COMPARISON OF PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDIES CARRIED OUT IN TURKEY AND THE US

Abstract

Phenomenological inquiry, a prominent qualitative research paradigm, has gained momentum in recent years, particularly within educational studies. Despite numerous studies mapping qualitative research or adopting phenomenological designs, comparing the national and international studies utilizing phenomenological design remains under-researched. This study addresses this gap by reviewing 10 theses and dissertations employing phenomenological inquiry, with five conducted in Turkey and five in the US. The inclusion criteria for the studies were adopting a phenomenological research design and having an educational field of interest. No specific timeline or context was set for the inclusion criteria of the studies. The content analysis revealed the similarities and differences between Turkish and American studies in terms of research design, research questions, participant selection, data collection tools, and data analysis. The results showed that both sets of studies had research questions focusing on "what" and "how." Both sets of studies employed purposeful or criterion sampling, along with semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection method. Data analysis consistently involved coding transcriptions from interviews. The review concludes by emphasizing the potential benefits of this comparative analysis for novice researchers and graduate students undertaking phenomenological studies.