2.                  Methodology

2.1              Introduction

The phenomenographic approach is used in this study to discover the qualitatively different ways in which research student understanding the research process. This approach was developed by an educational research group in Sweden during 1970s to describe the qualitatively different ways in which aspects of reality are experienced. The main focus of phenomenographic is the meaning structure of live experience that is the meaning an aspect of reality takes on for the people studied (Marton, 1981; Marton & Booth, 1997). This method is an empirical qualitative method in reaction to the limitations of the dominant quantitative methods in education. The main emphasis of phenomenographic study is taking respondent’s perspective on certain issues or phenomena (Marton et al., 1997) which is refers to as people conceptions. The word conception is used to refer to people’s ways of experiencing a specific of reality and are presented in the form of categories of descriptions (Sanderberg, 1997). With the idea of phenomenographic method, this study will adopt the phenomenographic approach will use to explore the School of Business PhD student’s ways of experience or making sense of the coursework that they have taken.

 

2.2              Justification for the paradigm and methodology

This study based on conceptions of coursework on research student experiences (Bruce, 1994). Specifically, this study explored how coursework attributes are integrated in to research student experience in research. Therefore, in this research we take the social constructivism ontology and epistemology standing. The social constructivism research tradition is the stipulation that person and world are inextricably related through persons’ lived experience of the world. For example, social constructionist argues that:

‘…..human descriptions are always coloured by our specific historical, cultural and linguistic understanding of reality. Therefore, reality is socially constructed by continuous negotiation between people about what their reality is’ (Sandberg, 2001)

 

The focus of constructivism is on human awareness or consciousness and its place in the social world. Constructivists argue that the social world is not a physical entity or, a material object that is outside human consciousness. According to constructivism, social system is not something out there like solar system. Social system exists only as inter-subjective awareness among people. It is human invention or creation, not of a physical or material kind, but of a purely intellectual that can form ideas. It is a set of ideas, a body of thought, a system of norms, which has been arranged by certain people at particular time and place. If the thoughts and ideas that enter into existence of organization change, then the system itself will be changed. This is because, the system exists only in thoughts and ideas (Daniels, Spiker, & Papa, 1997).

 

Constructivism approach assumes the following ideas:

i.                     Human relations consist essentially of thoughts and ideas and not of material conditions or forces.

ii.                   The core elements of ideas upon which constructivists focus, are inter-subjective beliefs (ideas, conceptions and assumption) that are widely shared among people.

iii.                  Those shared beliefs compose and express the interests and identities of people, for example the way people think of themselves in their relationships with others.

iv.                 The ways relationship are formed and expressed.

 

Human relations according to this approach consist of thoughts and ideas and not of the base of material setting. This is the philosophical element of constructivism and for them the social world exists independent of thoughts and ideas of the people involved. They emphasized further by describing social world as a world of human consciousness, which involves thoughts and beliefs of ideas, concepts, language, discourses and understandings among human beings, especially groups of human beings (Czarniawska, 2003). Therefore based on social constructivism paradigm, in this study we are describe the thoughts and beliefs of ideas and experience of coursework among PhD student in Business School.

 

2.3              Research procedures

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A phenomenographic approach to student experience is adopted during an empirical study among UQ Business School student who have go through the confirmation process. The confirmed candidates have completed the four coursework offered in Business School namely the Qualitative and Quantitative Method, Academy Research in Management and Critical Overview of Management Research. There is about (number of student have confirmed). To obtain data that captured the greatest possible variation in experience in the coursework within this group, however because of the limitation of time we selected 5 PhD students who have confirmed their candidature.

 

In exploring what constituted coursework experience in PhD students we used interviews and observations. The aim of interviews and observation is to capture the possible variation in conceptions of coursework experience in PhD students. First, the participant will be informed about the purpose of study and they will read consent form before commencing the interview and then sign their consent. The consent form explains what the project aims to achieve and what participation involves. It also indicate that participants are free to withdraw at any time without prejudice and that when the results are drawn up they will be presented in summation form without any identifying information. The form lists the information participants need to be aware of regarding how the research is to be conducted and provides a space for participants to sign that they have read and understood the conditions. A copy of the understanding and consent form is attached in the appendix.

 

The interview took place in the PhD student’s office and lasted between one to two hours. Two principal questions were put to the selected PhD students: What does coursework mean to you? How did you go about it? These questions were detailed and verify with follow-up questions Did you feel comfortable doing coursework?

 

Reliability

 

Validity

2.4              Ethical considerations

 

2.5              Conclusion

 

 

Bruce, C. S. 1994. Research students' early experiences of the dissertation literature review. Studies in Higher Education, 19(2): 217-229.

Czarniawska, B. 2003. Social constructionsm and organization studies. In S. Clegg (Ed.), Debating organization: Point-counterpoint in organization studies.: 128-139. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Daniels, T. D., Spiker, B. K., & Papa, M. J. 1997. Perspective on organizational communication (4 ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Marton, F. 1981. Phenomenography - describing conceptions of the world around us. Instructional Science, 10: 177-200.

Marton, F. & Booth, S. 1997. Learning and awareness. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Sandberg, J. 2001. The constructions of social constructionism. In M. Tyrstrup (Ed.), Invisible management. The social constuctionism of leadership: 28-48. London: Thomson Learning.

Sanderberg, J. 1997. Are phenomenographic results reliable? Higher Education Research & Development, 16(2): 203-212.