Taking another Look: Developing a Sustainable and Expandable Programme of Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology

Abstract

This report reflects on the current provision of qualitative research methods within a UK psychology department's teaching programmes. It considers how this has contributed to the poor integration of qualitative research methods into undergraduate teaching and also considers how some key conceptual issues need to be addressed in order to facilitate student engagement with qualitative research methods. Furthermore it sets out the authors' plans to create a pragmatic approach to research methods teaching, by readdressing what they want their students to learn and how they deliver it. The authors suggest that students should be engaging with the criticisms and conceptual challenges faced by both paradigms. This is done with the overall aim of eventually creating a research methods teaching programme that focuses on creating pragmatic researchers able to use a variety of methods, regardless of whether they be quantitative or qualitative.