Engagement : a phenomenographic approach

Phenomenography is a means for mapping "qualitatively different ways in which people experience, conceptualise, perceive and understand various aspects of and phenomena in, the world around them," (Marton 1986). What is particularly valuable about a phenomenographic approach is that it allows for the comparison and contrast of individual conceptions of a phenomenon, allowing for fresh perspectives outside of established paradigmatic accounts. Therefore, it would be appropriate to use a phenomenographic approach to explore the relationship between policy and practice within the Queensland context in relation to student engagement in learning. Since teachers will ultimately put policy documents into practice, is it important to establish what they know about these documents, how they conceptualise engagement and what actions they take to promote the engagement the policies stipulate. This paper provides a rationale for a current research project based on a phenomenographic approach.