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Systematic Review

Developing Doctoral Theses in Education: The Role of Systematic Reviews in the Spanish Context

by
Mario Cerezo-Pizarro
1,*,
Alain Presentación-Muñoz
1 and
José Ignacio Calzada-Rodríguez
2
1
Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Teacher Training, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
2
Research Group on Physical and Health Literacy and Health-Related Quality of Life (PHYQOL), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1165; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111165
Submission received: 30 September 2024 / Revised: 23 October 2024 / Accepted: 24 October 2024 / Published: 26 October 2024
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Abstract

:
The production and development of doctoral theses have grown exponentially with the advent of the Internet and the democratization of access to information and education. In the field of education, this production is no stranger to this trend, so it is interesting to analyze the implications, causes and scientific–academic contributions of this increase. To this end, a systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out using the PRISMA 2020 protocol, with the Dialnet database as the documentary source, based on a previous study that justified its use and the availability of documents. Thus, a set of pre-established criteria are defined to identify doctoral theses carried out in Spanish universities and related to the education area that have been published in the last 17 years, finding a total of (n = 120) publications whose analysis answered the researchers’ questions focused on identifying patterns and strategies in the publication and methodological design of this type of document and what is the role of systematic reviews of the literature in them. In this sense, this research process aimed to analyze this kind of production and facilitate the process of designing new theses and research projects in the field of education. In this sense, this research process aimed to analyze this sort of output and facilitate the process of designing new theses and research projects in the field of education. The results make it possible to identify the increased importance of SLR in the development of doctoral theses and reveal the predominant models related to this type of production. Additionally, other aspects, such as the most common universities or research fields, the quantity and nature of subsequent studies, etc., concerning doctoral theses that incorporate an SLR were determined. Thus, conducting an SLR represents a solid and structured approach to initiate and build up the research process of doctoral theses, being essential to address students’ potential training needs in these regards.

1. Introduction

In the European Higher Education Framework, the doctoral thesis is the outcome of access to the highest level of training, namely the doctorate [1,2], which can only be obtained after the completion of one or more scientific–academic studies, following a program defined by the university offering it, by making a relevant contribution to the field in which it is situated [3].
Thus, a doctoral thesis involves the development of original research or work by students in any field of knowledge, culminating in a public defense before a panel of experts who evaluate both the student’s training and the contribution of original results of the research undertaken [4,5,6]. Due to their characteristics and the amount of resources, effort and time involved, these works should be considered as part of the most important results of the research processes carried out in higher education institutions [7,8]. For this reason, when it comes to understanding the social structure and state of research in a given field, doctoral theses are regarded as reference documents [7].
Up to the 2010–2011 academic year, the National Statistics Institute (INE) was responsible for analyzing the number of enrolments by level of education. It recorded a total of 68,865 enrolments in doctoral programs, which last year amounted to 110 people per year [9].
Since then, these data have been published by the Ministry of Education, making it possible to consult the number of theses approved by year, field and autonomous community. The areas with the most publications are the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences, Journalism and Documentation and Health and Social Services, with more than 2000 theses per year in 2022, while 554 were published in Education, representing 4.9% of the total. Looking at the history, it can be seen that the production has been sensitive to the various changes that have taken place in this period, experiencing great growth with 945 theses published up to 2017, when the criteria for the defense of doctoral theses changed, to fall drastically to 345 in 2018, a period from which the production has increased significantly year by year [10].

1.1. Democratizing Knowledge and Education

Open science is a movement for renewal in the way research is conducted. This seemingly unstoppable momentum is spreading rapidly in Europe, as evidenced by its adoption by various entities, whether at the European level, national level, transnational organizations or specific institutions [11].
Several experiences show that Open Access (OA) is economically sustainable, significantly increases the dissemination of knowledge and gives authors new visibility, readability and impact, all of which are measurable [12].
García-Peñalvo et al. [13] point out that OA is a positive factor that makes the scientific literature freely available to all interested parties. It has the potential not only to improve the transfer of scientific knowledge but also to facilitate its creation, storage and retrieval.
In their review, García Espinosa et al. [14] conclude that ‘Open science does not change the motivation and goals of research, but how to do science and spread it’ (p. 170).
Before the advent and expansion of the Internet, doctoral theses were part of the so-called grey literature since their dissemination, access and consultation were limited and conditioned to the accessibility to the libraries and repositories of individual universities [15].
Thus, the impact of open science is already being recognized within research processes, an environment in which institutional repositories, which include the theses mentioned above as products of doctoral studies, play a key role [16,17]. In these, emphasis is placed on education in the use of ICT in research and the principles of open science, as these processes often require access to a larger number of publications, for which specific training is needed [18].

1.2. PhD Programs in Spain

The current doctoral programs are regulated by Real Decreto 99/2011, January 28 [19], a legislative document that reflects the need to develop the third cycle, given its implications in the process of changing the production model and the role that the resulting professionals play in the development of innovation and research processes.
Accordingly, it states that ‘Higher Education, as a field of study in doctoral research, has undergone a process of consolidation with a linear and constant growth in the production of doctoral theses’ (p. 16).
In this way, doctoral programs are defined as the third cycle of official university studies, aimed at the acquisition and development of needed competencies and skills for high-quality scientific research. To this end, doctoral programs consist of regulated, non-attendance-based training courses that lead to obtaining a doctoral degree.
According to the Register of Universities, Centers and Qualifications [20], there are 2959 doctoral programs in Spain, offered by universities individually and in collaboration with other institutions, too, resulting in shared programs.
For years, the directors of the different doctoral programs have been organizing and developing specific training for new researchers, among which it is possible to find proposals to help those who are starting their research careers to develop a systematic literature review (SLR). Generally, one of the first actions of doctoral students is to carry out a review of the literature in their field of study, which allows them to (1) review what has been published, (2) identify gaps and guide their research and (3) develop their theoretical framework, being a task with less risk of bias and greater benefits in terms of the design, justification and writing of the document when carried out in the form of a systematic review [21,22,23]. This process, which allows for a clear and accurate approach to the synthesis of the available evidence, has been understood as an element that will strengthen the contextualization of the academic work produced, such as the thesis, and its subsequent development. In addition, it has been suggested that including an SLR as part of the doctoral thesis would help students to make their research, contributions, etc., more robust, hence the need for training and the justification for these workshops, seminars or courses [24].

1.3. Other Research

In Spain, there have already been studies that have analyzed the production of doctoral theses, using the statistical series produced by the National Statistics Institute EUROSTAT and other specialized sources, to outline the capacity of the Spanish academic system to disseminate quality scientific knowledge through the training of new researchers [25].
Other analyses have shown that there is a growing offer of doctoral training for students in Latin America, with more and more institutions developing doctoral programs that still face various challenges, such as meeting international standards to promote the scientific contribution of students, responding to social needs, increasing cooperation between universities and overcoming certain economic and financial barriers that limit quality and access [26]. Sebastián [27] also notes that, due to a steady increase since 1996, the number of doctoral degrees in Latin America reached 31,723 in 2016, with Brazil, Mexico and Argentina being the main countries of doctoral production. Similarly, Díaz-Bazo & Sime-Poma [28] point to the existence of an increase in doctoral programs in Peru and analyzed a total of 554 doctoral theses in the field of education to determine their focus, topics, methods and trends, showing that they tend to focus on the analysis of teaching-learning methods and curricular issues, mainly in higher education, that they tend to be oriented towards a more professional than academic application, and that the literature review (use of scientific articles, databases, etc.) is a weak element of the documents. As can be seen, there is an interest in analyzing how much and how it is produced in these countries.
There has also been a strong increase in the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs in North America and Europe. Using data from [29,30], authors such as Shin et al. [31] provide information on doctoral education in these continents. In particular, they point out that the number of students who completed their doctoral studies in the United States multiplied by 1.7 between 2000 and 2015, with a total of 67,449 degrees awarded in the latter period, followed by China with 54,891 enrolments, while countries such as the United Kingdom or Italy experienced an increase of more than 200% between the years mentioned in these terms. Furthermore, in 2016, 1% of the population aged 25–65 in OECD member countries held a doctorate, with Italy standing out with a share of 4%.
Meanwhile, the same authors also highlight the expansion of doctoral programs in Asia, where countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Korea experienced growth of between 210 and 350% between the dates studied, with Malaysia standing out with an increase of up to 2411% [31].
Similarly, Sambunjak & Puljak [32] advocate the acceptance of SLR as a valid research methodology for doctoral theses. Indeed, Puljak & Sapunar [33] conducted research in which they found that 47% of the biomedical PhD programs surveyed in Europe accepted SLR as a valid design for PhD dissertations. This indicates an increase in importance and a change in awareness of the possibility of developing this type of analysis as a doctoral student, which could be extrapolated to any field, including Education.
These considerations lead to the following research questions: Are systematic literature reviews (SLRs) part of the defended theses in Education areas? What is their impact on the total number of theses defended? What are the characteristics of these dissertations?

2. Materials and Methods

Conducting SLRs involves a process of exhaustive data and document collection and analysis, for which it is essential to set pre-established criteria for document selection. This type of research aims to address specific research questions that respond to an objective or topic of great interest, comprising several publications [34].
Since the publication of the PRISMA 2020 Protocol, it has been possible to structure this type of research in a clear and expository way, identifying according to its standards: inclusion criteria, sources of information, search strategies, selection process, data collection and presentation of results [35,36].
In this way, the implemented review process consisted of several phases:
Phase (1) encompasses the research questions (RQs), which were organized around four areas, as shown in Table 1. The documentary dimension (1), covered from (RQ1-RQ14), sought to identify the areas of knowledge to be researched on the topic and included the analysis of the number of directors and authors, number of publications, gender of authors and involved universities. The methodological dimension (2) examined (RQ5 and RQ6) the areas or fields in which doctoral theses are published and the possible existing relationships between SLRs and those publications. Moreover, for exploring the pedagogical or educative dimension (3), other research questions were considered (RQ7 and RQ8), taking as a reference the research’s structure and the educational stage at which it is conducted. Finally, the research dimension (4) explores further several elements such as the methodological approach, the number of developed studies or the main objective of the research (RQ9, RQ10 and RQ11).
Phase (2) defines the eligibility criteria and the sources of information used. The Dialnet database was selected for this study after rejecting international databases as they did not contain the production of national theses, as well as the national repository TESEO because it did not allow us to screen the documents according to the criteria and research objectives, and it was difficult to export the metadata. In this sense, Dialnet is appropriate because, in addition to collecting Spanish doctoral theses and screening them by categories, it allows personalized searches based on the defined research objectives and questions. Thus, it includes doctoral theses published in Spanish universities from the year the database was created to the present: 2001–2024.
Phase (3) involves the search strategy. As previously mentioned, Dialnet was used in these terms, being a bibliographic platform and database founded by the University of La Rioja (Spain), which has become the largest database of academic–scientific content in Spanish [37,38,39]. Therefore, the following search strategy was applied to the title and abstract sections: “educación” AND (“revisión sistemática” OR “revisión de literatura”). The inclusion/exclusion criteria were (1) doctoral theses as the only type of document allowed, (2) published in Spanish universities and (3) categorized in the search areas of psychology and education.
Phase (4) discusses the process of selecting studies. The initial search yielded 202 dissertations. After an initial analysis, 77 records were excluded because they did not concern research of an educational nature or were not carried out in such settings, leaving a final sample of 125 documents. These documents were analyzed independently, and five were excluded for various reasons. In the end, the SLR enclosed a sample of 120 documents. To facilitate the understanding of this procedure, a flowchart developed within PRISMA 2020 was included, as shown in Figure 1 [35,40].
Phase (5) involves data coding and synthesis. The Zotero bibliographic management tool was used for data collection and compilation. The synthesis and specification of this information were carried out using a coding sheet (Microsoft Office Excel 2024®) with 17 fields, divided according to the following aspects: (1) identification of the document: authorship, address, date of publication, university of publication, author’s gender, title and abstract; (2) methodological field: subject or field of publication; and (3) research questions and objectives: contribution of the study, objective or topic, educational level at which it is carried out, educational context and methodology of the second study carried out and its conceptualization. Also, results were visually displayed with different software, such as RAWGraphs 2013 and Microsoft Office Excel 2024.

3. Results

The study’s findings are presented below, structured around the research questions set out in Table 1, in the belief that this method will be more illustrative.

3.1. Documentary Dimension

3.1.1. RQ1. What Is the Influence of the Supervisor/Adviser Factor on the Inclusion or Not of an SLR in Doctoral Theses?

After analyzing the directors and co-directors from the studied theses (Table 2), 17 directors supervising 2 or more doctoral theses that included an SLR were found among the final selection, resulting in 16 directors with 2 doctoral theses and 1 director with 3 documents with these characteristics [41,42,43]. The total number of doctoral theses supervised by these directors (35) represents 29.16% of the documents selected for this study (120).

3.1.2. RQ2. What Is the Trend Concerning the Volume of Publications?

The analysis of the number of doctoral theses published in the field of education and their relationship with systematic reviews of the literature allows us to identify two significant upturns in the production of these scientific documents in our country. Specifically, the historical data collected show a substantial increase from 2016, when an average of two theses per year increased to nine theses defended and published. This increase continued in 2017 when the previous doctoral programs were renewed, and the need to defend the different theses before this time resulted in 12 dissertations published annually.
This necessity can be deduced by analyzing the structure and content of those publications in 2017, which can also explain the subsequent decrease in production in the following years (Figure 2). Curiously, the observed curve rises again from 2020 onwards, after the publication of the PRISMA protocol and the standardization of the process of developing an SLR. Hence, 21 theses were published in 2021, 23 in 2022 and 25 in 2023.
The 120 documents analyzed were published between 2007 and 2023. There was no continuity in publications between the first thesis published in 2007 [44] and those published in 2011 [45,46]. However, from the latter until 2023, annual publications were observed to be uninterrupted and to follow an exponential growth trend with a good fit to an exponential growth relationship of R2 = 0.8603 (Figure 3).

3.1.3. RQ3. What Universities Are Involved?

When analyzing the universities where doctoral theses using SLR as a part of the research process in education are published, it was found that the two most productive universities are the University of Murcia and the University of Alicante, with 10 records each, while other universities such as Salamanca and Valencia (9), Granada (8) and Seville (7) are also important (Figure 4).
Moreover, the universities of Burgos, León and Vigo each produced six theses. The UNED published five theses, followed by the University of Córdoba with four. Also, the University of Extremadura and the University of the Balearic Islands each published three dissertations. The remaining registered centers presented a lower number of publications.
The complete list can be consulted at: https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_RSL_An_lisis_del_n_de_publicaciones_de_Tesis_Doctorales_por_Universidad/26864446?file=48859807 (accessed on 28 September 2024).
Therefore, this study makes it possible to map the publication of doctoral theses by province and university, highlighting the capacity of Andalusian and Valencian universities compared to the other autonomous communities. Surprisingly, Madrid, which has many universities and is the capital of the country, is not at the forefront of this analysis, while other communities, such as La Rioja, do not even appear on the list.

3.1.4. RQ4. Are There Gender Differences in the Authorship and Direction of the Doctoral Theses Analyzed?

Regarding the authorship gender, the proportion of theses is 64–56, with women accounting for the highest number of publications (53.33%) compared to men (46.67%). However, although this finding places the number of new female doctoral students slightly above that of their male colleagues, it does not represent a percentage that reveals major differences in our study (Figure 5).
On the other hand, when analyzing the gender of the thesis supervisor, the results are reversed: 67 times, the main supervisor was a man; this is compared to 53 publications with a woman as the main supervisor.

3.2. Methodological Dimension

3.2.1. RQ5. In Which Areas or Subjects Are the Doctoral Theses Analyzed Published?

To define the areas or subjects in which the doctoral theses analyzed were published (Figure 6), the first subject descriptor linked to the document in the previously mentioned databased was taken as a reference, obtaining that the most frequent areas are Pedagogy (51.67% of the theses), Psychology (11.67%), Mathematics (11.67%) and Economic Sciences (10.83%).

3.2.2. RQ6. What Is the Relationship Between the Publication of Doctoral Theses and the SLR?

The main objective of our research is to analyze the interrelationship between the development and publication of SLR and thesis projects in our national context. For this purpose, it was necessary to differentiate those research studies with educational context and intentions in the first place. Thus, the initial 202 results were significantly reduced after analyzing the theses in these terms, as previously discussed in depth in the theoretical framework.
Taking, as a reference, the initial number of theses published between 2001 and 2024, obtained from Dialnet, it can be stated that the 120 documents included in the study represent 59.41% of the total number of the theses published in Education, as well as the 2.633% of the total theses of any other area that include SLRs in their development (4557 documents).
At the national level, TESEO was consulted to calculate the exact number of published theses, finding that the search conducted in the present study accounted for 0.05502% of the total of 218,132 theses published in all areas.
On the other hand, reading the included documents helped to extract some clear ideas about how doctoral theses use SLRs to build and develop the doctoral thesis itself. These systematic processes allow for defining several variables, such as the population and area of study, investigating concrete phenomena, finding fields of interest and arguing previous ideas. This procedure will subsequently allow for the development of more in-depth interventions, proposals and research.
For example, the doctoral thesis by Verdugo Castro et al. [47], in which an SLR about gender gaps and their relationship with the STEM areas in the educative context led to the creation of a codebook concerning that topic, as well as to the design of instruments, their validation and implementation. As a further instance, Martínez Román et al. [48] carried out a doctoral thesis to analyze the status of sexual cyber-violence prevention and the success of prevention programs based on sex education through an SLR, which served to detect and examine other emerging behaviors such as grooming, sexting and sextortion, as well as how to prevent them via coeducation [49]. Also, the research led to another study that explored new methodological designs for analyzing digital content from a gender perspective [50].

3.3. Pedagogical or Educational Dimension

3.3.1. RQ7. What Type of Contribution Do the Doctoral Theses Analyzed Make to the Field of Education?

The contributions made by doctoral theses in the field of education play a significant role in the development and improvement of knowledge concerning educational practices. To define them, it was necessary to establish a series of categories that could collect the most relevant findings to each doctoral thesis (Table 3). Therefore, the most recurring classifications, which serve to identify several research key points, are presented as follows:
Firstly, the doctoral theses can be assumed as documents with high and contrasted analytical and reflective value, as one of the main contributions was the analysis of the educational reality and its members, with 48 documents found out of 120. Hence, the study identifies how these analyses are interrelated with the different topics and allow novel researchers to acquire a deeper understanding of the educational challenges segmented by levels, stages or fields of knowledge.
Secondly, the doctoral thesis represents an excellent opportunity to develop new research proposals. Thus, many theses not only focus on analyzing the problem but also suggest innovative solutions based on empirical research. It was found that, in as many as 31 cases, the analysis of the educational reality was followed by specific research and, in 17 of the consulted theses, by educational interventions. Additionally, pedagogical innovation is promoted by this type of research through developing analyses pursued by educational proposals (5) and other experiences. To a lesser extent, these doctoral studies also involve the validation of tools and questionnaires, which are crucial for advancing the quality of educational evaluation and research.
In conclusion, all the documents lead to a theoretical and conceptual reflection on education, consistently based on a solid foundation that must be taken into consideration when developing both educational practices and policies. Doctoral theses, therefore, serve as the backbone when referring to education knowledge and quality enhancement.

3.3.2. RQ8. In What Context and at What Stage Are Doctoral Studies Carried Out?

Most of the doctoral theses are conducted within formal education (107 out of 120 theses examined). Concretely, 39.17% were carried out at the High Education level, which may be due to the proximity and accessibility of these so-called convenience samples. Similarly, Secondary Education, with 21.67%, has been identified as an interesting and prolific level for the development of doctoral theses, which could be explained by the participants’ higher cognitive capacity and maturity when responding to questionnaires and other evaluation tools.
Additionally, other research encompassing all educational levels or combining studies between two levels was found, as they propose interactions among students from different age groups (e.g., those from the degree of primary education at university and from schools) or grades of compulsory Secondary Education. Overall, this idea of combining several stages seems to be the most interesting, mixing different levels of education and types of research (Figure 7).

3.4. Research Dimension

3.4.1. RQ9. What Are the Research Objectives or Topics?

Analyzing the research aims or topics responds to a more subjective process in which the researchers’ agreement is essential. For this, each author read the extracted documents individually and defined the topic of each thesis.
Although the results were very varied, it is possible to find a tendency towards the implementation of research related to the integration of educational technology and digital competence in education (more than 20 doctoral theses were found), which represents the largest group.
Meanwhile, a smaller group is interested in topics such as teaching innovation processes, new teaching methodologies, teacher training and development or educational and management policies, demonstrating the commitment of academic research to these themes.
In general, early career researchers are interested in a wide range of issues, covering areas as diverse as improving academic performance, violence and bullying, inclusion and diversity in the classroom, quality of education, physical, psychological and emotional well-being and gender issues.

3.4.2. RQ10. Are There Any Second or Subsequent Studies After the SLR? How Many?

The relationship between the development of an SLR and the defense of doctoral theses can also be analyzed by considering the publication of other studies within the thesis (Table 4). Most analyzed theses developed at least 1 or 2 studies following the SLR, while only 8 out of 120 did not include any other later work. Likewise, two doctoral theses from the University of Jaén in the physical activity and motor practice areas showed the largest number of subsequent studies (6).
Therefore, it can be determined that there is a direct relationship between systematic reviews and subsequent publications, which are not always required within the doctoral programs related to education to which the analyzed theses belong.

3.4.3. RQ11. What Are the Methodological Approaches Used? What Is the Typology of the Second Study?

Mixed methodology predominated in the doctoral theses (72 records). In addition, up to 30 different research methods or typologies are identified for the second research study, of which the use of questionnaires and their validation are shown as the most recurrent (23 and 8 times, respectively). This type of research is followed by case studies (12) and experimental designs (10). Next, systematic reviews and exploratory studies are presented as subsequent research up to six times.
Quasi-experimental designs, interviews, theoretical studies, multiple case studies and design-based research are shown to be less frequently used methods (4). Finally, typologies such as Delphi panels, correlational studies, auto-ethnographies and other research methodologies included in the analyzed theses are not of great relevance concerning the subsequent studies.

4. Discussion and Conclusions

Firstly, the main objective of this study was to analyze the production of doctoral theses that include an SLR as a part of its elaboration and PhD student’s academic development. Hence, an exponential increase in these terms was determined, showing the SLR as a method of inquiry and approach to the field of study, indicating the growing acceptance and use of this method in academic research to carry out doctoral theses. Likewise, two historical moments related to a significant increase in defending and publishing doctoral theses that include SLR have been detected: (1) between 2016 and 2017 and (2) from 2020 onwards. Although after the end of the “old” doctoral programs, an evident decrease in production is identified, it is concluded that the publication of the PRISMA protocol, which allows researchers to transparently document and answer the why, what and how questions about the review, as well as the main findings, boosted these productions again to reach a total of 25 doctoral theses in 2023.
Moreover, the research has determined the incidence of the supervision factor in the inclusion of SLR in the development of the doctoral thesis, detecting 17 directors with more than 2 theses supervised under these criteria, which meant 35 theses out of 120 documents. It should be noted that one of these directors includes SLRs in 100% of the supervised theses (2/2). In this sense, the process of developing doctoral theses with these characteristics is accepted and encouraged by theses’ directors, being in some cases even recurrent. The University of Murcia and the University of Alicante are the most prolific when producing theses with SLR, with 10 registrations each. Furthermore, although the study does not reveal any major gender differences concerning the authorship and supervision of the theses analyzed, it can be stated that there are more women as doctoral students and more men as directors. This finding could be explained, among other things, by the existence of certain invisible barriers (glass ceiling) that hinder the promotion of women to leadership roles, also in the academic field, according to different studies [51,52].
Likewise, among the areas or subjects in which most doctoral theses are published, “Pedagogy” stands out, accounting for more than half of the revised documents. This area is closely linked to the improvement of educational systems and the quality of teaching and covers a wide range of subtopics and research approaches related to the teaching-learning processes, evaluation, didactics, educational management, the use of innovative and active methodologies, inclusion, etc. Additionally, the constant transformation of educational systems due to the incorporation of new technologies, the changes concerning educational policies and curricular reforms, as well as the greater interest in improving teacher training may explain the increase in the production of doctoral theses in this field, as authors like Sebastián [27] and Shin et al. [31] affirm. Linked to this, it was not surprising that the main research topics correspond to educational technology and digital literacy in education, given the intention of adapting to those changes that technology promotes in social and academic terms. However, areas such as “Sociology”, also close to educational purposes, showed very few records, while others such as “Economics”, which apparently would be more detached from them, are in fourth place.
The analysis highlights the relevance of theses incorporating SLRs in Education, with these works comprising more than half of the published doctoral theses in this field. This suggests that the implementation of this methodological design is not only widely accepted but also increasingly spread and adopted by researchers conducting doctoral studies. Consequently, SLRs are recognized as a valuable resource that facilitates, among other things, the identification of research gaps, the comparison of existing ideas, and the delineation of fields of study, and subsequently, it supports the development of further research that can lead to the foundation of a doctoral thesis, which confirms the literature reviewed in this study [21,22,23].
Furthermore, this study reveals that, after implementing the SLR, the doctoral theses focus on the following primary contributions: (1) conducting an in-depth analysis of the educational reality and (2) implementing specific research or educational interventions. The findings indicate a strong interest among doctoral students in understanding the dynamics within their research context to propose solutions aimed at enhancing educational innovation and quality.
Most of the doctoral theses included in this study were conducted within the field of formal education, with a particular emphasis on Higher and Secondary Education. This focus may be explained, firstly, by the ease of collecting samples within these institutions and the strong connection PhD students have with them, and secondly, by the participants’ greater ability to engage in more complex or extended tasks. Nevertheless, the study also found that integrating multiple educational levels and processes, as seen in some theses, can be a valuable approach that enriches the research and, thus, the doctoral thesis.
Also, most of the doctoral theses included in this study featured at least one subsequent study after the implementation of an SLR, as this study affirms in the medical area [53]. In this sense, a direct relationship between conducting SLRs as part of a doctoral thesis and the generation of subsequent publications is suggested, agreeing with studies in educational technology [54]. Therefore, developing a doctoral thesis may involve the following roadmap: after an in-depth analysis of the current state of the issue through the SLR, further studies are usually undertaken to contribute to the development of the final thesis document. In fact, 43 doctoral theses included one post-SLR investigation, and 39 included two subsequent studies, highlighting this trend within our research sample.
Finally, when analyzing the doctoral theses, a predominance of a mixed methodology was identified, which generally allows the subsequent research to be approached broadly. In this way, using questionnaires and validating them, as well as conducting case studies and experimental designs, stand out as the most recurrent research methods.

Future Implications and Limitations

The importance of this research lies in its potential usefulness for future doctoral students, as it can be of relevance when defining the appropriate methodological approach for their dissertations. By reading the text, PhD students can realize that starting the doctoral thesis with an exhaustive analysis of the status of the research issue via an SLR is not only possible but even a solid and structured way to build up their research process, as there is a clear and well-funded logic behind its methodology. Moreover, this study has enabled a clear model of SLR-based research to be enunciated, helping to identify existing training needs to improve the student’s education within the doctoral programs, as well as providing guidelines on what steps to follow in order to elaborate a truly innovative and original thesis. In fact, it should not be forgotten that this type of analysis (i.e., SLR) can lead to complementary actions to the thesis’ development, such as its publication in scientific journals or the transfer of results through academic conferences, increasing the impact and visibility of the work.
In addition to the findings presented, this study has some limitations that must be considered. Firstly, the exclusive reliance on Dialnet as a source of information may strengthen the results, because of its relevance within the national context, but also limit their scope and constrain their generalization. Although the previously mentioned database is a valuable tool for accessing Spanish-speaking academic production, its coverage may not comprehensively represent the entire body of doctoral theses in education that have been produced in the analyzed period and under the specified criteria. To address this limitation, future research could incorporate additional databases to analyze doctoral theses that include an SLR as part of their composition, both nationally (Tesis Doctorales en Red, university institutional repositories, etc.) or internationally (DART-Europe, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, etc.), and consider broadening the search strategy by using the same terms but in other languages (i.e., English).
Additionally, only the second study (i.e., developed immediately after the SLR) has been analyzed from a methodological point of view, excluding the discussion of other previous or subsequent research stages. Thus, considering a more global and complete understanding of the PhD academic development when the thesis includes an SLR is suggested, which may help to identify research patterns or tendencies more comprehensively in the future. Also, it would be interesting to analyze to what extent the development of an SLR within the thesis composition meets not only the initial objective of this study but influences the student’s academic career and successive publications.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization M.C.-P., A.P.-M. and J.I.C.-R.; methodology, M.C.-P., A.P.-M. and J.I.C.-R.; software, M.C.-P.; validation, M.C.-P., A.P.-M. and J.I.C.-R.; formal analysis, M.C.-P. and A.P.-M.; investigation, M.C.-P., A.P.-M. and J.I.C.-R.; resources, M.C.-P.; data curation, M.C.-P., A.P.-M. and J.I.C.-R.; writing—original preparation, M.C.-P., A.P.-M. and J.I.C.-R.; writing—review and editing, M.C.-P., A.P.-M. and J.I.C.-R.; visualization, M.C.-P.; supervision, M.C.-P. and A.P.-M.; project administration, M.C.-P.; funding acquisition, J.I.C.-R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

The author J.I.C.-R. was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Universities (FPU22/02673).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable. There were no individual subjects involved in the process.

Data Availability Statement

Selection protocol: https://osf.io/edmqn/ (accessed on 28 September 2024). Data analysis: https://osf.io/bp354/ (accessed on 28 September 2024).

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Education 14 01165 g001
Figure 1. Flow diagram.
Figure 1. Flow diagram.
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Figure 2. Change in the trend in the volume of publications.
Figure 2. Change in the trend in the volume of publications.
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Figure 3. Exponential growth in the volume of publications.
Figure 3. Exponential growth in the volume of publications.
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Figure 4. Number of publications by university.
Figure 4. Number of publications by university.
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Figure 5. Gender differences in thesis authorship.
Figure 5. Gender differences in thesis authorship.
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Figure 6. Educational levels and research contexts.
Figure 6. Educational levels and research contexts.
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Figure 7. Publication areas or subjects.
Figure 7. Publication areas or subjects.
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Table 1. Dimensions, research questions and their coding.
Table 1. Dimensions, research questions and their coding.
DimensionResearch QuestionCoding
DocumentaryRQ1. What is the influence of the supervisor/adviser factor on the inclusion or not of an SLR in doctoral theses?Table of the ratio of doctoral theses supervised by the advisors and the percentage of theses in education containing SLR.
RQ2. What is the trend concerning the volume of publications?Statistical analysis of the number of publications.
RQ3. What universities are involved?University at which the doctoral thesis is published.
RQ4. Are there gender differences in the authorship and direction of the doctoral theses analyzed?Author and/or advisor genre.
MethodologicalRQ5. In which areas or subjects are the doctoral theses analyzed published?Found areas: Pedagogy, Psychology, Technological Sciences, Mathematics, Sports Sciences, Life Sciences, Economic Sciences, Arts and Literature Sciences, History, Political Science, Medical Sciences, Software Engineering, Gender Studies and Not Applicable.
RQ6. What is the relationship between the publication of doctoral theses and the SLR?Subjective analysis of data, results and the incidence of SLR in the doctoral theses analyzed.
Pedagogical or educationalRQ7. What type of contribution do the doctoral theses analyzed make to the field of education?Analysis, Analysis + Research, Analysis + Intervention, Proposal + Research, Analysis + Proposal, Questionnaire Validation + Intervention, Questionnaire Validation, Intervention, Reflection and Implementation Design.
RQ8. In what context and at what stage are doctoral studies carried out?Educational stage: Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Higher Education, Other.
ResearchRQ9. What are the research objectives or topics?Analysis of the most repeated topics or themes of interest. Based on the theoretical framework and the objects of study.
RQ10. Are there any second or subsequent studies after the SLR? How many?Yes, No.
Number of studies.
Quantitative, qualitative, mixed.
RQ11. What are the methodological approaches used? What is the typology of the second study?Auto-Ethnographic, Case study, Comparative-predictive, Correlational, Cross-Sectional Study, CSCL Delphi Panel, Descriptive, Design-based research, Documentary Research, DBR, Exploratory data analysis, Exploratory Study, Experimental study, Interviews, Meta-synthesis, Multiple Case Study, Observational Study, Participatory Action Research, Propensity score matching, Quasi-experimental study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Survey Questionnaire, Systematic Review, Theoretical Validation and Questionnaire, Not performed.
Table 2. Analysis of the influence of the supervisor/adviser factor.
Table 2. Analysis of the influence of the supervisor/adviser factor.
TDSupervised Theses in Education with SLRNumber of Total Supervised ThesesRatio of Theses with SLR
Darder Mesquida, Antònia22100.00%
Almagro Torres, Bartolomé Jesús2728.57%
Ramírez Montoya, María Soledad2825.00%
Vieira Aller, María José2825.00%
Greca Dufranc, Ileana María21020.00%
Pérez Garcias, Adolfina21020.00%
Vidal García, Javier21020.00%
Luján Mora, Sergio31618.75%
Ferrer Cascales, Rosario21315.38%
Ruiz Hernández, José Antonio21414.29%
Cid Fernández, Xosé Manuel21811.11%
Meneses Villagrá, Jesús Ángel22010.00%
Sánchez Gómez, María Cruz2258.00%
García Peñalvo, Francisco José2306.67%
Prendes Espinosa, María Paz2306.67%
Rodríguez Conde, María José2365.56%
Cabero Almenara, Julio2573.51%
TD—thesis director; SLR—systematic literature review.
Table 3. Nature of contributions following the SLR.
Table 3. Nature of contributions following the SLR.
Study ContributionNumber of Thesis Involved
Analysis48
Analysis + Research31
Analysis + Intervention17
Proposal + Research13
Analysis + Proposal5
Questionnaire Validation + Intervention3
Questionnaire Validation2
Intervention1
Reflection1
Implementation Design1
Total120
Table 4. Number of subsequent studies after the SLR within the theses.
Table 4. Number of subsequent studies after the SLR within the theses.
Number of Subsequent StudiesValue
08
143
239
312
410
56
62
Total120
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Cerezo-Pizarro, M.; Presentación-Muñoz, A.; Calzada-Rodríguez, J.I. Developing Doctoral Theses in Education: The Role of Systematic Reviews in the Spanish Context. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 1165. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111165

AMA Style

Cerezo-Pizarro M, Presentación-Muñoz A, Calzada-Rodríguez JI. Developing Doctoral Theses in Education: The Role of Systematic Reviews in the Spanish Context. Education Sciences. 2024; 14(11):1165. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111165

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cerezo-Pizarro, Mario, Alain Presentación-Muñoz, and José Ignacio Calzada-Rodríguez. 2024. "Developing Doctoral Theses in Education: The Role of Systematic Reviews in the Spanish Context" Education Sciences 14, no. 11: 1165. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111165

APA Style

Cerezo-Pizarro, M., Presentación-Muñoz, A., & Calzada-Rodríguez, J. I. (2024). Developing Doctoral Theses in Education: The Role of Systematic Reviews in the Spanish Context. Education Sciences, 14(11), 1165. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111165

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