Fusing Approaches in Educational Research: Data Collection and Data Analysis in Phenomenological Research

Authors

Pedro P. Aguas, Universidad de Córdoba (Montería)Follow

Abstract

One of the aims of human sciences seeks to understand the essences and meanings of human experiences by focusing on philosophical, epistemological, methodological, and linguistic principles through transcendental phenomenology and hermeneutics, two philosophies and research methodologies central to qualitative research. Therefore, fusing approaches provides a space where both epistemology and methodology within both traditions can merge to yield meaning and understanding, and at the same time, offer a new approach to dealing with data collection and data analysis without neglecting or distorting original leading concepts. Fusing approaches comes into being as the merging of overlapping and deferring epistemological, methodological, and rhetorical assumptions that a researcher brings into play and actually puts into practice sustaining a purposeful and explicit sense of neutrality to assure methodological trustworthiness. Moved by my sensitivity to lived experience, in this paper, I explicate in a step-by-step fashion the combination of Moustakas’ modification of Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of phenomenological analysis and Van Manen’s (1990) hermeneutic approach to phenomenology in data collection and analysis. In fusing approaches, I encourage researchers to generate knowledge and show understanding emanated from both transcendental phenomenology and hermeneutics sustaining a deep sense of neutrality, co-creation, thoughtfulness, and rigor.

Keywords

fusion, tension, transcendental phenomenology, hermeneutic phenomenology, intentionality, bracketing, pre-understandings, intuition, neutrality, thoughtfulness

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Pedro P. Aguas holds a Master’s degree in Education from Universidad del Norte, Colombia and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, U.S. He currently works as full-time professor at Universidad de Cordoba, Colombia. He also works as a researcher of the research group EDUTLAN and the novice research group ARACI-TSL at Universidad de Cordoba. His accomplishments include Educational leader in foreign language curriculum innovation: Communicative language teaching, competency-based education, competency-based curriculum, and phenomenology as a qualitative research strategy. Dr. Aguas is the author of a phenomenological article titled “Key Stakeholders’ Lived Experiences While Implementing an Aligned Curriculum: A Phenomenological Study,” and a number of conference papers, such as supervision as a path to professional development, student achievement, and self-direction, Formative supervision through an action research experience at Universidad de Córdoba, Teaching and learning phenomenology: The lived experiences of a foreign language phenomenological community. His Doctoral Research investigated the lived experiences of key stakeholders while implementing an aligned foreign language curriculum. Dr. Aguas may be reached at pedroaguas@correo.unicordoba.edu.co

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to Doctor Susan Orshan and Doctor Jeanette Black, for their encouragement to complete this paper. I am especially indebted to University of Phoenix for giving me the opportunity to participate in another writing journey. I would also like to extend my thanks to Delia González for her practical recommendations. Finally, I wish to thank my children, Charlene Jeanette, Angie and Héctor, my sister Elida and my brother Luis Guillermo for their understanding throughout all my professional projects and achievements.

Publication Date

1-3-2022

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5027

Recommended APA Citation

Aguas, P. P. (2022). Fusing Approaches in Educational Research: Data Collection and Data Analysis in Phenomenological Research. The Qualitative Report, 27(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5027

ORCID ID

is 0000-0003-4125-5571

ResearcherID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4125-5571