Educational psychology as an evolving discipline: trends and synthesis in Asia Pacific Education Review

Educational psychology has seen rapid growth as an academic discipline in recent years. The current study reviewed research articles published in Asia Pacific Education Review (APER), a journal that has been gaining greater international recognition, to reveal recent trends in educational psychology research in Asia Pacific. Specifically, the study reviewed general (country, research methods and academic subject) and topical trends among 84 articles published in APER from 2005 to 2013. Findings of the study revealed that studies on diverse age groups were conducted in various countries. Although quantitative research greatly outnumbered qualitative research, qualitative research appeared to be increasingly accepted. Topics from special education and counseling were actively studied, with the greatest focus on learner characteristics highlighting individual differences. Outlined research trends and related discussions in this study may be useful for educational psychology researchers in East Asia.