Theory gaps in Social Science

Representative open questions

Showing 20 of 25 — one per source paper, highest-quality first.

• Between security and belonging: state policy on religious extremism, political values and the politics of identity (2026) · doi

  The tension between social cohesion and tolerance of difference in counter-extremism policy is theorized through liberal tolerance frameworks (Rawls, Walzer) but lacks empirical investigation of how this tension actually operates when anti-pluralist and anti-democratic ideologies intersect with genuine experiences of discrimination and marginalization within specific Muslim communities. Qualitative and quantitative research mapping this intersection is needed.

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

  The study identifies that institutional policies often prioritize preservation over innovation in Chinese music education, but does not examine how different policy frameworks (preservation-focused vs. innovation-focused vs. hybrid approaches) at individual schools correlate with measurable outcomes in student motivation, composition quality, or continued music study persistence.

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

  While the study identifies gender-based differences in social media use for educational activities (female students demonstrating greater use), no investigation explores the mechanisms underlying these gender differences or how curriculum design should be tailored to accommodate diverse technology adoption patterns by gender in dental education.

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

  The study identifies significant contextual differences in employability pathways between Cambodia, Australia, the UK, and South Africa, but lacks comparative analysis of the specific institutional and cultural mechanisms driving these regional variations. Future research should investigate which particular cultural values, educational policies, and labor market structures in Cambodia versus other regions explain why extracurricular activities and real-world exposure have greater predictive power for Cambodian undergraduates than curriculum and work experience.

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

  The study identifies that teachers deliberately avoid sharing emotionally charged or harmful language online about disability and inclusion, but does not analyze the distinction between performative wokeness and substantive ethical commitment. Research measuring the consistency between teachers' public online advocacy and their actual classroom practices with learners with special needs is required.

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

  The paper identifies the absence of ongoing and specialized professional development programs as a critical limitation but does not specify which concrete instructional design skills, assessment modification techniques, or material adaptation competencies should be prioritized in these programs for mainstream teachers serving students with learning disabilities.

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

  The study documents faculty disagreement about increasing course syllabus complexity versus implementing remedial basic mathematics instruction, but does not provide a framework for determining the optimal balance or empirical validation of whether increased complexity in advanced mathematics ementa improves or hinders graduates' ability to teach basic education mathematics effectively.

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

  The interaction between identity-based positioning and psychological need fulfillment (relatedness and autonomy) is theorized as central to adjustment, but the paper does not empirically test whether autonomy-supportive treatment—documented as available to Western students through prestige mechanisms—can be experimentally induced or structurally embedded to improve South Asian student adjustment outcomes.

• The silent barrier: how technology anxiety shapes AI adoption in rural classrooms in the western zone of Sabah (2026) · doi

  The study identified configuration anxiety as the highest anxiety component among rural science teachers in Sabah, yet this contradicts Henderson and Corry (2021) who found socio-technical anxiety (related to ethical issues like plagiarism) was highest. Future research should directly compare configuration anxiety versus socio-technical anxiety within the same rural classroom context to reconcile these conflicting findings about which anxiety type most strongly inhibits AI adoption.

• Cheating, Chatbots, and Change: A Bibliometric Mapping of Academic Integrity and Generative AI in Higher Education (2026) · doi

  Early influence in academic integrity and generative AI scholarship has been shaped primarily by agenda-setting syntheses, policy framings, and reviews rather than mature empirical research programs. Systematic inventories of empirical study types (e.g., detection tool validation studies, student behavior experiments, institutional policy evaluations) are needed to assess the balance between conceptual work and primary data collection.

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

  SPS and SR develop partially and are not integrated; science learning needs to involve more SPS and SR through interesting, fun, relevant practicums with contextual, collaborative, and adaptive learning designs so that both can develop simultaneously.

• The Influence of Principals’ Technological Leadership and Teachers’ Digital Competence on The Readiness For Implementing Coding and Artificial Intelligence-Based Learning in Senior High Schools in Langowan District (2026) · doi

  31.2% of the variance in readiness for implementing coding and AI-based learning is influenced by other variables outside the model, which remain unidentified and unexplored.

• The impact of Neuroeducation on Teacher Training Programs: Reimagining Gender in Education (2026) · doi

  The moderate AO and DML levels may be influenced by Thailand's collectivist culture, which values group harmony and may discourage risk-taking in digital experimentation, but this cultural influence requires further empirical investigation.

• Unravelling the Complexities of Reproductive Health Services Utilization: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Socio-Economic and Cultural Factors among Women in Sargodha, Pakistan (2026) · doi

  Cultural norms and religious practices that restrict women's status and reproductive decision-making authority are identified as barriers, but the paper does not provide empirical evidence on effective strategies for changing these deeply rooted beliefs.

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

  The experimental practice and classroom interaction components are noted as not being tied to a single guiding theory for this study, suggesting incomplete theoretical grounding for these model elements.

• The Influence of Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Educational Technologies on Lesson Planning and Learning Performance (2026) · doi

  The research identified that compatibility, usability, and system reliability are important factors in technology integration, but the discussion appears incomplete and does not fully address how these technical factors influence learning outcomes.

• Demographic decline and resurgence in the aging century - grid-level population tendency grasped by artificial intelligence (2026) · doi

  The model cannot anticipate future societal preferences or policy shifts that may significantly alter fertility, mortality, or migration patterns, as these behavioral and institutional factors are inherently unpredictable over multi-decade horizons.

• Difficulties of Middle School Science Teachers with Non-physics Major in Teaching Physics Units (2024) · doi

  There is insufficient understanding of idealized conditions among non-physics major teachers, affecting their ability to apply phenomena and create assessment items accurately.

• Student experiences in a computational physics lab through the lens of physics computational literacy (2025) · doi

  The paper does not address how the full range of activities encompassed under social computational literacy should be defined to avoid inadvertently limiting student development.

• DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC BEHAVIOR OF A FEMALE ADOLESCENT POPULATION (2025) · doi

  There is an obvious reluctance on the part of parents and teachers to discuss sexual education in schools; research on overcoming these barriers and changing attitudes is needed.