How to position theory in
research conceptualisation
and analysis
Discussion Group
at YESS 3
How to position theory in research
conceptualisation and analysis.
What do we mean by “theory”?
 Why is theory important in research?
 How do we use theory in analysis?
Each person will be asked to say a few
words about theory or theories in their
own research.
Some people will have well developed
theoretical ideas. Others will be only just
starting to think about theory. Some
people may be confused or hesitant,
having many questions but few clear
ideas. This is fine. It is a difficult area
and we will address some very basic
questions.


Different kinds or levels of theory, e.g.
Ontological and epistemological considerations:
• What kinds of knowledge are we dealing with?
• How do we think about knowledge?

What does it mean to learn and to teach,
to do research?
• grand theory,
• more specialised or localised theories,
• personal theory.

One of our aims will be to expose implicit
theoretical thinking.
We will try to aim for each person to
have a clearer theoretical statement
related to their research by the end
of the session.
1. Individual thinking
5 minutes:
Write down some of your first thoughts
about theory in your research.
(e.g., what you know: theoretical
statements, questions; OR
something about what you don’t know,
what is difficult)
10 minutes
Talk to the person(s) next to you about
what you have written
2. Starting to Discuss
Who are you?
1. I have written down something
about my theory (even if not very
Examples
well expressed)
2. I have tried to write something
about my own theory but it is
difficult because …
Reasons
3. I can’t get started, because …
Research Design
Research
paradigm
Theoretical
perspectives
Research
questions
Research
Strategy
Research
Methods
Ontology & Epistemology
Starting from a given example:
 What kinds of knowledge are
involved?
 What can we say about what exists?
 What can we say about truth?
Discussion in small groups – 15
minutes
Discussion in plenary
… leading to thinking about paradigms
Example 1

Studying the learning of
multiplication by students in primary
school
• Knowledge of multiplication
• Knowledge about children’s learning


How are multiplication and children’s
learning defined and recognised?
What research strategy will be used
and what does this assume about
nature of knowledge, existence and
truth?
Example 2




Studying reflective teaching
What do we mean by reflective
teaching
How is “reflective” defined or
recognised?
What research strategy will be used
and what does this assume about
nature of knowledge, existence and
truth?
Example 3



Multimodality within the classroom space
(APC space) (Vygotskian theory – semiotic
mediation)
Actions, productions, interactions
(communication)
What  why  how  hence
• Actions: can see/hear and describe, agree
(speech, gestures, inscriptions … )
• Productions: interpretations from actions, with
evidence (e.g. Eleanore) (Interiorisation?)
• Interactions/Communication – what do we
see? What interpretations? What evidence?

Semiotic bundle: theoretic object
Knowledge  Theory


External, objective, given by a higher
authority (e.g., positivism)
Human, constructed by the individual
(e.g., constructivism)

Human, growth through activity,
practice, culture (e.g., sociocultural
theories)
Types of theory

Grand Theory e.g.
Constructivism
A focus on the
cognitive processing
of the human
individual: coming
to know as a
constructive
process (Piagetian)
Sociocultural Theory
A focusing on knowledge
as a part of social
practice, human
interaction, a
fundamental part of
human activity.
Individual knowledge as
derivative of social
knowledge (Vygotskian)
Particular theoretical perspectives



Theory of didactic situations
(Brousseau)
APOS theory (Dubinsky)
The knowledge quartet (Rowland)
• Foundation
• Transformation
• Connection
• Contingency

Semiotic bundle (Arzarello)