What is Phenomenological Research

Modified 10 Strategic Points Template

Article Citation

Vangilder (n.d.). Dissertation.

Point

Description

Location

(Page #)

Broad Topic Area

Physics education research (PER)

Lit Review

Yes

23-30

Problem Statement

It was not known how (a) thinking and reasoning with MRS occurs, and (b) how that sort of thinking and reasoning affects epistemological change in terms of mechanisms and processes—whether cognitive, behavioral, or social—in an IP classroom. Moreover, as shown in the review of the literature herein, it is not clear what anyone means by the terms thinking and reasoning within any context.

Research Questions

R1: How do IP students use representational systems in their thinking and reasoning?

R2: How does the use of MRS in the thinking and reasoning of IP students promote personal epistemological change?

Sample

Twenty-nine students comprising 2 class groups served as the study sample. The class groups consist of one algebra-based physics class group and one calculus-based physics class group.

Describe Phenomena (qualitative) or Define Variables/Hypotheses (quantitative)

Phenomenon of how students in an IP classroom think and reason with MRS as they experience epistemological change

Methodology & Design

Qualitative/phenomenological, based on grounded theory

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study is to determine how students in an IP classroom think and reason with MRS as they experience epistemological change.

Data Collection Approach

The qualitative data in the form of student journals, survey, and interviews obtained throughout the study, is punctuated by a number of traditional IE assessments of IP, and the Psycho-epistemological Profile (PEP).

Data Analysis Approach

Inductive

Evaluation (Maximum 250-500 words)

The key points of the study are that it is a qualitative study, based on the grounded theory/phenomenological approach, that focuses on discovering how students in an IP classroom think and reason with MRS as they experience epistemological change. The phenomenon under study is how students in an IP class think and reason with MRS as they experience epistemological change. It is a key component in qualitative research because it is the subject of the research. The problem identified in the study is that it was not known how thinking and reasoning with MRS occurs, nor how that sort of thinking and reasoning affects epistemological change in terms of mechanisms and processes—whether cognitive, behavioral, or social—in an IP classroom. Moreover, as shown in the review of the literature, it was not clear what anyone means by the terms thinking and reasoning within any context. Thus, this problem became the focus of the study itself to see how students did learn. The qualitative design is phenomenological with grounded theory as an approach, which is appropriate as phenomenological helps researchers to uncover the deeper essence of things (Lin, 2013). The instruments used to collect data are appropriate as they provide direct access to the phenomenon itself. The research questions apply and guide the research effectively and address the stated problem.

References

Lin, C. (2013) Revealing the “essence” of things: Using phenomenology in LIS

research. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (QQML), 4, pp.469-478.

A

The benefits of isolating induction or deduction in research are that each allows the researcher to arrive at separate levels or stages within the inquiry process. Induction can be used to obtain information or to discover facts, and deduction can be used to test facts in an experimental way. In other words, inductive research is applied when one observes a phenomenon and intuits the answer based on prior knowledge and understanding of the elements involved in the phenomenon. Deductive research allows one to test or analyze the data. Both can be used however in phenomenological research because as Fisher (2009) points out, “All discernible aspects must be understood in relation to one another and to the whole. So, with a new insight or with a modification of an earlier understanding, the researcher goes back to see how this development shifts understanding of other aspects and the overall understanding” (p. 588). Thus, the benefits of not isolating the two are that information can both be obtained and tested at once. This does make the study more extensive and longer to conduct, and by isolating them, the researcher can focus on gathering information (inductive) or testing a hypothesis (deductive).

References

Fischer, C.T. (2009). Bracketing in qualitative research: Conceptual and practical

matters. Psychotherapy Research Methods, 19(4-5): 583-590.

B

Abduction serves as the starting point of research. It is also known as inference and it allows a researcher to settle upon the most likely cause of events—and this most likely cause serves as the hypothesis that will be tested in deductive research (Dobson et al., 2012). The inherent dangers in using this approach, strategic guessing, is that it relies somewhat on intuition rather than on empirical evidence. A solution might seem like the most likely based on a limited data set—but it could be completely wrong because of assumptions made by the researcher or because of a limited supply of information. Basing a hypothesis on limited information and then testing it can prove to be very time and energy intensive, and it might be more beneficial to work towards obtaining more information through inductive research than rushing into deductive research. The main assumptions behind abductive reasoning are that all the relevant data has been accumulated and that one can make a reasonable guess or hypothesis about the cause of a phenomenon based on the information possessed at the time. These assumptions can be valid or invalid depending on the actual extent to which all the necessary information has been obtained.