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Open research questions in Science Education and Pedagogy

1,616 gap statements mined from Science Education and Pedagogy papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 16,744 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • It notes that the systematic exclusion of Black girls from national discussions on education is a social injustice issue. The paper highlights the need for more research on Black girlhood, particularly in relation to science classroom experiences.

    From margins to centers: elevating Black girls lived experiences in the science classroom · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of how students self-report their science identity in relation to their use of GenAI in scientific activities.

    A Structural Model of Students’ Science Identity in the Context of GenAI · 2026 · DOI

  • The author highlights the lack of awareness of the importance of hydrogeology in addressing water-related issues. The paper discusses the need for a shift in research focus in hydrogeology.

    Hydrogeology education in Germany: Did things develop since 2001? · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of language in student learning processes is often overlooked. Language remains understudied in the context of science education. There is a need to understand how student engagement in epistemic dialogic practices is associated with features of their written work.

    Living the Language of Science: Examining Relationships Between Epistemic Dialogue and Student Writing · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the mutual influence among students' reasoning types, prior ideas, and related epistemic actions. The need to investigate the impact of virtual and tangible contexts on students' epistemic actions and reasoning types.

    Differences in Children’s Epistemic Actions, Reasoning, and Previous Ideas When Interacting in Virtual and Tangible Contexts · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a unified research platform facilitating the acquisition, analysis, and dissemination of information on threshold concepts. The need for a shift from traditional teaching approaches to accommodate varied learning styles and foster critical thinking.

    Uncovering Challenges and Pitfalls in Identifying Threshold Concepts: A Comprehensive Review · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies the challenge of limited development of research skills in students.

    Misconceptions in the Learning of Natural Sciences: A Systematic Review · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of cohesion in the interpretations of integrated STEM education's theoretical basis. The difficulty in translating the theoretical framework into real projects. The challenge of evaluating the effectiveness of integrated STEM education.

    A Systematic Literature Review of Integrated STEM Education: Uncovering Consensus and Diversity in Principles and Characteristics · 2024 · DOI

  • Further studies should investigate the long-term effects of environmental approach-based learning. Research should be conducted to compare the effectiveness of environmental approach-based learning with other teaching methods.

    Assessing the Effectiveness of Environmental Approach-Based Learning in Developing Science Process Skills and Cognitive Achievement in Young Children · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a need to equip individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate rapid technological changes. The study identifies a gap in the effectiveness of conventional teaching methods in developing science process skills and cognitive achievement. Environmental approach-based learning can address this gap.

    Assessing the Effectiveness of Environmental Approach-Based Learning in Developing Science Process Skills and Cognitive Achievement in Young Children · 2024 · DOI

  • A gap exists in understanding how teachers incorporate inquiry strategies and responsiveness in their practices. There is a need to develop a more complete framework for K–12 science instruction that balances inquiry and responsiveness. The paper identifies a gap between science conceptual understanding and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge.

    Reflections of a First-Year Chemistry Teacher: Intersecting PCK, Responsiveness, and Inquiry Instruction · 2024 · DOI

  • The paper notes that children had difficulty understanding the purpose of the experiment and how to reach conclusions from the experimental results. The study highlights the challenge of implementing inquiry-based activities in early childhood education, particularly in rural schools with limited resources. The paper does not explicitly state other technical or domain challenges.

    Inquiry-Based Activities with Woodlice in Early Childhood Education · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a need for targeted professional development for in-service science teachers. In-service science teachers face challenges such as inadequate school environments, social pressures, and limited professional support.

    Exploring In-Service Science Teachers’ Self-Perceptions of Competence and Pedagogical Approaches to Socioscientific Issues in Education · 2024 · DOI

  • Understanding quantum physics is a major challenge for students. The QPCS test needs further investigation for certain topics, such as Waves and particles and Uncertainty principle. The paper identifies the need for improving the teaching of quantum physics.

    Investigating Students’ Conceptual Knowledge of Quantum Physics to Improve the Teaching and Learning Process · 2024 · DOI

  • The study aims to address this gap by exploring the use of writing-to-learn strategies in a seventh-grade science classroom.

    Empowering Diverse Learners: Integrating Writing-to-Learn Strategies in a Middle School Science Classroom in the U.S. · 2024 · DOI

  • The study suggests that current teaching approaches and digital tools may not be effective in improving students' conceptual understanding of chemical reactions.

    Between Symbols and Particles: Investigating the Complexity of Learning Chemical Equations · 2024 · DOI

  • The study had a limited sample size of 241 undergraduate students, - The study only considered Chinese undergraduate students, - The study did not provide detailed instructions on how to use GenAI for academic…

    A Structural Model of Students’ Science Identity in the Context of GenAI · 2026 · DOI

  • Advancing current research, - Fostering the maturation of the field, - Investigating the impact of biases on previous investigations focused on identifying threshold…

    Uncovering Challenges and Pitfalls in Identifying Threshold Concepts: A Comprehensive Review · 2024 · DOI

  • Balancing simplification with conceptual precision, - Continuous training of educators in didactic models for the study…

    Misconceptions in the Learning of Natural Sciences: A Systematic Review · 2024 · DOI

  • The need for a metacognition-driven science education intervention that supports young children's self-regulated learning - The lack of research on the association between science instructional environment quality and changes in children's self-regulated learning - The need for a professional development program that focuses on developing teachers' science teaching efficacy and metacognitive…

    Young Children’s Self-Regulated Learning Benefited from a Metacognition-Driven Science Education Intervention for Early Childhood Teachers · 2024 · DOI

  • The research sample was small, consisting of 24 chemistry teacher students, - The study was conducted on a specific group of students, - The number of equations for balancing was limited to six, - The study combined eye-tracking with retrospective think-aloud and interviews, which may have…

    Between Symbols and Particles: Investigating the Complexity of Learning Chemical Equations · 2024 · DOI

  • Investigating the effects of longer-term implementation of the CReST intervention. Examining the impact of the CReST intervention on student academic learning in alignment with the curriculum within any, or all, of the four areas of STEM.

    Culturally Relevant STEM (CReST): An Integrated Support Curriculum for High School Chemistry and World History · 2024 · DOI

  • Small sample size of four teachers, - Limited to teachers who participated in the previously described PD program, - No control group…

    A Long-Term Study on the Effect of a Professional Development Program on Science Teachers’ Inquiry · 2024 · DOI

  • Investigating the effect of the professional development program on a larger sample size, - Comparing the results with a control group, - Examining the long-term effect of the program on student learning…

    A Long-Term Study on the Effect of a Professional Development Program on Science Teachers’ Inquiry · 2024 · DOI

  • Students' misconceptions about atomic models are not fully addressed by traditional teaching methods - The need for a more engaging and effective approach to promote modeling skills in science education - The lack of research on the use of storytelling in science education to address misconceptions and promote modeling…

    “Romeo and Juliet: A Love out of the Shell”: Using Storytelling to Address Students’ Misconceptions and Promote Modeling Competencies in Science · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Science Education and Pedagogy

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This page shows what the Science Education and Pedagogy literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, search the Research Gap Finder: the search is free with a free account and lists the papers closest to your topic first. Unlocking that topic (50 credits, charged once) fills the comparison table from our 7.9M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of understanding of how students self-report their science identity in relation to their use of GenAI in scientific activities (“A Structural Model of Students’ Science Identity in the Context of GenAI”, 2026); (2) The author highlights the lack of awareness of the importance of hydrogeology in addressing water-related issues (“Hydrogeology education in Germany: Did things develop since 2001?”, 2026); (3) Language remains understudied in the context of science education (“Living the Language of Science: Examining Relationships Between Epistemic…”, 2026); (4) The lack of understanding of the mutual influence among students' reasoning types, prior ideas, and related epistemic actions (“Differences in Children’s Epistemic Actions, Reasoning, and Previous Ideas When…”, 2026); (5) The lack of a unified research platform facilitating the acquisition, analysis, and dissemination of information on threshold concepts (“Uncovering Challenges and Pitfalls in Identifying Threshold Concepts: A…”, 2024). 1,616 gap statements have been mined from Science Education and Pedagogy papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 16,744 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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