Current Situation, Problems and Optimization Paths of Thesis Topic Selection in Cultural Teaching for Master’s Degree in International Chinese Language Education: An Empirical Analysis based on CNKI from 2019-2023

Abstract

The topic selection of master's degree theses in cultural teaching within international Chinese language education is a significant indicator of practical and theoretical development in this field. This study uses literature analysis, data statistics, and SATI tools to analyze 727 cultural teaching theses collected by China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from 2019 to 2023, focusing on two dimensions: topic directions (teaching objectives, content, methods, country-specific research) and types (teaching experiment reports, teaching designs, etc.). The study found that existing topics are highly concentrated on classroom practice research (67.3%), showing a prominent feature of "strong practical orientation and insufficient theoretical construction". Research methods mainly rely on empirical analysis (82.1%), but there are core problems such as homogenization of topic selection, fragmentation of country-specific research, and lack of interdisciplinary integration. Based on this, this paper proposes optimizing paths from balancing topic directions, strengthening systematic country-specific research, and integrating interdisciplinary methods to promote innovation and practicality in cultural teaching research, providing references for the professional and localized development of international Chinese language education.