In this study, we examined the research literature in the field of K-12 online learning to identify the leading scholars, journals, top-cited articles, research methods, and topics in this field of inquiry. Our research process involved...
moreIn this study, we examined the research literature in the field of K-12 online learning to identify the leading scholars, journals, top-cited articles, research methods, and topics in this field of inquiry. Our research process involved first, collecting a corpus of journal articles focused on K-12 online and distance learning; second, categorizing these articles according to their research methodologies; third, analyzing trends not only in methodologies employed, but also in authorship, citations, journals, and topics addressed. In analyzing 356 articles, we found the field of K-12 online learning to be growing rapidly in recent years with acceleration not only of new articles, but especially of new authors. We also found that the field of K-12 online learning began primarily emphasizing theoretical articles but is now maturing and emphasizing increasingly more data-based articles. We found that K-12 online learning scholarship is scattered among many journals, providing rich opportunities for scholars while also making it more difficult to discern trends across the discipline.
