Pre-service geography teachers from normal universities in China: what do their master's degree theses focus on and imply?

Master's degree-level graduates in Subject Teaching (Geography) (STG) in Chinese normal universities constitute a key pool of pre-service secondary school geography teachers and provide a lens on the quality and outcomes of current teacher training. Yet little research examines their research capabilities via thesis analysis. This study uses bibliometric and comparative analysis of STG master’s theses (2016–2022) to reveal trends and characteristics. Universities with different subject assessment levels emphasize different research areas, resulting in varied depth of engagement with new teaching materials and alignment with frontline teaching. Compared with cutting-edge international and domestic research, STG theses are generally microscopic in scope and insufficient in depth. The paper advocates a three-pronged collaborative framework to enhance training quality: closer interactions among on- and off-campus tutors and learners, university–secondary school partnerships, and inter-university cooperation.