Methods, methodological challenges and lesson learned from phenomenological study about OSCE experience: Overview of paradigm-driven qualitative approach in medical education: a review

Publication date: Available online 23 November 2019Source: Annals of Medicine and SurgeryAuthor(s): Getu Ataro HanagoAbstractQualitative research approach could be as important as quantitative one, particularly in medical education, as long as it meets the common goal of both—improving the quality of education. In contrary to the end—i.e. achieving the common goals, the means of both approaches of inquiry is different. Their dissimilarity in the means or process is not confined to data collection techniques, study designs or analysis methods; but, they also differ in assumptions about the world, reality, science and knowledge. Implicitly or explicitly, these assumptions are revealed in a researcher’s discussion about philosophical assumptions and research paradigms. The researcher’s inclination towards any of paradigms and assumption in light of the most common philosophical concepts such as ontology, epistemology and methodology results in choice of either of the dominant research paradigms to follow such as objectivism/positivism and interpretivisim/constructivism. This is common practice in the quantitative-qualitative dichotomy of research world disregarding the emerging mixed approach with predominantly pragmatism paradigm. Besides framing the methodology of the study, researcher’s explicit description of philosophical assumptions and paradigms helps readers easily understand study findings. Many authors from both dominant traditions fail to describe this impor...
Source: Annals of Medicine and Surgery - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research