Phenomenology used in Qualitative Research

Power point slide Qualitative research is a difficult term to define…. Nevertheless, it is important to be familiar with some definitions in the field. The definition provided by Creswell 2009 is enlightening because it incorporates ……….. most important part of definition for me were reports detailed views of informants and natural setting.

Compare and contrast the following qualitative research methods: case study, phenomenological, and grounded theory. Synthesize the findings and determine which is best suited to a study on your potential dissertation topic. Analyze the issues associated with sample selection, validity, and bias in such a study.

Chapter four of Creswell (2013) discusses the different research approaches. These approaches consist of: narrative research, phenomenological research, grounded theory research, ethnographic research, and case study research. Each of these research approaches has defining features, different categories within each type, procedures, and lastly, challenges.

According to Schneider, Elliot, LoBiondo-Wood & Haber (2004), qualitative research methods, search for the meaning and understanding of human experiences in a naturalistic setting. A researcher obtains subjective facts in order to explore the experiences of each participant (Schneider, Elliot, LoBiondo-Wood & Haber 2004). As a result, qualitative research is a means in which a researcher gains an insight into the participant's point of view concerning their personal experiences; in order gain an understanding of the information given. Therefore this allows a researcher to collect subjective information to create a description of the phenomenon (Vishnevsky & Beanlands 2004).

In this qualitative phenomenological research, the researcher went to the building that the participants’ schools were located for participants’ convenience. The researcher followed a protocol of first conducting individual interviews with each of the ten participants. A semi-structured, conversational style of individual interviewing was adopted in order to explore the respondents’ stories which made interviewing multiple subjects more methodical (See Appendix A for Interview Protocol). According to Meehan, 20014),

This essay will focus on phenomenological research methodology. Historically, quantitative or positivist methodologies dominated education research with their traditional, systematic approach to the study of human behaviour and educational issues. However, by the 1960s and 1970s a strong move towards “a more qualitative, naturalistic and subjective approach” left educational research divided between two competing methods, the scientific approach and the phenomenological model (Burns, 1997, pp. 3-5). Phenomenology draws upon the works of Edmund Husserl and Alfred Schultz who based their research methodology on philosophical ideals which contrasted with scientific methodologies based on specific natural/social science disciplines (Cohen, et al, 2007, pp. 22-23). Phenomenology represents a radical departure from traditional scientific methods because it “emphasises the importance of subjective experience of individuals, with a focus on qualitative analysis” (Burns, 1997, pp. 3-5). Phenomenologists reject the possibility of producing casual explanations of human behaviour, believing that it is impossible to objectively measure and classify the world. Phenomenologists argue that human beings make sense of the world by imposing their own meanings and classifications upon it, so that these meanings and classifications make up an individual’s subjective social reality; thus “there is no

The method of qualitative research become key method in the human and social science and also in the education and health science. The definition of qualitative research is a research using methods such as participant observation or case studies which result in a narrative, descriptive account of a setting or practice. Sociologists using these methods typically reject positivism and adopt a form of interpretive sociology (Parkinson & Drislane,2011). It involves the research using data that do not indicate ordinal values. Furthermore, qualitative research includes the different kinds of data collection, techniques of analysis and diversity of theoretical frameworks (Guest; Namey & Mitchell, 2013). According to Creswell(2013) ‘’the final written report or presentation includes the voices of participants, the reflexivity of the researcher, a complex description and interpretation of the problem, and its contribution to the literature or a call for change.

Arroll and Howard (2012) and Ashbring (2000) both utilize qualitative methods. According to Breakwell, Smith and Wright (2012) researchers using semi-structures interviews using their questions as a guide for the interview process. Arroll and Howards (2012) use of semi-structured interview fits well with Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) due to its flexible method of collecting data as suggested by Breakwell et al (2012). Dickson, Knussen and Flowers (2007) sum up IPA as having a focus on the links

The Methodology that will be used in terms of the research question will be the qualitative research which involves a phenomenological perspective. The researcher aims to evaluate the meaning of events for people in particular situations, the characteristic of qualitative research are as follows.

Qualitative research is conducted in a natural setting and attempts to understand a human problem by developing a holistic narrative and reporting detailed views of informants about the culture of a problem. It forms a report with pictures and words. One of the most important distinctions that sets qualitative research apart from more traditional types of research is that qualitative research is holistic in that researchers study phenomena in their entirety rather than narrowing the focus to specific defined variables” (p. 93). Similarly, Cresswell (1984) indicated that qualitative research “is defined as an inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem, based on building a holistic picture, formed with words, reporting detailed views of informants, and conducted in a natural setting” (p. 2). Cresswell’s definition clearly delineates the major characteristics of qualitative research. Pg. 50 (Smith & Davis, 2010).

Lastly, with regards to leadership, qualitative research methods add value to the study of leadership because they provide extensive, thick, detailed descriptions of a phenomenon (Klenke, 2008). Furthermore, qualitative research methods reveal the attentiveness of the researcher of a phenomenon and the flexibility to distinguish and interpret unanticipated moments during the research process (Chen & Rubin, 2011).

The phenomenological approach is best for understanding description of lived experience in regards to methods that include observation, interviews, discussion, and participant involvement. The objective is 'to get into' the subject, understand him or her as best as possible, in order to understand her perspective and interpret him as he does himself. It can also be used for interviews and for textual analyses such as memoirs and other accounts of an individual's life. What phenomenology essentially involves is bracketing one's assumptions in an act called 'epoche' so that one attempts to perceive the other and occurrences objectively (Ihde 1986; Wann, 1964).

When utilizing a qualitative approach, the task becomes one of determining the qualitative method to be used. Additionally, Stake (2010) used purpose, research design, and methodical data techniques as a way of classifying types of qualitative research. Similarly, Cresswell & Cresswell (2007) spoke of five practices of qualitative research. These five practices consist of biography, phenomenological study, grounded theory study, ethnography, and case study. This researcher chose a phenomenological study for this research project.

Qualitative research is the technique that is used as a part of exploratory research and to derive the independent variables. There are different methods through which we can conduct the qualitative research. As a part of this study we have adopted the following methods:

Qualitative research methods are utilized to study the social and cultural phenomena. So it includes observation, participant observation (field work), interview sessions, documents and texts and finally the researcher’s imitations and feedback. [Myers, 2009]