Phenomenology as a Method in Education Research

Abstract

As a research methodology for investigating the lived experience of science teachers, phenomenology not only provides a means of accessing subjective knowing and pure perception but is sufficiently rigorous and systematic to represent the lifeworld experiences of research participants with a high degree of accuracy. The chapter highlights the uniqueness and value of phenomenology and discusses the phenomenological interview, how to collect field notes and explicate data in a purely phenomenological paradigm. The aim of this chapter is to provide insight into the value of phenomenology as a methodology to foster a deeper understanding of both teachers’ and learners’ lived experience. The author claims that by researching the lived experience of research participants, the researcher can access deep and authentic sources of human knowledge.