Three Years of Doctoral Theses in Education

What and How Do We Investigate?

Abstract

Doctoral theses represent a meeting point between contextual challenges (brought by doctoral students), academic interests and political influences. However, there is no knowledge that characterizes these investigations in depth and ponders their epistemological significance: What perspectives on the nature of reality do they welcome? What realities do they investigate? Through what processes? To answer, we implemented an investigation in the interpretive paradigm, with a mixed approach, through documental analysis (theses in education produced between 2018-2020) and content analysis. The results suggest diversified processes of knowledge production, eminently interpretive, through retrospective analysis, with a priori delimitation of themes, excessive temporal extension, focused on formal environments and on students and teachers. It is concluded that the theses integrate research programs and may announce their non-progressivity; and that the tendency to investigate retrospectively may not welcome the unpredictability of education, suggesting that research is challenged to integrate serendipity rituals.