Define Theory within the Scholar-Practitioner Model

This discussion should be completed after completing the readings in this unit. In your own words, compose and post an answer to the following question: Theory is the core of PhD dissertation research. Define your understanding of the term theory as it relates to research. Remember to use proper APA format for any citations and references you use to support your explanation in this, and every discussion in the course. Response Guidelines Respond with a high-quality post to one cohort partner. In your response, compare and contrast your partner’s answer to your own. Each PhD specialization is defined by a body of scholarly literature grounded in theory. In Track 1, you begin developing your Research Plan by identifying a dissertation topic and developing a research problem. Part of this process includes identifying theory. Theory provides the structure for how you perceive your research. The hallmark of PhD research is to extend theory. In your coursework, you will encounter multiple theories that relate to your specialization. You should also go to Research in Your School, choose your school, and review the Programs of Research document for your school to identify theories appropriate for your specialization. The role of theory in research is different for quantitative and qualitative methods. To understand the role of theory, you must also understand the philosophical assumptions underlying quantitative and qualitative research. The following philosophical assumptions will guide your research: Ontological. Epistemological. Axiological. Methodological. Within each of these assumptions are two philosophical perspectives, positivist and constructionist, also known as naturalist. The quantitative researcher’s assumptions are positivist and the qualitative researcher’s assumptions are constructionist. For the purposes of Track 1, the focus will be on ontological and epistemological assumptions. Ontological assumptions are “assumptions about the nature of things”. There are two ontological assumptions, the positivist view and the constructionist view. For the positivist, the researcher is an objective observer of the research process. There is one reality and that reality can be broken down into defined and measurable variables. In contrast, constructionists accept nature as nature. The constructionist is part of nature and therefore, part of the research process. All research participants have a perception of reality within nature and there are as many realities as there are participants, including the researcher’s. Epistemological assumptions are about the kind of knowledge we can seek with the methodology. Epistemologically, the positivist identifies specific variables to quantify, test, and verify. The positivist seeks truth. On the other hand, the constructionist observes a phenomenon in the natural setting and utilizes language to reveal a description, a lesson to be learned, an answer to a question, or an emergent theory.