Conceptual Framework Section 1 LibGuides at Northcentral University

Coming to the Conceptual Framework…the article showed that the … Framework is created by the Researcher to help amplify the scope expressed in the variables. In this case we are not interested to research the effect of the internet connection, so we keep this control variable constant. This means we only include visitors with a working connection and a webshop that is live. A control variable is a variable that could affect the dependent variable, however it is held constant, so it doesn’t interfere with the outcome. Using the same example, a control variable could be the ‘quality of internet connection’. For instance, if the website is down or customers suddenly cannot access the webshop due to a bad internet connection, this will affect the revenue.

In testing research, one works with specific expectations about cause and effect relationships, which are displayed in the schematic model. Different variables and the assumed relationships between those variables are included in the model and reflect the expectations. With a topic in mind, go to the body of literature and start identifying the key concepts used by other studies.

Theoretical & conceptual frameworks

Moreover, theories should align with established principles and concepts as well as align with how the researcher positions himself or herself paradigmatically and philosophically. Paradigmatic and philosophical alignment with a theoretical frame is important, as the elements support and guide the researcher in the creation of the data collection and analysis processes. The term conceptual framework and theoretical framework are often and erroneously used interchangeably (Grant & Osanloo, 2014). Just as with traditional research, a theory does not or cannot be expected to explain all phenomenal conditions, a conceptual framework is not a random identification of disparate ideas meant to incase a problem.

In some cases, https://personal-accounting.org/ may be able to sufficiently describe their conceptualization of the phenomenon under study in an introduction alone, without a separate conceptual framework section. However, incomplete descriptions of how the researchers conceptualize the components of the study may limit the significance of the study by making the research less intelligible to readers. Authors must describe their conceptualization of a construct if the research is to be understandable and useful. A study by Jensen and Lawson provides an example of how a theoretical framework connects different parts of the study. They compared undergraduate biology students in heterogeneous and homogeneous groups over the course of a semester. Jensen and Lawson assumed that learning involved collaboration and more knowledgeable peers, which made Vygotsky’s theory a good fit for their study. They predicted that students in heterogeneous groups would experience greater improvement in their reasoning abilities and science achievements with much of the learning guided by the more knowledgeable peers.

Drum Buffer Rope Methodology and Theory explained

Sabel et al. used a conceptual framework in their exploration of how scaffolds, an external factor, interact with internal factors to support student learning. Their conceptual framework integrated principles from two theoretical frameworks, self-regulated learning and metacognition, to illustrate how the research team conceptualized students’ use of scaffolds in their learning . Sabel et al. created this model using their interpretations of these two frameworks in the context of their teaching. An early draft may seem well suited to the study because the need for and approach to the study are well described. However, as the results of the study are analyzed and findings begin to emerge, the existing literature review may be inadequate and need revision. The need for an expanded discussion about the research area can result in the inclusion of new studies that support the explanation of a potential finding. Another important feature of a theoretical framework is the fact that it is less technical in nature and mostly a structure of ideas that study will be based on.

Moreover, the What are the variations between conceptual framework and theoretical framework? framework provides the researchers with the opportunity of specifying and defining the concepts within the research problem that is currently being explored. Upon the establishment of a conceptual framework for a research study, the researcher can then start to determine how to write his or her dissertation. To understand the difference between a conceptual framework and a theoretical framework, it is crucial to understand the meaning of the term concept as well as the term theory. The term concept has been defined as a symbolic representation of an abstract idea (Valencia-GO, 2015). Concepts have also been defined as the critical elements of a theory used in representing abstract ideas . On the other hand, a theory has been defined as a group of interrelated concepts used in structuring a particular phenomenon to explain or predict such a phenomenon.

Purpose of Theoretical Frameworks

Though there are similarities, there are differences in approach and style that confuse many. This article attempts to find out these differences to enable students to finalize an approach that better suits their requirements. Many students, both in the undergraduate and graduate levels, have difficulty discriminating the theoretical from the conceptual framework. This requires a good understanding of both frameworks in order to conduct a good investigation. Ravitch and Riggan explain that a conceptual framework pulls together the entire research process (p.6) and to yield an argument that demonstrates the research study is significant and has academic rigor (p.7). If you’re building a framework, start thinking about how some of those variables, concepts, theories, and facets of existing frameworks come together to shape your problem. The problem could be a situational condition that requires a scholar-practitioner approach, the result of a practical need, or an opportunity to further an applicational study, project, or research.

• The authors attributed the variation to the different types of helping behaviors of students.
• To determine the effect of working in groups, the authors also measured students’ reasoning abilities and achievement.
• Qualitative studies typically include conceptual frameworks, in part, because qualitative studies tend to be exploratory.

An example can help illustrate how a researcher’s reflection on the phenomenon and acknowledgment of assumptions can result in the identification of a theoretical framework. The “theoretical framework” of an experiment or paper refers to the larger assumptions in which the researcher is working. For example, a psychologist writing a paper may be working in a Freudian, Jungian or behaviorist theoretical framework. A theoretical framework provides a large, overarching structure of ideas that the researcher can then draw from in beginning to analyze a phenomenon or a text. Many people while making researches especially for the first time get caught up in the steps to making a good impression in the theoretical and conceptual framework of the study.

What is the Difference Between the Theoretical and the Conceptual Framework?

By summarizing what is known, the literature review points to what needs to be known, which in turn guides decisions about methodology. Finally, notable findings of the new study are discussed in reference to those described in the literature review. This Applied Research Project is an exploratory study seeking to establish a theoretical framework for long-term disaster recovery efforts.

• Aside from the independent and dependent variables there are other variables that can come into play that influence the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
• This is tested through the administration of a questionnaire with case managers working with Katrina survivors in Houston, Texas.
• This includes noting who the key theorists are in the field who have conducted research on the problem you are investigating and, when necessary, the historical context that supports the formulation of that theory.
• Grounded in the assumption of community learning, the literature on CoP suggests that, as individuals interact regularly with the other members of their group, they learn about the rules, roles, and goals of the community .
• Theoretical frameworks are often based on existing theories or models from other disciplines or fields of study.

To frame their work, biology education researchers need to consider the role of literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, and conceptual frameworks as critical elements of the research and writing process. However, these elements can be confusing for scholars new to education research. This Research Methods article is designed to provide an overview of each of these elements and delineate the purpose of each in the educational research process. We describe what biology education researchers should consider as they conduct literature reviews, identify theoretical frameworks, and construct conceptual frameworks. Clarifying these different components of educational research studies can be helpful to new biology education researchers and the biology education research community at large in situating their work in the broader scholarly literature. Literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, and conceptual frameworks are all important in DBER and BER. Theoretical frameworks connect the study to the base of knowledge in educational theory and specify the researcher’s assumptions.

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Whereas theoretical frameworks work deductively, conceptual frameworks work inductively and help researchers make general conclusions based on the details and specifics of people’s perceptions and experiences. Qualitative studies typically include conceptual frameworks, in part, because qualitative studies tend to be exploratory. That is, researchers conducting qualitative studies are not seeking to overlay theories or interpretive frameworks onto the phenomena they are studying. Rather, researchers conducting qualitative studies collect and work from the details and specifics of people’s perceptions and experiences to identify patterns and make larger conclusions. Working from such an inductive approach, qualitative researchers then do not need overarching theories because the use of theories in this way would not allow for patterns and meaning to emerge inductively from the data. Therefore, qualitative researchers build conceptual frameworks from relevant concepts taken from key research on the topic.