4 Educational Research Topics
Written by:
Wilson College
• Sep 18, 2025
Theoretically, teaching can seem straightforward—transferring information from one person to another—but in practice, education is much more than that. It’s about giving students the tools they need to navigate the world.
Because of that weighty responsibility, educators and administrators alike need to take a systematic, evidence-based approach to their careers. Educational researchers lay the groundwork that makes that possible. For professionals interested in earning an advanced education degree and pursuing this uniquely rewarding path, consider four educational research topics worth exploring.
What Is Educational Research?
Educational research is research focused on all aspects of the educational process. This can include teachers, students, pedagogies, policies, and any other relevant topic. While educational research is an interdisciplinary field, the main goal is typically understanding and improving education.
As big as the field is, three main types of educational research exist:
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Fundamental or Basic Research: Research focused on developing new evidence-based theories and educational frameworks
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Applied Research: Research that examines how theories can be used to solve widespread, real-world issues
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Action Research: A structured process that teachers, administrators, and other professionals can use to identify and solve issues in their own classrooms, schools, and districts
To become widely accepted and implemented, fundamental and applied educational research typically must be published in a peer-reviewed journal and replicated. Action research projects are often less formal, meaning that they may not always follow that path. However, successful action research initiatives can lead to more academically rigorous, large-scale research.
4 Topics in Educational Research
While educational research is its own field, it’s made up of a diverse number of subspecialties. Together, researchers in each specialty create a holistic, evidence-based body of theories and practices for their colleagues to use.
Here are a few of the most pressing educational research topics professionals are focusing on today.
1. Technology in the Classroom
From school-issued computers that enable virtual classes to advanced smart boards that offer a multimedia experience, technology can have a profound impact on teaching and learning. However, that impact isn’t always positive.
In a 2023 survey conducted by Education Week, a publication covering K-12 education, 49% of educators reported feeling exhausted by the use of technology in the classroom. The rapid emergence of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) demonstrate the need for technology-focused educational research and informed policymaking.
2. Mental Health
In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that about 40% of students experienced depression-like symptoms, and 20% had considered self-harm. While educational researchers have been studying the intersection of cognition, scholastic achievement, and mental wellness for decades, these statistics indicate there’s more work to be done, whether it’s a project exploring new behavioral interventions or a survey of how different student populations express and experience mental health issues.
3. Learning Disabilities
Today’s educators and administrators have access to more resources and information about learning disabilities than ever before. However, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), 90% of students in fourth through eighth grades with specific learning disabilities lag behind their peers in reading and math. As is the case with mental health, learning disabilities are a much-studied yet still not fully understood educational research topic.
For example, NCLD asserts that students who need support don’t always receive it. Researching why could be both enlightening and impactful. Because this is such a complex issue, addressing it would likely require different initiatives focused on stigma, budgeting policies, staffing issues, educator efficacy, curriculum, and other issues to fully explore the root causes.
4. Educational Policy
While educational research is often used to inform policymaking, research into the effects of the policies themselves can also be helpful not only to students but also to their parents and teachers. This can include research into any number of policies, such as those centered around staffing and scheduling.
How to Become an Educational Researcher
Educational researchers can work for different types of organizations, including colleges and universities; individual schools and school districts; government agencies; and other education-related enterprises, such as advocacy-focused nonprofits and education technology companies.
Each one of these employers has its own job requirements, but becoming an educational researcher typically involves the following:
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Earning a bachelor’s degree
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Gaining teaching and/or research experience
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Pursuing an advanced degree in education
Educators often pursue a Master of Education (MEd) degree before pivoting into educational research. MEd programs typically require students to complete at least one major research project. Having a combination of classroom and research experience can help professionals be competitive candidates for educational research positions.
Learn the Research Skills to Have an Impact
Whether educators want to pivot into educational research as a career or lead action research initiatives in their own schools or school districts, the online MEd at Wilson College Online provides graduates with the right tools. Designed with working educators in mind, the program features a self-paced structure that makes career advancement accessible.
In classes such as Technology Integration and Differentiated Instruction, MEd students learn effective, evidence-based practices they can take directly into the classroom. To prepare for roles in both leadership and research, students also take classes about today’s most pressing educational issues and design their own research projects based on their interests.
To find out more about the curriculum and how Wilson College Online faculty support their students, request more information today.
Recommended Readings
What Are the Requirements to Earn a Master of Education?
Sources:
American Educational Research Association, What Is Education Research?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health
Education Week, “How Educators Feel About the Impact of Technology, in Charts”
Indeed, What Does an Education Researcher Do? (Plus Salary and FAQ)
National Center for Learning Disabilities, Understand the Issues
National Head Start Association, Action Research
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Trends Shaping Education 2025
