An interpretive study of the concept of research from the perspective of university professors

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in educational management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor of Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

When a researcher engages in a research process, what he or she does and reports depends on his or her underlying concepts about the nature of research. The present study examined the concept of research from the perspective of professors in different scientific fields. The paradigm of interpretive epistemology and a qualitative approach were adopted. Since the researchers intended to examine and classify different perceptions and experiences about the phenomenon of research, the phenomenographic method was used. Through purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 professors who taught and researched in different scientific fields. The results indicated that five different qualitative modes of university professors' experience can be identified: research as a professional responsibility, artistic work, journey into the unknown, puzzle, and judgment. Clarity in the way one views research provides a basis for understanding the understanding of others. The variations obtained in the concept of research may provide a way to understand problems or non-completion of research courses and courses due to mismatches in the concepts of professors and students. By recognizing the variations in how research is experienced, the practical implications of this study provide a basis for understanding some of the research-related phenomena in higher education that have been incompletely understood so far. Since each variation involves a different type of orientation in relation to research products, the framework of this study provides a useful tool in discussions related to examining the research performance of faculty members.

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