Examining the Knowledge Produced in Educational Administration Doctoral Theses with Respect to Functions of Science

This study examines the contribution of the knowledge produced in educational administration doctoral theses to the functions of science, concept and model development, theory formation, scale development/adaptation and application. Content analysis, one of the qualitative methods, was used in conducting the research, which analyzed 122 doctoral theses dated between 2017 and 2020. These compositions were produced at 27 universities that ranked in the top 500 globally in CWUR (Center for World University Ranking) 2020. The results showed that the knowledge produced in the theses was mostly descriptive. However, there were a few experimental theses that reached the control level and contributed to the application with a concept, model, theory creation and scale development/adaptation. The findings offer implications that can guide future research in the field of educational administration.