Research methods in architecture education: a comparative analysis of teaching approaches based on course syllabi

Purpose – This paper analyzes how research methodology is taught in architecture programs across multiple regions, identifying dominant pedagogical models and how they position the relationship between research and design. Design/methodology/approach – A comparative documentary review was conducted of 146 research methods course syllabi publicly available from 112 university websites in 35 countries. Course descriptions, objectives, contents, teaching strategies, assessment and bibliographies were coded. Quantitative lexical analyses and AI-assisted pattern detection were combined with manual categorization and researcher triangulation to map cognitive levels, research-process phases and thematic clusters across undergraduate and graduate architecture programs. Findings – The analysis showed that most courses reproduce research models imported from the social and applied sciences, with limited adaptation to design-oriented architectural knowledge. Three main pedagogical models were identified (scientific-technical, practice-oriented professional and critical-contextual) alongside a persistent unresolved tension between research and design, which remain largely separated at the curricular level. Originality/value – This is a large-scale, evidence-based characterization of research methods education in architecture programs across multiple regions. By documenting the field’s dependence on exogenous scientific paradigms and clarifying its internal pedagogical diversity, the study offers a critical basis for rethinking how research is conceptualized, taught and integrated with design in contemporary architectural curricula.