Introduction to Phenomenology and its Application in Qualitative Research
Find out about the philosophical fundamentals of phenomenology and how it can be integrated in qualitative research.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours100% online
How it worksDigital upgrade
Free
Introduction to Phenomenology and its Application in Qualitative Research
Build strong qualitative research methods and learn how to use phenomenology
Phenomenology is one of the most influential philosophy schools. It focuses on exploring in-depth aspects of lived experience in a variety of contexts.
On this four-week course, you’ll get to know the main themes of philosophical phenomenology and how it can be put to use in qualitative research.
Through real-life examples, you will find out how qualitative researchers have benefitted from using this philosophical tradition.
You’ll also discover how phenomenology and qualitative methods work together and how you can integrate phenomenology at different stages of a qualitative research project.
Using phenomenology in the study of human lived experience enables researchers to access insights that other approaches cannot achieve. Often, it can be the only possible way to study certain topics in social sciences.
Nevertheless, guidance for researchers in the humanities and social sciences is scarce. This course will help fill this gap by showing you how phenomenology can be put to use in academic fields focusing on, for example, education, sport, psychology, and health.
You’ll critically examine examples of how phenomenology has been applied and gain practical skills in how this can be done.
Discover phenomenological research with The Open University and the University of Southern Denmark
Throughout the course, you will engage in debates with other learners to help you evaluate the challenges of integrating phenomenology and qualitative research methodologies. You will also have the opportunity to start thinking about your own research project and interests.
This course has been designed by The Open University – an industry lead in distance education – and the SDU (University of Southern Denmark), to provide you with a supportive social learning experience.
Syllabus
Week 1
Why engage with phenomenology?
Why engage with phenomenology?
Explore a range of reasons why qualitative researchers use phenomenology, in order to clarify why and how phenomenology can be put to use in qualitative research projects.
What is phenomenology?
Begin to explore definitions of phenomenology as a discipline and as a historical movement, and gain a sense of the ideas contributed by the key figures in the tradition.
Central phenomenological themes and concepts
Gain an understanding of some central phenomenological concepts and start seeing connections between them.
What should I know about phenomenology by now?
Take stock of what you have learned about phenomenology and start thinking about how this relates to your own research interests and motivations.
Week 2
What is qualitative research and why is it useful?
Why should we engage with qualitative research?
Before we explore what qualitative research is, we start this week by reminding you of what this methodological approach can offer.
What is qualitative research?
Qualitative research includes a variety of practices, approaches and perspectives, but what really characterises these methods? We will take a look in the following steps.
Generating rich descriptions and data for phenomenological analysis
Find out how to generate detailed accounts of someone's perceptions and experiences and how to use them in phenomenological analysis.
Week 3
How to use phenomenology in the analysis of qualitative data
What have you learned so far about phenomenology?
Take stock of what you have learned about phenomenology and start exploring how you can apply it.
Putting phenomenology to use in the analysis of musical expertise
Exploring this example from the field of music will help you understand possible ways to integrate phenomenology in qualitative research.
Involving phenomenology in the analysis of data
You will explore the different elements you need to consider when carrying out a research study which integrates phenomenology. You will also look at coding, and how to involve phenomenological concepts.
The phenomenological attitude and the epoché
Connect the descriptions of the ‘what’ of experiences to the phenomenological 'how’ of such experiences by adopting a ‘phenomenological attitude’, then revisit the concept of the epoché.
Week 4
What does phenomenology in use look like?
Reflecting on the research process
The researchers you met in previous weeks reflect on their experiences of using phenomenology for their research.
Integrating phenomenology and qualitative research: two strands
Explore two interlinked ways or ‘strands’ of integrating phenomenology and qualitative research. For this exploration we will draw on a specific project investigating bodily self-consciousness.
Thinking about the research process
A reminder of the different aspects and stages involved in the research process will help you to plan and design your project.
Looking back – looking forward
By completing this course, you have now a realistic insight into how you can integrate phenomenology and qualitative research.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explore the main themes of philosophical phenomenology.
- Assess the benefits of using this philosophical tradition in qualitative research.
- Explore how to integrate phenomenology at different stages of a qualitative research project.
- Evaluate the challenges of integrating phenomenology and qualitative research methodologies.
- Engage with debates related to this interdisciplinary methodology.
- Evaluate examples of research which integrate phenomenology and qualitative methodologies in education, health and sport.
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for undergraduate or postgraduate students in the field of humanities and social sciences, such as education, sport, psychology, and health.
It will be particularly useful for those interested in qualitative research methods.
Who will you learn with?
I am a Professor at the Department of Sports Science and Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark as well as Head of the research unit Movement, Culture and Society.
I am a Senior Lecturer in Languages at the Open University. My main research interests are learner centred pedagogy and the use of phenomenology to explore the lived experience of multilinguals.
Who developed the course?
The Open University
As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.
Established
1969Location
Milton Keynes, UKWorld ranking
Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020
University of Southern Denmark
The University of Southern Denmark celebrates talent and academic excellence. Together with Danish and international partners from industry, foundations, and public organisations, we create knowledge that makes a positive impact on society. International rankings confirm our strength in this regard.
What's included?
The Open University are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:
Learning on FutureLearn
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