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Operational and Conceptual Definition Grade 10 Q4-2

The document discusses operational definitions and how they differ from conceptual definitions. It provides examples of operational definitions and explains why they are important for research and avoiding misunderstandings. Operational definitions make abstract concepts measurable by connecting them to concrete variables and procedures.

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JAHMAE ARTIAGA
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168 views2 pages

Operational and Conceptual Definition Grade 10 Q4-2

The document discusses operational definitions and how they differ from conceptual definitions. It provides examples of operational definitions and explains why they are important for research and avoiding misunderstandings. Operational definitions make abstract concepts measurable by connecting them to concrete variables and procedures.

Uploaded by

JAHMAE ARTIAGA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ENGLISH 10

Quarter 4- Week 2
Learning Activity Sheet

Name:___________________________________ Grade & Section: ____________________


School: Basagan National High School Date: ____________________

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT ALL ANSWERS SHALL BE WRITTEN IN HERE.

Learning Competency
Give technical and operational definitions. EN10V-IIa-13.9
Learning Objectives
At the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. discuss the concept of operational definition of terms;
2. create/develop operational definition of terms;
3. distinguish conceptual definition from an operational definition; and
4. appreciate the significance of operational definition through an essay.

Let us start with conceptual definition. A conceptual definition tells you what the concept means, what your constructs are by
explaining how they are related to other constructs. In other words, conceptual definition is just the literal or core sense of a word.
There is nothing read into the term, no subtext; it's just the straightforward, literal, dictionary definition
of the word. In technical writing, however, there are words that are used in specific ways in different disciplines. You call it
operational definition. Let us use tongue as an example. It is probably a word that the reader immediately understands but
understands incorrectly depending on context. A tongue, if defined conceptually, can be a structure in a mouth, a strip of land, part
of a shoe, a language, part of a belt buckle, part of a bell, or anything that is shaped like a tongue. This is an example of a commonly
used word that is used in uncommon ways. It is an example of a problem that may be avoided if the technical writer defines terms
that are likely to be misunderstood or not understood. In order to perform this function, the technical writer must watch for words of
this type when doing research and must seek to understand the operational definitions of these words.

What is an operational definition?


 Operational definition is the specific meaning of a word or phrase given to it by the group of people who use the word in their
specific context.
 Operational definitions assign meaning to a variable by specifying the activities or operations necessary to measure, categorize, or
manipulate the variable.
 Operational definition is stated in terms of operations or procedures that must be carried out in observing or measuring that which
is being defined.
Example: “Intelligence relates positively to achievement” implies that the higher the intelligence level of a person, the better he
achieves. Also, the intelligence level maybe defined operationally by its measurement i.e. the result of an IQ test, while the
achievement level can be measured by an achievement test whether standardized or teacher-made.
 The sole purpose of defining the terms or variables in a research study operationally is to keep them unambiguous, thereby
reducing errors.
How to define the terms/variables operationally?
 In fact, there is no hard and first rule for operationally defining a variable. Operational definitions may vary, depending on your
purpose and the way you choose to measure them.
 Neither are there any universally accepted definitions of all the variables. A researcher can logically choose a definition of a
variable that will serve his or her purpose.
 Whenever possible, operational definitions used by others in their work of good standing could be used so that the results can be
compared.
Operational Definition in Research
 It is critical to operationally define a variable in order to lend credibility to the methodology and to ensure the reproducibility of
the results of the study. Another study may identify the same variable differently, making it difficult to compare the results of these
two studies.
 An operational definition serves four purposes:
 It establishes the rules and procedures the researcher uses to measure the variable.
 It provides unambiguous and consistent meaning to terms/variables that otherwise can be interpreted in different ways.
 It makes the collection of data as well as the analysis more focused and efficient.
 It guides what type of data and information we are looking for.

Example situations/contexts where operational definition is necessary


 Suppose a study classifies students according to the grades they received: A, B, C, etc. But the task is not that easy if you must
determine which students fall in which grade since there is seldom any universal rule for grades. To do this, you need an operational
definition.
 Suppose further that we want to make 4 categories of knowledge: ‘no knowledge,’ ‘low knowledge,’ ‘medium knowledge’ and
‘high knowledge.’ We decide to define these knowledge levels as follows:
High knowledge = 15 or more correct answers.
Medium knowledge = 8 to 14 correct answers
Low knowledge = 1 to 7 correct answers
No knowledge = No correct answers.

Why do you need an operational definition when you already have a perfectly good conceptual definition?

 In your conceptual definitions you explain what your constructs are by showing how they relate to other constructs. This
explanation and all of the constructs it refers to are abstract — their existence is only as real and concrete as the thoughts you
have while you watch a seagull soar past on a stiff breeze. To work with your constructs, you must establish a connection between
them and the concrete reality in which you live. This process is called operationalization. Your operational definitions describe
the variables you will use as indicators and the procedures you will use to observe or measure them. You need an operational
definition because you can't measure anything without one, no matter how good your conceptual definition might be.

Why should you use Operational Definitions?


 Operational Definitions put workable meaning into our everyday terminology.
 To communicate effectively and avoid misinterpretations, members of a team, data collectors, and both internal and external
customers and suppliers or a certain group must use the same Operational Definitions for the same concepts.
 Misunderstandings waste time; but worse, they add variation to your process. Consequently, it is vitally important to develop
Operational Definitions especially if you are doing research.

Assessment
Directions: Identify which definitions belong to conceptual or operational definitions by putting a check mark (/) in its
corresponding box.

Prepared by: Ms. Jahmae B. Artiaga

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