Objectives This study aimed to derive educational implications by systematically analyzing the themes and keyword of science education research focused on pre-service elementary teachers published in Korean academic journals. Methods A total of 315 articles published between 2000 and 2024 were collected through the RISS and analyzed using text mining techniques. Keywords were extracted and examined based on their frequency and weighted significance. In addition, network analysis was conducted to visualize the relationships between research topics, and CONCOR analysis was employed to identify thematic clusters. Results First, an analysis of publication trends revealed a steady quantitative growth in science education research on pre-service elementary teachers, with a sharp increase observed after 2020. Second, major keywords identified included ‘elementary pre-service teachers’, ‘perception’, ‘science teaching efficacy’, ‘science class’, ‘in-service teachers’, ‘teacher education’, ‘conceptual analysis’, ‘science content knowledge’, ‘understanding’, and ‘curriculum’. Third, N-gram analysis highlighted frequently co-occurring keyword pairs such as ‘pre-service teacher-perception’, ‘in-service teacher-perception’, ‘pre-service teacher-in-service teacher’, ‘pre-service teacher-science lesson design’, and ‘science pedagogical knowledge-subject matter knowledge’. Fourth, CONCOR analysis revealed thematic clusters related to ‘enhancing teaching competence and instructional activities’, ‘improving curriculum and lesson design’, ‘science inquiry and knowledge construction’, and ‘teacher beliefs and teacher education’. Conclusions Based on these findings, this study synthesized the thematic directions of research on pre-service elementary teachers and proposed practical implications for improving teacher education programs and curricula.
Ju-Young Lee (Thu,) studied this question.