本文針對934篇在四種國際科學教育期刊所發表的論文進行內容分析，以了解近五年(2000-2004)年科學教育領域的論文其研究方向的及相關議題。本文分成七個向度探討，包括文章主題、文章類型、實徵研究類型、資料收集方法、資料分析方法、分析法及受試者族群的分佈情形。研究結果發現，就四種期刊的整體趨勢而言，文章主題以有關概念學習的論文最多。而文章類型則以實徵性研究佔大部分，而實徵性研究中，又以個案研究為最主要的類型。在資料收集方式上，使用單一收集方式的研究數量略高於多種資料收集法的論文，在多種資料收集方式中以試題及問卷方式居多。在資料分析方法上，使用單一分析方法者多於多種分析方法，而其中又以單獨使用質化分析法為最。但是值得注意的是，使用多種資料收集方法及多種資料分析方法的比例逐年增加，t檢定及ANOVA佔大部分，而多變量統計法雖然僅佔少部分，但是一直維持相關的比例。在受試者方面，仍以學生為主，尤其是中學生，但是社會大眾及其他的比例也有逐年增加的趨勢。另一方面，四種期刊在七個向度的個別表現也各有特色，在文章主題上，IJSE及SE以概念學習為最主要，但是JRST及RISE則不然；而在資料分析方法上，RISE使用量化分析比例低於其他期刊；在統計方法上，RISE使用描述統計佔名數，但其他三種期刊則以推論統計佔多數。

Content analysis of 934 articles published in four major science education journals were conducted. The contents analyzed in this paper were research topics, of research, data collection and data analysis methods, and participants in the studies. The results revealed that the research topics were centered on conceptual learning. The majority of the studies were empirical, focusing mainly on case studies. With respect to the data collection, the single method was used slightly more frequently than the multiple methods, in which tests and questionnaires dominated. Until 2004, there was an increasing tendency for multiple data collection (about 50%) and analysis (about 33%) were shown. In data analysis, the use of a single method exceeds that of the multiple methods, and the quantitative methods involving both t-test and ANOVA are most widely used. The major participants in the studies were students, especially the secondary school students. However, the numbers of the public and others as the subjects were increasing. Finally, it is noted that the four journals analyzed have their own characteristics. The emphasis of the research topics of IJSE and SE was no conceptual learning. In terms of methodology, RISE used less quantitative methods and more descriptive statistics than others.