42 set aside hisher views of the phenomenon and focus on those views reported by
the participants. Moustakas 1994, p. 84 adds that “no position whatsoever is
taken...nothing is determined in advance;” the researcher remains present and focu
ses on one’s own consciousness by returning to whatever is there in…memory, perception, judgment, feeling, whatever is actually there”.
References to others, their perceptions and judgments must be put aside to achieve epoche
and only the researcher’s perceptions are retained as indicators of knowledge, meaning, and truth.
The idea of Moustkas’ epoche is supported by Cresswell 2006. Creswell
2006 states that a phenomenological study is a method of thinking without any prejudice and does not based on a theory or certain definition in understanding the
essence of phenomena. To describe certain phenomena or experiences, a phenomenological researcher should be neutral and not use certain exist theories
or definitions.
b. Phenomenological Reduction
There are two steps conducted in the phenomenological reduction. The first is “Bracketing” in which the focus of the interview result is placed in a
column. Other things which are not related to the research will be neglected. The second step is “Horizontalization” in which firstly, every statement has same
values and positions. Then, some statements which are overlapping and not relevant to the topic will be deleted. The left statements of each research
participant are called as “horizons”.
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c. Imaginative Variation
This step is to seek out some meanings which may be from an imagination, grouping, inversion, as well as approaching thorough a position, role
and function of phenomena. The result is called as a structural description of experiences, the basic factor which shapes experiences. Some steps in the
imaginative variation are as follows: The first step is creating a system of the structural meaning which is
underlined a textural description. The next step, the researcher indentified the themes and contexts as the base cause of emerging some phenomena. Then the
third step is considering overall structures which brings up the feeling and thought based on the phenomena, such as time structures, places, anxieties, self-interests,
and so forth. For the last step, the researcher finds an illustration which describes a structural theme clearly and developing the structural theme.
d. Synthesis of Meanings and Essences
The last step in a phenomenological study is integrating the textural and structural descriptions into statement as the essence of the experience phenomena.
The step is ended by discussing these essences.
2. Processing Phenomenological Data by Using Moustakas’ 1994 Steps
In processing the data, the researcher described some experiences from the studied phenomena. Firstly, the researcher certainly needed to interview each
research participant. Then the researcher created verbatim transcripts of the
44 interviews. Afterwards, the data were processed into verbatim transcripts through
some steps: a.
The researcher considered and noted every verbatim of the research participants related to the research questions by bracketing.
b. The next step was to delete some statements which were overlapping and not
related to the topics or research questions. The step was called as horizontalizing
. c.
Then, the data were collected in a meaningful unit and were made to a textural description
of each research participant. The textural descriptions were some undergone experiences, enclosed the verbatim transcripts.
d. Afterwards, the researcher developed a structural description. It was how the
experiences were undergone by the research participants. e.
Considering the textural and structural description, the researcher determined the meaning and essence of the experiences.
f. The researcher then concluded the general meaning representing the whole
every research participant’s experiences. The researcher also integrated into the textural and structural descriptions.
The first and second steps of Moustakas’ model 1994 are called as
phenomenological reductions. Then the third, fourth, fifth and last steps are called as the imaginative variations. The illustration of the data analysis model is as
follow:
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Figure 3.2- Analysis Data of the Phenomenological Study
F. Research Procedures
The researcher was one of tutors in Pengajaran Code. From researcher’s
experience upon joining the program, the researcher underwent some perspective transformations after teaching impoverished children in the bank of Code River.
Then the researcher conducted an investigation for the transformative phenomena which were undergone by other tutors the research participants. As a common to
qualitative research is that the primary instrument used to collect and analyze data is the researcher themselves. As can be expected, certain biases might occur when
researchers act as the data collection instrument. Rather than attempting to remove such biases, qualitative research operates on the belief that biases presented by the
researcher must be considered, accounted for and monitored to determine their impact on data collection and analysis Merriam, 2009.
