College of Education
CIE 620
Dennis W. Sunal, 302 C Graves Hall,
Phone 348-7010, FAX
348-9863, e-mail dsunal@bamaed.ua.edu
Theory Construction
What are the goals of educational research?
What is the knowledge obtained useful for?
What is a theory?
Three Conceptions of Theory
Set of Laws Theory: empirical
Axiomatic Theory: definitions, axioms, and
propositions
Causal Theory: set of descriptions of causal
processes
Types of
Theory
1. Typologies: A
method of organizing and categorizing things
2. Predictions: Of future events
3. Explanations: Of past events
4. Understanding: About what causes events
5. Control: The potential over events
Types of Theory
1.
Typologies: A method of organizing and
categorizing things
Criteria to determine the most useful
typology
a) exhaustiveness
b) mutual exclusiveness
c) consistent
The problem becomes one of determining
which typologies are the most useful.
2.
Predictions: Predicting events that will occur in the future
Under certain conditions, a change in one
variable is followed by a change in another variable. If a statement can be
used to predict, the concepts contained in that statement can be used to
organize and classify (provide a typology).
3)
Explanations: Expaining events that have occured in the past
Explanations involve a cause and effect
relationship, an if-then symbolic lofic. They are logically derived from
empirical generalizations. Explanations become abstract and are independent of
time. If a statement can be used to
explain eventst, the concepts contained in that statement can be used to
organize and classify (provide a typology).
4)
A sense of understanding: Understanding what causes events
A sense of understanding is provided only
when causal mechanisms that link changes have been fully described. There are
no missing links or blac boxes. Description of a causal mechanism provides a
sense of understanding
5)
Control of Events: The potential for control of events
Distinction must be made between
understanding how variables effect one another and being able to change the
variables, both are needed for control. This level requires the ability to
influence the variables that will affect the events one wishes to control.