Using phenomenography to investigating [sic] the conceptions of educational stakeholders in schools, neighborhoods, and communities

Many significant day-to-day decisions in educational settings that either improve or restrict civic capacity are based on the conceptions of key stakeholders in schools and communities. However, few research approaches center on identifying and evaluating the understandings that underpin these important educational decisions and practices. Phenomenography is a useful tool for mapping this terrain. It is a research approach that seeks to identify and map the qualitatively different conceptions present within specific populations. This research approach can be used to expand knowledge about the understandings that underpin stakeholder attitudes and decisions in schools, neighborhoods, and communities. This paper outlines phenomenography’s theoretical and analytical frameworks. It reviews literature on key methodological issues and explains in detail the research process, showing how it can be used in studies designed to improve civic capacity.