More on Lenses and Methodolgies

I was asked yet again about the research design I'm planning and theoretical framework/lens, methodology, and more. 

At this point I'm intrigued how I might use Phenomenology as a theoretical lens through which I might glean  information on the training and the learners we will be interviewing.  As Battacharya (2017) writes, "phenomenology focuses around the meaning, structure, and essence of the lived experiences of a phenomenon for a person or group of people" (p. 98). 

The VR training we are providing will be unique in terms of delivery for our subjects in two ways, first the novelty of the VR exercises, secondly for the emotionally compelling videos that accompany the exercises. These two aspects offer a chance to glimpse our subjects feelings about how the training impacted them, rather than compare the outcomes and test results alone.

The methodology I intend to use would be open discussion via one on one interviews. The challenge will be in addressing what Battacharya (2017) points out when she writes, "we are not interested directly in exploring the experience of a particular phenomenon per say but rather the essence of that experience" (p. 98). We will have subjects with a shared, new, unique experience, and the opportunity to discuss the experience with the subjects. 

I considered using an interpretivist lens and case study as the methodology as Rashid et al. (2019) write "it allows the researcher to see the world through the eyes of the participants" (p. 4). Additionally, regarding case studies, Rashid states, "case study research consists of a detailed investigation, often with empirical material collected over a period of time from a well-defined case to provide an analysis of the context and processes involved in the phenomenon" (p. 5). Although I found these appealing, the breadth of the study was more wide ranging and monumental a task than might be achieved for this project, so I might have to save it for later.

References

Bhattacharya, K. (2017). Fundamentals of qualitative research: A practical guide. Left Coast Press.

Rashid, Y., Rashid, A., Warraich, M. A., Sabir, S. S., & Waseem, A. (2019). Case study method: A step-by-step guide for business researchers. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18, 160940691986242.