THE PROFILE OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH ON TECHNOLOGY: a bibliometric analysis of dissertations and theses in the field of Education at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Abstract

 Studies on the insertion of technologies in education constitute a considerable body of knowledge in Brazil and Latin America. This article presents a survey of publications produced on technologies in education. It is a bibliographic review of dissertations and theses produced between 1990 and 2021. Bibliometric techniques were employed, since the indicators of scientific production portray the development of a field of knowledge. The study combined the terms ‘technology,’ ‘technology in education,’ ICT, ICTs, ‘technological education,’ ‘digital technologies,’ ‘distance education,’ ‘educational informatics,’ and ‘cyberculture.’ A total of 102 dissertations and 25 theses are indexed in the databases of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, analyzed in detail. The evidence from this survey allows us to point out that most of the research employs methodological instruments of a qualitative nature. Such studies, when addressing technology at the interface with education, almost always do so without developing the meaning of the construct adopted. The results indicate that most of the research adopts a qualitative approach and that there is a lack of consensus regarding the concept of “technology.”