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Lighthouse Creativity

A Sample List of Research Topics

  • Mar 30
  • 6 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Stack of papers with icons: magnifying glass, light bulb, graph, gears, and globe. Banner above reads "A List of Research Topics." Neutral tone.

Interdisciplinary, researchable, and designed for middle–high school students — with everyday relevance and theoretical depth.



How to use this list


  • Treat each as a starting point. Adapt population, setting, and measures to your context.

  • Before running a study, run the SAFE check (Sources, Access, Fit, and Ethics) and follow your school’s consent and privacy rules. For more information about SAFE, refer to the file “How to Create a Research Topic and List of Topics.”


1. Learning and Cognition


  1. Peer Teaching and Memory (Analytical) How does teaching a peer affect delayed recall in 10th-grade biology?


  2. Spaced vs. Blocked Practice for Vocab (Analytical) Which schedule yields better 1-week retention for language terms?


  3. Analogies as Transfer Tools (Generative) Do student-generated analogies improve transfer on novel physics problems?


  4. Movement Breaks and Reading (Analytical) Do brief movement breaks reduce mind-wandering during digital reading?


  5. Metacognitive Checklists (Analytical) Does a 4-item checklist before quizzes improve accuracy of confidence judgments?


  6. Note Modality and Retention (Analytical) Handwritten vs. typed notes — effects on inferential questions?


2. Digital Media and Attention


  1. Scrolling vs. Paging (Analytical) How do scrolling interfaces affect sustained attention in teen readers?


  2. Notification Batching (Generative)

    Does batching notifications at set intervals reduce task switching during study?


  3. Dark vs. Light Mode (Analytical)

    Effects on reading speed, errors, and eye strain after 20 minutes?


  4. Algorithmic vs. Chronological Feeds (Analytical)

    How do feed types change perceived time and mood after 15 minutes?


  5. Multitasking Beliefs vs. Performance (Descriptive to Analytical)

    Do students who believe they multitask well actually perform worse on dual tasks?


  6. Read-Later Prompts (Generative)

    Does a one-click “save for later” prompt reduce doom-scrolling?


3. Health and Habit Design

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