The meaning of the concept of literacy, which is at the center of 21st-century skills, has changed considerably today. With this change, many types of literacy have been defined. Academic studies are of great importance in understanding literacy and in teaching and developing literacy skills in individuals. From this point of view, the aim of this study was to examine postgraduate theses related to literacy in the field of science education and to identify trends in this area. The study analyzed 137 research completed between 2014 and 2023, using document analysis within qualitative research framework. The theses examined in the study were those in the field of science education in Türkiye, registered in the YÖK National Thesis Center database with access permission. Descriptive and content analyses were employed to analyze the data. The theses were examined under the headings of research title, literacy type, purpose, method, participants, sample size, data collection tools, and data analysis techniques. According to the results, most of the postgraduate theses related to literacy in science education were completed in 2019 and 2022. The majority of these theses were conducted at Marmara University and Gazi University. The most frequently studied literacy types in these theses are science and technology literacy/science literacy and environmental literacy. The primary objectives of the theses include examining the effect of various methods on literacy levels, exploring the relationship between literacy levels and various variables, and determining and/or comparing literacy levels. It was found that quantitative research methods were more commonly preferred than other methods. Additionally, the study revealed that most research was conducted with students and pre-service teachers, with sample sizes exceeding 51 participants. Scales/surveys/tests/inventories and interviews were the most commonly used data collection tools, and quantitative data analysis methods were predominantly employed. Based on the findings, some suggestions were presented future research studies related to literacy in science education.

Science education, literacy, postgraduate theses.