A Comprehensive Guide to Phenomenological Study Design - Essay Sample

Introduction

Phenomenological Research Methods by Moustakas Clark is a well-written guide to phenomenological study design, as well as the philosophy that underlies this approach to a qualitative study. The author commits the first chapter, "Human Science Perspectives and Models," to review the primary qualitative research methods that include ground theory, hermeneutics, and ethnography, heuristic, and empirical phenomenological study. The five ways provide brief literature relevant to each methodology, describes steps to differentiate the techniques and meaningful quotes. In the second chapter, "Transcendental Phenomenology: Conceptual Framework," and the third chapter, "Phenomenology and Human Science Inquiry," examines transcendental phenomenology leading to a discourse of the nature of the phenomenon. This may be described by way of Epoche, which is a concept designed by Edmund Husserl that explains the way a person can gain the ability to see from a novel, naive viewpoint from which complete, more productive, more genuine explanations may be rendered (Moustakas, 1994). Purposely, the central to transcendental phenomenology provides vision, which an object, either real or imaginary, to an individual who perceives it. Therefore, deliberately this will lead to a person to comprehend that the self and the world are indivisible. The perception of imaginary or real is the central and undoubted origin of know-how and can differ in terms of where, when, how, from what context of experience, from what angle, as well as a host of other elements defining experience (Tufford & Newman, 2010). Moustakas further engages the reader on a discussion of noesis and noema, ideas that are primary to phenomenology.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The fourth chapter defines intentionality more completely, as well as particular cases that make the reader comprehend noesis and noema. Noemis is the act of perceiving that unify with noesis or what is experienced to lead to the essences of phenomena, which is the ultimate goal of the research design (Wertz, 2005). Chapter five introduces four primary steps of phenomenological processes that include synthesis of composite textual, imaginative variation, epoche, reduction, and composite structural descriptions. Moustakas offered much understanding into a design, and the chapter consists of procedural cases that assist the audience in visualizing how all these philosophical reflection functions in a research scenario (Moustakas, 1994).

The final three chapters of the text provide thorough plus written, methodologies, process examples, impacts, and consequences of the phenomenological study. Included in the appendices of the text is a detailed outline of all steps needed in a phenomenological study. All through the text, Clark Moustakas complements philosophical discourse using concrete cases from current research, a list of features, personal reflections. The author offers phenomenology as a research method utilized to research human experience. Also, not used to fashion judgments or establish novel theories, phenomenology lowers rich explanations of human experience through fundamental, invariant subjects, to result in a paragraph where each word precisely shows the overall experience of the phenomenon (Moustakas, 1994).

Explanation as to Why This Design Is Appropriate for the Student’s Topic

The phenomenological research method is appropriate for the philosophy approach to qualitative research, especially in an educational context. The technique allows learners and educators to designed programs informed by their own learning experiences and from the feedback from educators in the field. Phenomenological research will enable individuals to learn from their own experiences and design programs based on these experiences. Phenomenological is a reflective process that will allow one to construct solutions founded on their experiences (Moustakas, 1994).

Types of Data Collection Appropriate For the Design

The phenomenological research is a qualitative technique. Thus, qualitative methods are utilized to gain a profound understanding of the insights of individuals concerning a specific phenomenon in a particular subject. Qualitative research is a way of collecting data from different resources, assessing the data, analyzing data to generate findings, and presenting the results. A phenomenological study, as outlined by Moustakas, will involve collecting data through in-depth interviews based on experiences in life rather than observation. The phenomenological interviews used will entail interviewing participants concerning a phenomenon, especially in an educational context. The interviews are directed on the participant's experiences, beliefs, feelings, as well as convictions concerning the theme in question (Wertz, 2005). Husserl referred it bracketing when the investigation is carried out from the perspectives concerning the idea investigated, such as collaborative educational programs that allow the participants to share their evidence on its value. The interviews are a form of bracketing about their preconceptions, besides, to go into the person's real-world and utilize the self as an experiencing judge.

Steps of Analysis Appropriate for the Design

The following steps are appropriate for analysis in phenomenological design: First will involve Epoche that will entail complete realization of and bracketing own attitudes, plus beliefs concerning the theme under investigation (Tufford & Newman, 2010). This will require bracketing own prejudgments, values, and lived experiences. Observation starts with complete research into individual phenomena under observation. Intentionally chosen co-researchers would join the description. After Epoche, transcripts would be investigated to recognize plus compile textural explanations of co-researchers' lived experiences (Moustakas, 1994). The imaginative variation would develop a structural meaning of the skills in an endeavor to perceive the phenomenon from diverse perspectives. Ultimately, textural, along with structural descriptions, would be synthesized to lower co-researcher's experiences to invariant themes that encapsulate the phenomenon being studied. This will allow the audience to comprehend the phenomenon under investigation (Maxwell, 2013).

References

Maxwell, J. (2013). Qualitative design: An interactive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Tufford, L., & Newman, P. (2010). Bracketing in qualitative research. Qualitative Social Work, 11(1) 80-96.

Wertz, F. J. (2005). Phenomenological research methods for counseling psychology. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 167-177.