Philosophical Hermeneutics: A Tradition with Promise

Abstract

For years the predominant paradigm for educational research has been the privileged quantitative data collection and analysis methods which are de rigueur in the natural sciences and which are also dominant in the human sciences. An alternative to the approach of a dispassioned observer on the sidelines recording every observation comes in the form of philosophical hermeneutics, where the researcher becomes an actual part of the research itself enabling new meanings and understandings that may not be evident in the strict unbiased approach of quantitative research. This alternative approach, characterized by rich and thick descriptions, provides for a new and interesting approach for the researcher in human sciences. The historical foundations and comparative forms of hermeneutical research are explored to provide an understanding of this powerful research method.