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CHAPTER THREE: Theoretical Background & Literature Review

This chapter aims to guide students doing a Master's degree in education (Curriculum & Instruction of TESOL/TEFL) on how to write the theoretical background and literature review account in their research studies.
By
Dr Mahmoud M.S. Abdallah (PhD in Education, University of Exeter, England, UK)
Professor of Education: Curriculum, English Language Instruction & Applied Linguistics (TESOL/TEFL/ELT)
Faculty of Education,
Assiut University
Assiut, 71515
Egypt

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A comprehensive and well-executed literature review is not merely a descriptive summary of previous works, but rather a critical examination that establishes the context, significance, and originality of your research. It requires a deep engagement with existing scholarship to demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the field and to effectively position your own research within this landscape. A strong theoretical background and a well-executed literature review are interconnected components of a robust research foundation. They are not separate entities, but rather, should be interwoven to create a coherent and persuasive narrative. This chapter provides a detailed roadmap for constructing a robust theoretical foundation and literature review, crucial for any high-quality research, particularly in education and TESOL/TESOL MA studies.

A literature review is not simply a perfunctory task or a descriptive summary of prior works, but rather a strategic and analytical process that establishes the foundation and justifies the need for the research being undertaken. A comprehensive literature review not only demonstrates a researcher's command of the field but also illuminates the path for their own investigation.
A primary function of the literature review is to situate your research within the existing body of knowledge. This involves identifying the key concepts, theories, and methods that are relevant to your research topic and demonstrating an understanding of how these elements have been explored in previous studies. By analysing and synthesizing this prior work, researchers can articulate the current state of knowledge, identify areas of agreement or disagreement, and pinpoint gaps, inconsistencies, or limitations that their own research seeks to address. This process of positioning your research within the existing literature is essential for establishing the context and significance of your study, as well as for demonstrating its originality and potential contribution to the field.

Beyond demonstrating a command of the field, the literature review has a vital role in shaping the direction of your research. By critically evaluating previous studies, researchers can identify areas where further investigation is needed, refine their research questions, and develop testable hypotheses. The literature review helps to illuminate the methodological landscape of your research area by showcasing the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs and analytical approaches. For instance, a review might reveal that a particular research method, while widely used, has inherent limitations that your study seeks to overcome by employing a more robust or innovative approach. This careful analysis of prior research methods provides a strong justification for the methodological choices made in your own study.

A high-quality literature review is not merely descriptive but critically engaging. Researchers must go beyond summarizing findings to critically evaluate the quality and relevance of prior studies. This involves carefully considering the theoretical frameworks employed, scrutinizing the methodologies used, and assessing the validity and reliability of the findings. Identifying potential biases, limitations, or conflicting results in previous studies can help researchers strengthen their own research design and ensure the robustness of their findings. For example, a literature review might reveal that previous studies on a particular topic have relied on small, homogeneous samples, potentially limiting the generalizability of their findings. Recognizing this limitation, researchers can design their own study to include a larger, more diverse sample, thus enhancing the validity and generalizability of their results.