Theory and its role in research.........

Theory and its role in research
Definition of theory:
Theory is actually a conceptual scheme by which the relevant phenomena are systematized , classified & interrelated. OR
A set of concept and principle about a phenomena which explain or predict the phenomena.
A theory is an organized body of concepts and principles intended to explain a particular phenomenon”.

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2. Theory and its role in research Presented to: sir Jehangir khan Presented by: Muhammad Inam . Presentation date: 13 /03/2015

3. Definition of theory: Theory is actually a conceptual scheme by which the relevant phenomena are systematized , classified & interrelated. OR A set of concept and principle about a phenomena which explain or predict the phenomena.

4. “A theory is an organized body of concepts and principles intended to explain a particular phenomenon”.

5. What is a theory? The word is difficult to define. It is easier to say what a (good) theory does. It describes reality, explains reality, and, if possible, tells how we can change reality. Thus, it guides our empirical research and our interventions in practice.

6. theory refers to a particular kind of explanation. Leedy and Ormrod (2005: 4) state: “A theory is an organized body of concepts and principles intended to explain a particular phenomenon”. Thus, theories explain how and why something functions the way it does (Johnson & Christensen, 2007: 7). As pointed out by Boss, Doherty, LaRossa , Schumm , & Steinmetz (1993: 20): “Theorizing is the process of systematically formulating and organizing ideas to understand a particular phenomenon. Thus, a theory is the set of interconnected ideas that emerge from this process”.

7. The purpose of science concerns the expansion of knowledge, the discovery of truth and to make predictions. Theory building is the means by which the basic researchers hope to achieve this purpose .A scientist poses questions like: What produces inflammation? Does student-teacher interaction influence students’ performance? In both these questions there is the element of prediction i.e. that if we do such and such, then so and so will happen. In fact we are looking for explanation for the issue that has been raised in these questions. Underlying the explanation is the whole process through which the phenomenon emerges, and we would like to understand the process to reach prediction.

8. Prediction and understanding are the two purposes of theory. the first goal allows the theorist to predict the behavior or characteristics of one phenomenon from the knowledge of another phenomenon’s characteristics .

9. Concepts: Concepts are the building block of a theory. Concepts abstract reality. That is, concepts are expressed in words, letters, signs, and symbols that refer to various events or objects. Concepts, however, may vary in degree of abstraction and we can put them in a ladder of abstraction, indicating different levels.

10. Theorists translate their conceptualization of reality into abstract ideas. Thus theory deals with abstraction. Things are not the essence of theory; ideas are. Concepts in isolation are not theories. Only when we explain how concepts relate to other concepts we begin to construct theories.

11. Propositions Concepts are the basic units of theory development. However, theories require an understanding of the relationship among concepts. Thus, once reality is abstracted into concepts, the scientist is interested in the relationship among various concepts. Propositions are statements concerned with the logical relationships among concepts. A proposition explains the logical linkage among certain concepts by asserting a universal connection between concepts.

12. Thank you