Open research questions in Science Education and Perceptions
222 gap statements mined from Science Education and Perceptions papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 2,426 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.
Choosing where to publish on Science Education and Perceptions? See the ranked Psychology journals.
What the literature leaves open
The lack of engineering-themed toys that are appealing to girls and incorporate feminine themes.
Mini Makers: Modeling Manufacturing Through Toys to Spark Engineering Interest in Girls from Early Childhood to Secondary School · 2026 · DOIThe lack of longitudinal, equity-oriented evidence on astronomy education's effectiveness. The insufficient empirical evidence to confirm astronomy's gateway potential.
It highlights the need to examine the distribution of learning outcomes across different categories. It notes the lack of research on the socio-ethical technical understanding in technology education.
Despite noteworthy growth in research on math and science instruction for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (MSD) over the past several decades, limited research has explored instruction in scientific and engineering practices for these students.
Engineering: A Year-Long Case Study on STEM Practices and Successes for Students With Moderate to Severe Intellectual Disability · 2026 · DOIThe lack of biographies about women scientists is a problem. The progress is even slower for books about other underrepresented minorities in these fields.
There is a documented dearth of representation across women and minorities in STEM fields. There is a need for programs that engage students in STEM topics and help them develop literacy skills.
The lack of access to high-quality STEM-literacy learning experiences for children.
The program had challenges with attendance due to factors such as lack of transportation and concentrated apartment facilities for publicizing the academies. The program had to be adapted to accommodate families who could not commit to a two-week session.
There is a need for research-based programs that teach STEM concepts to young children. There is a lack of community-wide collaboration in STEM education.
The findings of this study suggest that more in-depth study into project-based approaches, out-of-school learning and school-scientist partnerships is warranted, for the purpose of determining appropriate pedagogies that support students in developing up-to-date understanding about scientists and the nature of their work.
Superheroes and supervillains: reconstructing the mad-scientist stereotype in school science · 2013 · DOIThe author highlights the need for further research on the concept of trust in scientific research.
There is a gap in the current science education curriculum, which has eliminated personal and social goals. The S-T-S theme is not adequately addressed in science education.
The lack of a comprehensive competitive event in science. The need for an event that provides a balance between hands-on activities, problem-solving, and knowledge of science processes.
The paper highlights the need for stronger secondary preparation and support services for minority women in science.
The lack of qualified science and math teachers. The inadequate educational resources, including instructional equipment and access to laboratories. The need for improved curricula and educational programs.
There is a need to understand how different exhibit conditions affect visitor behavior. Prior research has not fully examined the relationship between age, sex, attention, and holding power with science exhibits.
The Relationship of Age, Sex, Attention, and Holding Power with Two Types of Science Exhibits · 1986 · DOIThe traditional apprenticeships were insufficient for the growing needs of the Industrial Revolution. The middle-class learned societies excluded skilled craftsmen and mechanics from membership.
Portuguese students tended to report the same stereotyped image of scientists described in other countries, and students' knowledge seems to be limited to a few fields of specialization and influenced by the pandemic context experienced during the DAST application.
Stereotypes and Views of Science among Elementary Students: Gender and Grade Differences · 2023 · DOIThe development of Checkout STEAM kits to include art books and materials. The design of kits that complement library programs.
Limited access to higher education and support services for women in science.
Existing research into correlations between teaching and research in higher education is criticized for its inadequacies. The extent to which the effect is subject dependent is discussed.
The results of studies on students' science choices and preferences can be used to improve science instruction. Not only can interest patterns help science educators anticipate students' reactions to topics in the present curriculum and take action to capitalize on or compensate for such interests when planning science lessons, they can also suggest ways of modifying and improving the curriculum.
Longitudinal studies that track students' experiences with astronomy education over time. Investigations of how early exposure to astronomy affects STEM subject choice, persistence, and career participation. Research on the pedagogical strategies used in astronomy education.
Limitations of the present study could be associated with the narrow description of scientists in the different scenarios. Further research on how informal STEM learning settings could 1 3Shaping adolescents’ gendered stereotypes of scientists through…
Shaping adolescents’ gendered stereotypes of scientists through the enactment of communal goals · 2026 · DOIStudying the effectiveness of different educational programs and resources in improving scientific and technological literacy. Investigating ways to increase the number of qualified science and math teachers. Examining the impact of improved education on the economy and society.
Most-cited papers in Science Education and Perceptions
- “Science capital”: A conceptual, methodological, and empirical argument for extending bourdieusian notions of capital beyond the arts · Journal of Research in Science Teaching · 2015 · 542 citations
- Science and trans-science · Minerva · 1972 · 523 citations
- Articulating communities: Sociocultural perspectives on science education · Journal of Research in Science Teaching · 2001 · 499 citations
- Patterns of informal reasoning in the context of socioscientific decision making · Journal of Research in Science Teaching · 2004 · 494 citations
- Science Aspirations, Capital, and Family Habitus · American Educational Research Journal · 2012 · 477 citations
- “Doing” science versus “being” a scientist: Examining 10/11‐year‐old schoolchildren's constructions of science through the lens of identity · Science Education · 2010 · 469 citations
- Eyeballs in the Fridge: Sources of early interest in science · International Journal of Science Education · 2009 · 458 citations
- The Development of Children's Gender-Science Stereotypes: A Meta-analysis of 5 Decades of U.S. Draw-A-Scientist Studies · Child Development · 2018 · 378 citations
- Should Science be Taught in Early Childhood? · Journal of Science Education and Technology · 2005 · 369 citations
- Drawing a Scientist: What We Do and Do Not Know After Fifty Years of Drawings · School Science and Mathematics · 2002 · 367 citations
Most recent work
- A Guy With Messed Up Hair and a Lab Coat: The Nature of Science, Scientists and Science Teaching With Preservice Early Childhood Teachers · School Science and Mathematics · 2026
- Shifting Perceptions about Microbes and Scientists: Reflections on Activities with High School Students · Integrative Organismal Biology · 2026
- Mini Makers: Modeling Manufacturing Through Toys to Spark Engineering Interest in Girls from Early Childhood to Secondary School · 2026
- Images of Scientists and Views About Scientists Among Gifted 4th-Grade Primary School Students · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- The 15-to 18-year-old study · Youth · 2026
- Conceptual Misconceptions About Fungi in Tenth-Grade Students and Their Relationship to Scientific Curiosity · Educational Process International Journal · 2026
- Who Gets to Wonder? Astronomy, Gender, and the Cultural Politics of STEM Education · Canadian Journal of Science Mathematics and Technology Education · 2026
- Correction: Adolescents in Care Are Also Interested in Science: Impact of Extending Learning Time Through STEM Actions · Canadian Journal of Science Mathematics and Technology Education · 2026
- DAST: Exploring middle school-aged girls’ perceptions of scientists upon participating in an outdoor learning experience · Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education · 2026
- Nature to Nurture · The International Journal of Design Education · 2026
Find a gap in your own Science Education and Perceptions sub-topic
This page shows what the Science Education and Perceptions 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 4.5M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.
Open the Research Gap Finder →