FINAL Project example

TITLE: Phenomenology: The Experiences of Blended Students in the Military at ______Base

This is a hypothetical research topic and interview; no actual research took place.  For this hypothetical study, I used myself as the interviewee since I am a graduate of the Senior Enlisted Academy Blended Course and meet the criteria as a candidate for this study.  If other graduates were interviewed, I would obtain written consent from each person involved in the interview.  This assignment was done with only one person and not the full sample listed below that a real study might be done on.  The interview was done in the privacy of my own home.  I did not record the interview but typed up the answers as I responded to each question.  Other interviews would be recorded and transcribed.  The following information is how a real study might be done, if not for this assignment only.  The last section is the responses to the interview questions (Oestmann, 2017).

Phenomenological Study Information

Phenomenology is approach selected for this study.  Phenomenological studies assume an individual’s reality is shaped by the meaning he/she derives from their experiences of a phenomenom (Argosy University, 2017).  Creswell (2014) supports this assumption by pointing out that phenomenology attempts “to build the essence of experiences from participants” (p. 66).  From these experiences, researchers seek to find themes without placing importance on any one theme more than another.  Throughout the process, researchers sort through the themes to find statements relevant to the phenomena by eliminating the irrelevant ones (Argosy University, 2017).  Coding is a key component in identifying themes and thematic frameworks.  Researchers must be wary of their presence in the process of the study as it could influence the subjects either intentionally or unintentionally.  Researchers should consider the use of reflexivity to mitigate their undue influence on the study in order to insure the integrity and validity of the data

The phenomenon being studied is lived experiences of students in a blended learning program at the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy.  Many factors affect students at the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA).  Students must establish their work, home, and academic life balance.  SEA students are geographically disbursed during the distance-learning phase, often times deployed on ships or in locations with limited connectivity.  Studying how these factors affect student learning outcomes might help predict future student success and effect change in our organization.

Research Question

What are the experiences of students in a blended learning program when they participated in the in-residence phase?

Sample

Recent graduates of the SEA would be the subjects of this research.  Creswell (2012) says, “Criterion sampling works well when all individuals studied represent people who have experienced the phenomenon” (p. 155).  With this in mind, criterion sampling best fits this study since it seeks to understand the learning experiences of students who attended the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy’s blended course.  Recent SEA graduates would be provided an overview of the study and invited to participate in the interview process.  A random sample of 12-15 students from will be selected for the interviews.

Interview Process

Interviews and Data Collection

The interviews would be one-on-one and semi-structured to allow the researcher to probe the participant for more detailed information as the interview progresses.  Participant interviews will be conducted either in person or video teleconference.  Interviews should take approximately 30 minutes.  Each participant will be assigned a coded identifier (i.e., Participant 1 or P1) to be used in lieu of personal to insure privacy and confidentiality.  Participants can withdraw from the study at any time without reprisal or retribution.

Textual data would be collected using a video recorder, or screen capture software if conducted over video teleconference, for transcription later.  Transcripts and video will be reviewed so all information, both verbal and non-verbal, is captured from the interviews.  A secure server will store all the recordings and transcripts.  The collected data be analyzed using NVIVO software to assist with identifying themes among the interviewee answers (Oestmann, 2017).

Interview Questions

Closed Ended:

1. How long have you served in the military?

2. How long have you served in your current paygrade/rank?

Open Ended:

3.      How would you describe your story about your primary methods of learning since joining the service?

4.      How would you describe your journey regarding your primary methods of learning in your personal educational pursuits outside of the military?

5.      Tell me about your experience during the distance-learning phase at the SEA. What was most challenging? Rewarding? Other parts of the experience?

6.      Tell me about your experience during the in-residence phase at the SEA. What was most challenging? Rewarding? Other parts of the experience?

7.      In what ways did your distance-learning experience affect your in-residence experience? What was your experience like and how did it help you? Hider you?

8.      How did your educational background contribute to your experience at the SEA? What parts of your educational experience were contributing factors to help you? Hinder you?

9.      Tell me how you feel about these experiences and how this had this effect?

10.  Tell your story from start to finish in the program and what did you wish you knew starting? What tips and advice would you give to a student about to begin his/her experience at the SEA?  Why?