Analysis of Research Trends in the Family Resemblance Approach to the Nature of Science in Science Education

This study was aimed at assessing the research trends in the family resemblance approach to the nature of science (FRA-to-NOS). This was accomplished through bibliometric analysis using the R program and a literature review employing the analysis framework. The findings demonstrated that the field of FRA-to-NOS has been experiencing growth, with the journal Science & Education being the primary source of coverage for the field. Additionally, the study identified the most influential authors and articles. In addition, the results also showed that the current FRA-to-NOS research has been more focused on general science rather than science subjects such as physics and biology. The results also showed that the research has centered on pre-service science teachers and that qualitative and mixed methods were mainly applied as research designs. Based on these findings, the researchers identified four research gaps, including the need to develop domain-specific teaching methods and materials and suggested directions for future research.