A conceptual framework is an analytical tool with several variations and contexts. It can be applied in different categories of work where an overall picture is needed. It is used to make conceptual distinctions and organize ideas. Strong conceptual frameworks capture something real and do this. A Theoretical Framework for Physics Education Research: Modeling student thinking. Redish VarennaPre.pdf (723.9Kb). THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:Make an inventory of variables Research Methods Formal Sciences Statistics Business.
- Writing A Theoretical Framework
- How To Identify A Theoretical Framework
- A Theoretical Framework For Implementing Stem Education
Theoretical Framework
A theoretical framework is a collection of interrelated concepts, like a theory but not necessarily so well worked-out. A theoretical framework guides your research, determining what things you will measure, and what statistical relationships you will look for.
Theoretical frameworks are obviously critical in deductive, theory-testing sorts of studies (see Kinds of Research for more information). In those kinds of studies, the theoretical framework must be very specific and well-thought out.
Surprisingly, theoretical frameworks are also important in exploratory studies, where you really don't know much about what is going on, and are trying to learn more. There are two reasons why theoretical frameworks are important here. First, no matter how little you think you know about a topic, and how unbiased you think you are, it is impossible for a human being not to have preconceived notions, even if they are of a very general nature. For example, some people fundamentally believe that people are basically lazy and untrustworthy, and you have keep your wits about you to avoid being conned. These fundamental beliefs about human nature affect how you look things when doing personnel research. In this sense, you are always being guided by a theoretical framework, but you don't know it. Not knowing what your real framework is can be a problem. The framework tends to guide what you notice in an organization, and what you don't notice. In other words, you don't even notice things that don't fit your framework! We can never completely get around this problem, but we can reduce the problem considerably by simply making our implicit framework explicit. Once it is explicit, we can deliberately consider other frameworks, and try to see the organizational situation through different lenses.
Cases and Variables
Cases are objects whose behavior or characteristics we study. Usually, the cases are persons. But they can also be groups, departments, organizations, etc. They can also be more esoteric things like events (e.g., meetings), utterances, pairs of people, etc.
Variables are characteristics of cases. They are attributes. Qualities of the cases that we measure or record. For example, if the cases are persons, the variables could be sex, age, height, weight, feeling of empowerment, math ability, etc. Variables are called what they are because it is assumed that the cases will vary in their scores on these attributes. For example, if the variable is age, we obviously recognize that people can be different ages. Of course, sometimes, for a given sample of people, there might not be any variation on some attribute. For example, the variable 'number of children' might be zero for all members of this class. It's still a variable, though, because in principle it could have variation.
In any particular study, variables can play different roles. Two key roles are independent variables and dependent variables. Usually there is only one dependent variable, and it is the outcome variable, the one you are trying to predict. Variation in the dependent variable is what you are trying to explain. For example, if we do a study to determine why some people are more satisfied in their jobs than others, job satisfaction is the dependent variable.
The independent variables, also known as the predictor or explanatory variables, are the factors that you think explain variation in the dependent variable. In other words, these are the causes. For example, you may think that people are more satisfied with their jobs if they are given a lot of freedom to do what they want, and if they are well-paid. So 'job freedom' and 'salary' are the independent variables, and 'job satisfaction' is the dependent variable. This is diagrammed as follows:
(yes, I know. It looks like the Enterprise)
There are actually two other kinds of variables, which are basically independent variables, but work a little differently. These are moderator and intervening variables. A moderator variable is one that modifies the relationship between two other variables.
For example, suppose that the cases are whole organizations, and you believe that diversity in the organization can help make them more profitable (because diversity leads to fresh outlooks on old problems), but only if managers are specially trained in diversity management (otherwise all that diversity causes conflicts and miscommunication). Here, diversity is clearly an independent variable, and profitability is clearly a dependent variable. But what is diversity training? Its main function seems to be adjust the strength of relation between diversity and profitability
For example, suppose you are studying job applications to various departments within a large organization. You believe that in overall, women applicants are more likely to get the job than men applicants, but that this varies by the number of women already in the department the person applied to. Specifically, departments that already have a lot of women will favor female applicants, while departments with few women will favor male applicants. We can diagram this as follows:
Actually, if that model is true, then this one is as well, though it's harder to think about:
Whether sex of applicant is the independent and % women in dept is the moderator, or the other around, is not something we can ever decide. Another way to talk about moderating and independent variables is in terms of interaction. Interacting variables affect the dependent variable only when both are acting in concert. We could diagram that this way:
An intervening or intermediary variable is one that is affected by the independent variable and in turn affects the dependent variable. For example, we said that diversity is good for profitability because diversity leads to innovation (fresh looks) which in turn leads to profitability. Here, innovation is an intervening variable. We diagram it this way:
Note that in the diagram, there is no arrow from diversity directly to profitability. This means that if we control for innovativeness, diversity is unrelated to profitability. To control for a variable means to hold its values constant. For example, suppose we measure the diversity, innovativeness and profitability of a several thousand companies. If we look at the relationship between diversity and profitability, we might find that the more diverse companies have, on average, higher profitability than the less diverse companies. But suppose we divide the sample into two groups: innovative companies and non-innovative. Now, within just the innovative group, we again look at the relationship between diversity and profitability. We might find that there is no relationship. Similarly, if we just look at the non-innovative group, we might find no relationship between diversity and profitability there either. That's because the only reason diversity affects profitability is because diversity tends to affect a company's innovativeness, and that in turn affects profitability.
Here's another example. Consider the relationship between education and health. In general, the more a educated a person is, the healthier they are. Do diplomas have magic powers? Do the cells in educated people's bodies know how to fight cancer? I doubt it. It might be because educated people are more likely to eat nutritionally sensible food and this in turn contributes to their health. But of course, there are many reasons why you might eat nutritionally sensible food, even if you are not educated. So if we were to look at the relationship between education and health among only people who eat nutritionally sensible food, we might find no relationship. That would support the idea that nutrition is an intervening variable.
It should be noted, however, if you control for a variable, and the relationship between two variables disappears, that doesn't necessarily mean that the variable you controlled for was an intervening variable. Here is an example. Look at the relationship between the amount of ice cream sold on a given day, and the number of drownings on those days. This is not hypothetical: this is real. There is a strong correlation: the more you sell, the more people drown. What's going on? Are people forgetting the 'no swimming within an hour of eating' rule? Ice cream screws up your coordination? No. There is a third variable that is causing both ice cream sales and drownings. The variable is temperature. On hot days, people are more likely to buy ice cream. They are also more likely to go to the beach, where a certain proportion will drown. If we control for temperature (i.e., we only consider days that are cold, or days that are warm), we find that there is no relationship between ice cream sales and drownings. But temperature is not an intervening variable, since it ice cream sales do not cause temperature changes. Nor is ice cream sales an intervening variable, since ice cream sales do not cause drownings.
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The Examples of theoretical framework Must demonstrate an understanding of the theories and concepts that are relevant to the research topic, relating to other broader areas of knowledge being considered.
A theoretical framework consists of existing theories and concepts that, along with their definitions and references to important academic literature, have relevance in a particular study.
The theoretical framework is often something that is not quickly found within the literature.
Many lecture readings and relevant research studies should be reviewed to analyze the theories and models relevant to the research problem being undertaken.
The selection of a theory should depend on appropriateness, ease of application, and power of explanation.
A theoretical framework strengthens the study in different ways:
- It allows the reader to evaluate the theoretical statements
- Connects the researcher with existing knowledge
- It forces the researcher to face the questions of why and how
- It helps identify the limits of generalizations and variables that could affect the study.
By virtue of its applicable nature, a good theory is of great value precisely because it serves a primary purpose: it explains the meaning, nature, and challenges associated with a phenomenon so that knowledge can enable it to act in a more informed and effective way.
5 examples of theoretical framework
1- Study on customer satisfaction
Thomassen (2003, p.69) defines client satisfaction as'customer perception as a result of consciously or unconsciously comparing their experiences with their expectations.'
Kotler and Keller (2003, p.60) rely on this definition, stating that'customer satisfaction is determined by the degree to which someone is happy or disappointed with the observed behavior of a product in relation to their expectations.'
Performance that is below expectations leads to a customer dissatisfied, while performance that meets expectations leads to satisfied customers.
Exceeding expectations lead to'a very satisfied or even pleasantly surprised customer'(Kotler & Keller, 2003, p.68)
The definition of Zeithaml & Bitner (2003, p.78) is slightly different from that of Thomassen:
'Satisfaction is the culmination of a customer's response. It is the judgment that a product or service characteristic, or the product of a service as such, provides a pleasant level of culmination of consumption.'
In this way, Zeithaml & Bitner's emphasis is on obtaining a level of satisfaction in relation to an acquisition.
Thomassen's definition will be used in the following study, given the importance of perception. This combines well with the offerings of company X, which falls into the category of luxury.
Although Zeithaml & Bitner (as Thomassen) say that customer satisfaction is a reaction to experience gained and concentrated on particular satisfaction, there is no distinction between conscious and unconscious comparisons in their definition.
Company X assures in its declaration of principles (see Chapter 1) that it wants to sell not only a product, but also a feeling; As a result, an unconscious comparison will play an important role. In this way, Thomassen's definition will be more relevant to the current study.
2- Research on gender studies
Gender studies examine how the notions of gender structures structure our realities.
Gender studies have been influenced by postmodernism, arguing that gender is not a fixed category, but rather a social construction.
Historians have used these theories to examine how gender construction has worked in the past and for what purposes.
Feminist historian Joan Scott, for example, examines how gender discourse has served historically to construct and legitimize gender hierarchies.
3 - Theses on Canadian Federalism and the Bloody Government System
The Canadian system of government is federal; This means that there are two distinctive levels of government representing the national and provincial arenas.
In the case of Canada, federal and provincial governments have been assigned with specific responsibilities in the Constitution Act, 1982 (originally, the British American Act, 1867).
One consequence of federalism is that the two levels of government share the same set of voters (that is to say, the same citizens who elect the federal government also elect the provincial).
This is much more important in a province like Ontario, which has the same pipelines as the federal government.
This in turn means that'citizens are expected to be members, and to be faithful, both to the national community represented in the national government and to the provincial communities represented in their provincial governments'(The dynamics of Canadian federalism, Robinson and Simeon, 1999, p.240).
Writing A Theoretical Framework
This has been a historical problem. Delegates from the maritime conferences and from Quebec were concerned that a federal system of government would make the provinces'merely large municipal corporations'(Discussion by the confederation's parents in Unpublished Historical Documents, 1895, p. 84).
How To Identify A Theoretical Framework
In some ways, this statement ended up being true, as provincial legislatures became responsible for'local problems'(Centralization and Decentralization in Canadian Federalism, Stevenson, 1989, p.54, 58).
4- Study related to anthropology
Cultural anthropology is the study of human cultures and seeks to understand how and why they function as they do.
The anthropologist Victor Turner examines the role of rites of passage, as well as their cultural significance and function.
Historians have used their work to examine past events and their significance in those who participated in them.
5- Work on Nationalism
Nationalism scholars study how and why people come to identify as part of a nation, as well as the impact that the rise of nationalism has had in the past two centuries.
For example, Benedict Anderson famously referred to nations as'imaginary communities,'since a nation is a community in which the vast majority of people will never meet face to face.
Or they will know each other, but nevertheless share a sense of shared identity based on nationality.
Many historians have used Anderson's theory to historically analyze nations and nationalism.
However, others have challenged Anderson's theory of how nations are created by examining the rise of nationalism in a variety of different historical contexts.
References
A Theoretical Framework For Implementing Stem Education
- Theoretical frameworks. Retrieved from trentu.ca.
- Sample theoretical framework of a dissertation (2013). Recovered from scribbr.com.
- Organizing your social sciences research paper: theoretical framework. Retrieved from libguides.usc.edu.
- The theoretical framework of a dissertation: what and how? (2015). Recovered from scribbr.com.
- Collaboration, competition, and coercion: Canadian federalism and blood system governance (2004). Retrieved from collectionscanada.gc.ca.