Bridging practice and theory for business doctoral education in Thailand: evaluating the theory-practice scaffold (TPS) framework

Purpose This study aims to examine how a structured theory-practice scaffold (TPS) framework supports practitioner-doctoral students in a Thai business school context to transform executive experience into theoretically grounded and contextually situated research questions. Design/methodology/approach The TPS framework was implemented across two consecutive cohorts in an entry doctoral coursework within a Ph.D. in Business Administration program. The first cohort completed iterative reflective assignments without the TPS reflection form, while the second cohort used the structured TPS form as a design intervention. The analysis draws on a single dataset the qualitative analysis of student reflections and rubric-based assessment of the same assignments. Quantitative scoring is used descriptively to support qualitative interpretation. Findings Students in the redesigned course demonstrated richer conceptual framing and more theory-anchored and transferable research questions. Qualitative evidence of cognitive development is the primary basis for the findings, with descriptive data from coursework-based assessments providing corroborating support (with average rubric scores increasing by approximately 0.6 points on a 0-2 rubric scale). The framework provides a structured and adaptable model for work-applied doctoral education settings. Findings provide actionable insights for educators designing practitioner-oriented doctoral programs. Practical implications Structured reflection combined with formative dialog enables practitioner-students to internalize abductive reasoning and develop dissertation-ready thinking early in their doctoral study. Originality/value The paper advances a design-based approach for bridging practice and theory in doctoral education. It illustrates how abductive reflection scaffolds cultivate scholarly inquiry within work-applied education by enhancing contextual insight and relatability and offering broader implications transferable to similar professional doctorate contexts.