Phenomenography — an avant-garde approach to extend the psychology methodological repertoire

ABSTRACT

Phenomenography was initially developed as a qualitative response to the limitations of quantitative approaches to higher education research. Following on its success in deepening understanding of higher education and improving teaching and learning strategies, phenomenography has been applied in research in various fields, including nursing, health care, human resource and business management, physiotherapy, psychiatric care, guidance and career counselling, and sport science. However, this approach is virtually nonexistent in psychology research and is not mentioned in any of the prominent psychology texts the authors have read. This article provides qualitative psychology researchers with an introduction to the ontology, epistemology, and methods of phenomenography and advocates for its acceptance into the psychology methodological repertoire.

KEYWORDS:

• Phenomenography
• phenomenographic research
• variation theory

Additional information

Notes on contributors

C. S. Zygmont

Conrad Zygmont is a Lecturer and Programme Coordinator of the Psychology Department at Helderberg College and Research Associate at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He completed his PhD at Stellenbosch University in 2014, looking at the experiences of adolescent adventure/wilderness programme participants. His research and teaching interests are varied: he is currently engaged in research projects investigating workplace spirituality, the importance of personal-workplace value congruence for work satisfaction, development of an Android-based application to supplement class contact, and a computerised adaptive test of religiosity and spirituality.

A. V. Naidoo

Anthony Naidoo is a Clinical Psychologist and Professor in the Psychology Department at Stellenbosch University, where he has been Department Chair and coordinator of the master’s programme in Clinical and Community Counselling. He is passionate about the development and growth of community psychology in South Africa and has been involved in several community development projects and organisations. He has published extensively and supervised numerous theses in the areas of career development and assessment, multicultural counselling, community mental health interventions, adolescent and youth-at-risk behaviour, masculine identity issues, and wilderness therapy. He also has served on the international task team for the Society of Community Research & Action.