WHAT IS A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
WHAT IS A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The structure that can hold or support a research study’s theory is known as the theoretical framework; a theory that explains why the research problem under study occurs is introduced and explained in the theoretical framework. Theories are developed to explain, forecast, and comprehend phenomena as well as, frequently, to challenge and advance current knowledge while remaining within the bounds of crucial limiting assumptions.
An existing theory that is utilized for your specific study is comprised of concepts, together with their definitions and references to pertinent scholarly literature. The theoretical framework must demonstrate an understanding of ideas and concepts that are relevant to the topic of your research project and that connect to the broader disciplines of knowledge being considered.
Theoretical underpinning is frequently difficult to locate in the literature and for theories and analytical models that are related to the research problem you are studying, you must review the readings from the course and pertinent research papers, a theory should be chosen based on its applicability, simplicity, and explanatory strength.
The following are some ways that the theoretical framework strengthens the study:
- The researcher is connected to existing knowledge by the theoretical framework, you are provided with a foundation for your hypotheses and method of research selection, guided by a pertinent theory.
- By describing the theoretical underpinnings of a research project, you are motivated to respond to the why and how questions because it allows you to mentally shift from simply reporting a thing you have observed to drawing generalizations about various aspects of that occurrence.
- You can more easily spot the boundaries of those generalizations when you have a theory, as a theoretical framework identifies the important factors that affect a phenomenon of interest and highlights the need to take into account how and when those crucial aspects can change.
By its applicative nature, good theory in the social sciences is valuable precisely because it achieves one main goal which is to explain the significance, nature, and difficulties associated with a phenomenon that is frequently experienced but unexplained in our world, so that we may use that knowledge and understanding to act in a more informed and effective manner. undergraduate project topics
Below are some theoretical Framework Development Techniques/Strategies;
- Development of the framework;
Here are some methods for the development of the theoretical framework:
- Examine your research problem and thesis title, your whole study is anchored by the research problem which also serves as the foundation upon which you build your theoretical framework.
- Think about the factors you believe to be the most important in your research, you can ask questions like What factors contribute to the alleged effect? And also explain.
- Look up your research problem in related literature to see how academics have approached it, you should describe the underlying presumptions the author(s) used to approach the issue.
- Make a list of the variables and constructs that might be important to your research also make independent and dependent categories for these variables.
- Go over the major social science theories that you were introduced to in your course readings, and then select the theory that you believe best explains how these variables in your study are related.
- Talk about this theory’s presumptions or claims and highlight how they apply to your research.
By concentrating on particular factors and establishing the particular viewpoint [framework] that the researcher will adopt in analyzing and interpreting the data to be acquired, a theoretical framework is utilized to condense the breadth of the relevant facts. Additionally, it helps people understand concepts and variables by defined terms and expands their knowledge by supporting or refuting theoretical presumptions.
- Purpose of the framework
Think of theories as the theoretical framework for comprehending, deciphering, and creating methods to explore relationships within social systems to achieve this, the following functions performed by a theory can direct the creation of your framework.
- Techniques for interpreting and coding fresh research data for later use,
- Responding to new issues for which there are no known solutions
- Techniques for recognizing and defining research issues,
- Methods for recommending or assessing research-related solutions.
- Techniques for reinterpreting previously collected data.
- Methods for identifying which facts in the body of knowledge are important and which facts are not.
- Methods for identifying significant new issues and outlining the most important research questions that must be addressed to fully comprehend the issue.
- A method of supplying a professional discipline’s members with a shared vocabulary and frame of reference for defining the limitations of their field.
- Techniques for directing and informing research to better professional practice and future research efforts.
In conclusion, The theoretical framework might be based on a particular theory, and your work is expected to evaluate the applicability of that theory in light of certain occurrences, problems, or phenomena this criterion applies to a lot of research publications in all final year project topics.
For instance, the Peripheral Realism Theory, which divides perceived nation-state distinctions into those that give orders, those who obey, and those that rebel, could be applied as a way to comprehend the tense interactions between the many African nations.
This theory might be put to the test by: Does the Peripheral Realism Theory aid in the explanation of intra-state events like the contentious division between the northern and southern Sudan that resulted in the formation of two nations?
However, your professor might ask you to create your framework from which your analysis of the research subject is generated rather than always asking you to test a certain theory in your article, in light of the aforementioned illustration, it may be simplest to comprehend the nature and purpose of a theoretical framework if it is seen as the resolution to two fundamental questions:
- What is the research question or problem? [For instance, “How should the person and the state interact during times of conflict?”]
- What makes your strategy a workable solution? Justify the use of the theory you choose to use and discuss why alternative frameworks were disregarded.
The answers to these queries are derived from a thorough analysis of the literature and your course readings, in light of this, it is possible that a complete theoretical framework won’t surface until you have finished a thorough analysis of the literature.