More and more, educational researchers have advocated for the implementation of socio-scientific issues (SSI) education. To understand the current situation of, and future development trends in, social science issues-based education research, a content analysis method was used to review articles from SSI education research publications from 2004–2022. A total of 580 research publications were identified for content analysis through a keyword search in Web of Science. The basic characteristics of, and hot topics and future development trends in SSI education research were summarized based on the research analysis, including basic information (including the number of publications, journals, titles, and authors), and the coding of the research information (including the research participants, research methods, research topics, and research fields) in the articles. The results show that the number of publications has been increasing year by year, and the journal with the most publications is the International Journal of Science Education, while Science & Education has the fastest growing number of published articles. Researchers from the United States account for the largest number of authors of articles, and the focus has mainly been on research participants in K–12 education. The research methods are mainly qualitative or mixed research methods, and the research topics mainly focus on the teaching value and significance of social science issues, and the application and introduction of social science issues in subject teaching. The annual number of publications shows a significant increasing trend, while the teaching values and significance of SSI education, such as argumentation, reasoning, decision-making skills, and critical thinking, are hot topics. SSI teaching mainly focuses on environmental issues, and emphasizes the concept of sustainability. This study provides comprehensive discussions around both the basic information and research information, offering valuable insights into the current state of, and future trends in, SSI education research. It is particularly beneficial for individuals new to the SSI education field, and those with an interest in SSI.
