Assignment: What Makes a Good Theory?

Theory
Name
Course
Professor
Institution
Date
Introduction
Some people are often put off by the term "theory," owing to misunderstandings about the term. Much of the doubt regarding theory stems from the belief that educational administration and education, in general, are both different forms of art rather than a science, a criticism, which has afflicted every aspect of the social sciences. On the other hand, within the precincts of natural sciences, theory has gained credibility not only because it necessitates exact description, but also due to its ability to explain the actual phenomena, which have proven to be effective in real-world applications (Tosi, 2009). Many people believe that researchers prove with facts and philosophers work with theories. Many people, particularly educational administrators and educators, regard theories and facts as opposites. Simply put, the common belief is that facts represent realistic concepts and possess and meanings that have a considerable evidentiary threshold, while theories are viewed as conjectures or fantasies. Education theory, on the other hand, serves a similar purpose to that of theory in the sciences and psychology: it provides broad explanations and guides study (Newman & Newman, 2016).
Definition of Theory
Various definitions of theory exist. The most common ones define theory as a collection of interconnected concepts, definitions, and propositions that give systematic perspectives of phenomena. These interconnected concepts work by establishing relationships among variables that help in the explanation and prediction of phenomena (Mintzberg, 1989). Another way to think about theory is as a collection of interconnected generalizations, which have some form of consistency, that assist in explaining various phenomena.
In the Newman and Newman course text, theories have been described as having various components. Some of the components of theory include the following:
The fundamental goal of theory is describing and explaining, resulting in a more detailed clarification that often leads to the understanding and establishing basic principles. Because of the explanative aspects of theory, it forms a foundation built on concepts, the definitions of such concepts, and the creation of assumptions based on such concepts (Gini et al., 2014). Finally, it is heuristic, given that it promotes and guides the ongoing growth of knowledge.
Concepts and Constructs of Theory
The natural outlook of theories is such that they are vague and abstract. Naturally, theories are neither literally true nor untrue, and may be both beneficial and ineffective. They're valuable in the sense that they generate explanations that make things clearer.
Concepts and constructs phrases are frequently confused. The term notion is more commonly used by sociologists, but the term construct is more commonly used by psycholo...