Qualitative Research as a Creative Teaching Technique: A Phenomenological Study

Phenomenological inquiry was utilized to explore masters level counseling students? experiences completing a qualitative research project as part of a Shame and Shame Resiliency course. Five of seven counseling students who participated in the Shame and Shame Resiliency course and completed the qualitative research project participated in an about their experience completing the assignment and the impact it had on their learning and growth. The qualitative research assignments were also analyzed by the researcher. The researcher identified themes and numerous subthemes using Moustakas (1994) method for data analysis. Four main themes were identified (Process of the Qualitative Research Project; Impact of the Qualitative Research Project; Learning Outcomes of the Qualitative Research Project and the Context of the Qualitative Research Project). Creative pedagogy was used as a framework for understanding student learning. Implications for counselor education and research are discussed