Discomfort and Resonance: Student and Instructor Perspectives on Teaching and Learning Qualitative Research

Background and Purpose. There have been surveys of qualitative research practices, reports of students’ experience in research courses, and countless publications on teaching qualitative research skills. Yet, oddly, there has been no study examining the relationship between instructor and student perceptions of now these skills are taught and learned. Without knowing how perceptions differ or align, there is no way to understand students’ actual experience and to improve the way we prepare future qualitative researchers. Thus, this project sought to explore the intertwined yet distinctive perspectives of instructor and students engaged in an introductory, graduate level, qualitative research course. Secondary aims were to explore variation in response to course material depending on culture and personal history, as well as students’ perception of the connection between qualitative research and social work’s commitment to social justice and human rights.

Method. Six doctoral students volunteered to take part in this exploratory project; to avoid any conflict of interest, the invitation was extended after the course had ended. As participant-researchers, they provided qualitative data by responding to open-ended questions (formulated by the instructor) and selecting passages from reflective writing they had done throughout the course. The instructor – who also engaged in reflective writing – compiled and analyzed the material via thematic content analysis. Aggregate findings were then returned to the students for member-checking, further development, and linkage to prior literature.

Findings. Students reflected on their struggles, frustrations, and moments of illumination as they grappled with a new way of thinking about what is data, what is research, and what is researchable.  Key findings included: (1) A major difference between student and instructor perceptions was in awareness of how much discomfort these new concepts evoked, suggesting that instructors may underestimate the discomfort generated by ideas like reflexivity and ambiguity. (2) Students who identified as members of non-dominant cultures found that learning about narrative as a form of knowledge provided a unique, valued way to bring their personal and academic selves together. Assumptions about what is prized in academia, shock and dismay in confronting one’s own biases, and difficulty tolerating ambiguity were common obstacles. (3) Students saw qualitative research as an ethically syntonic avenue for “raising up” unheard voices and appreciating culturally diverse ways of knowing.

Conclusions. Findings from this exploratory study suggest that: (1) Given the potential for a well-intended instructor – for whom this paradigm may be “second nature” – to over-estimate what students actually grasp and under-estimate their anxiety and struggle, periodic re-assessment of pacing and discomfort may be helpful, together with scaffolding and incremental movement into “zones of proximal knowing.” (2) Eliciting background information and developing an array of approaches tailored to varied student needs can help to foster more collaborative teaching and learning. (3) Greater attention to the connection between qualitative research and social justice may help to bridge the perceived research-practice gap that tends to make social work students wary, dismissive, or avoidant of research. Further study on a larger scale can provide fruitful direction for social work education.