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These methodologies differ in their philosophic assumptions and in their strategies for
data collection and analysis.
As with selecting a paradigm, selection of a methodology
requires an understanding of these differences.
Phenomenology.
The main purpose of phenomenology is to describe
phenomena ‘phenomenology is an approach that focuses on how life is experienced’
(Denscombe, 2003, p. 97). Phenomenology is concerned with
human experience and
tries to provide a description of how things are experienced by participants.
Phenomenology is also interested in how social life is constructed and how people
interpret events. It acknowledges that interpreting events is not an individual experience
but rather they must be shared with others who are part of that community. This
methodology has
much to offer this study, but as the research questions seek to not only
describe, but to understand, for example what aspects of
the programme supports or
impedes quality teaching in physical education, it was felt that phenomenology may not
fully meet the aim of the study.
Ethnography.
Ethnography has its origins in comparative cultural
anthropology. It focuses on an entire cultural group (Creswell, 2007). Ethnography is
an appropriate method to use if the requirement is to describe how a cultural
group
works and to explore the beliefs, language, behaviours
and issues such as power,
resistance and dominance. Again this methodology has much to offer the study but as
the participants could only loosely be described as a cultural group (a school
community) and this study aims to go beyond description and exploration, and a
limitation of the author in cultural anthropology and
the concepts explored by
ethnographers, it will not meet the aim of the study.
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