of globalisation in China (2026) · doi

  Participants report that students experience identity conflicts between preserving cultural authenticity and creating hybrid compositions with Western instruments and electronic production, but the study lacks systematic assessment of how different demographic subgroups (by socioeconomic background, regional origin, or prior musical training) experience and resolve this authenticity-innovation dilemma in fusion music projects.

• Social media as a learning platform for dental undergraduates in Universiti Sains Malaysia (2026) · doi

  ResearchGate, Instagram, and Twitter demonstrate distinct platform-specific roles (ResearchGate for resources, Instagram for doubt-resolution, Twitter for coordination), but no structured methodology exists for developing curricula that strategically integrates these platforms based on their demonstrated functional strengths in dental education.

• Teachers’ perceptions of artificial intelligence in curriculum integration: opportunities, concerns, and professional development needs (2026) · doi

  Data were collected through written responses via semi-structured electronic interviews, limiting opportunities for probing and follow-up clarification; face-to-face interviews are needed to deepen understanding of teachers' specific concerns about AI's impact on students' socio-emotional development and interpersonal engagement.

• Understanding digital health technology implementation in rehabilitation and development of the Rehabilitation Technologies Implementation model (2026) · doi

  The qualitative interview sample was limited to three female members of the research team as interviewers, which may introduce gender and interviewer bias in data collection. Future research should compare findings across interviews conducted by male and female interviewers with varying levels of therapy experience to assess whether interviewer demographics influence stakeholder responses regarding digital health technology implementation in rehabilitation.

• Employability Pathways in Tertiary Education: Insights from Cambodian Undergraduates (2026) · doi

  The SEM results show that curriculum and career development learning have limited predictive power in their current form for Cambodian students, but the paper does not specify which curriculum components are ineffective or what skill-oriented modifications would improve their impact. Research is needed to conduct curriculum content analysis and measure the effects of redesigned, market-aligned curriculum modules specifically tailored to Cambodian labor market competencies.

• Learning Topography and Its Impact on Student Behavior: The Use of Microsoft Excel and AutoCAD as an Innovation in an Algerian University (2026) · doi

  The paper acknowledges that computer rooms impose logistical constraints (limited time, availability, flexibility) that discourage ongoing practice in topography learning, but does not empirically compare pedagogical outcomes between lab-session-only delivery versus hybrid/flexible-access models for topography software instruction.

• Cultural adaptation and academic success of international students in Beijing (2026) · doi

  Institutional support accessibility is moderately low (M = 2.37) with significant language barriers in academic settings (M = 2.87), yet no mixed-methods investigation combines quantitative adaptation measures with in-depth qualitative interviews to capture students' lived experiences of these specific barriers in Beijing universities.

• Stakeholder Collaboration in Managing Student Behavior and School Discipline: A Cambodian Primary School Case Study (2026) · doi

  The study identifies family-school misalignment as a fundamental structural issue in Cambodian primary schools but does not specify empirical methods for measuring the degree of misalignment or for quantifying which particular school rules are most frequently contradicted in home environments. Future research should develop and validate measurement instruments that capture the specific behavioral expectations parents reinforce (or fail to reinforce) relative to institutional discipline codes.

• Wokeness as a Factor Shaping Teachers’ Conceptions Learners with Special Needs (LSN) vis-à-vis Inclusive Education (2026) · doi

  The study examines wokeness-driven inclusive digital behavior in the Philippine context specifically, but does not compare how teachers across different Southeast Asian or non-Western educational systems integrate wokeness into professional ethics for learners with special needs. Cross-cultural comparative analysis is needed to determine whether the documented strategies are context-specific or generalizable to other educational cultures.

• Integrating Google Sites and project-based learning: Development of digital learning media (2026) · doi

  The research measured learning effectiveness using only pretest-posttest design and N-Gain analysis; comparative studies between Google Sites-based PBL and alternative digital platforms (Moodle, Canva, Padlet) or traditional instruction methods are absent.

• Biology, Ethics, and Debunking Arguments (2021) · doi

  Ruse's claim that epigenetically determined moral sentiments create an illusion of objectivity requires empirical specification of which specific moral rules or normative domains are products of epigenetic hardwiring versus cultural transmission. Research delineating the precise mechanisms by which epigenetic rules generate normative force and distinguishing hardwired from culturally-acquired moral intuitions remains incomplete.

• Worlds apart, learning together (2026) · doi

  Student-led intercultural communication organizations and their specific roles in enhancing international student integration remain unexamined; research measuring the impact of peer-led intercultural networks and associations on academic and social integration outcomes for each identified typology is needed.

• Teachers’ perceptions of obstacles to adapting assessment and instructional materials for students with learning disabilities in mainstream education (2026) · doi

  The study identifies that teachers with less than five years of experience perceive obstacles to adapting assessment and instructional materials as more severe, but does not empirically compare the specific adaptation strategies or practical skills that experienced teachers (10+ years) actually use versus those employed by novice teachers to overcome these obstacles in mainstream inclusive classrooms.

• Percepções de discentes e docentes sobre o currículo da licenciatura em matemática da FECLI/UECE (2026) · doi

  The study documents that the Núcleo Docente Estruturante (NDE) faces challenges in achieving consensus on curriculum modifications and meeting the 10% extension activity requirement mandated by Resolution, but provides no systematic analysis of how these institutional constraints specifically impact the articulation between mathematics disciplines and teacher education formation objectives.

• Cultural familiarity, ethnic discrimination, and adjustment of South Asian students in South Korea (2026) · doi

  The study identifies that technological advancement paradoxically intensifies adjustment difficulties for South Asian students from less digitally saturated environments (Nepal, Bangladesh), yet does not empirically measure the specific technological competence gaps or conduct comparative analysis of adjustment outcomes between students from high-digitalization versus low-digitalization origin countries within the South Asian student population.

• Academic Stress Predictors and Engagement of Teacher Education Students during Pandemic: A Mixed-methods Study (2026) · doi

  The study identifies institutional support as a critical factor affecting teacher education students' academic engagement during pandemic-induced remote learning, but does not empirically measure the specific components of institutional arrangements (rules, protocols, processes) that correlate with engagement levels. Future research should quantitatively assess which institutional support mechanisms (formal class structures, instructional protocols, resource allocation) most significantly predict academic engagement in teacher education programs.

• Radiology artificial intelligence for prioritized imaging and diagnosis of lung cancer: qualitative interview analysis of stakeholder perspectives in Northern Ireland (2026) · doi

  Radiography educators lack the knowledge and training to teach AI to pre-registration radiographers, as identified in the Stogiannos survey where 59.1% of educators recognized AI importance but were unable to deliver education. A concrete curriculum and competency framework specifically for radiography AI education in lung cancer imaging needs development.

• Navigating rural medical training: mapping the landscape of resident physician wellbeing using critical realist inquiry (2026) · doi

  While the study integrated quantitative survey data with qualitative insights, the mechanisms of how different LSM levels interact dynamically could benefit from longitudinal tracking to capture temporal patterns of wellbeing changes.

• The 325-Teaching Model and Physics Learning: Improvements in Students’ Experiences and Interest (2026) · doi

  The study lacks a control group or comparison condition, making it impossible to determine whether observed improvements are attributable to the 325-Teaching Model or to other confounding variables.

• Exploring Chinese EFL teachers’ adoption of generative AI: the roles of social influence and AI-PACK (2026) · doi

  As this study relied on cross-sectional quantitative data, it cannot fully capture the dynamic evolution of teachers' intentions over time. Subsequent research should employ longitudinal designs or mixed-method approaches, triangulating quantitative data with qualitative interviews to provide deeper insights into the causal mechanisms of AI adoption.

• Towards the integration of artificial intelligence in Jordanian journalism practices from the UTAUT model perspective (2026) · doi

  Longitudinal studies or mixed-method approaches having qualitative data collection and interviews could provide deeper perceptions into the growing patterns of AI embracing with the passage of time.

• The effectiveness of applying realistic mathematics education approach with the support of GeoGebra software (RME-SBG) in teaching calculus for high school students: A case of teaching the concept of derivatives (2026) · doi

  While the study employed both quantitative and qualitative data collection through post-tests and student interviews, the duration of the intervention and long-term retention of student learning outcomes were not examined.

• Descriptive Analysis of Science Process Skills (SPS) and Scientific Reasoning (SR) of High School Students and Pre-service Teacher in Science Learning (2026) · doi

  Teachers face difficulties in helping students understand basic and abstract concepts, with explanatory language that is considered difficult, and students have not yet formed systematic thinking habits and show low self-confidence in asking questions or arguing scientifically.