The Experiences of Graduate Students in the Department of Education at the Islamic University of Madinah in Conducting Qualitative Research: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study aims to explore graduate students’ perceptions of qualitative research concepts and the challenges of its application in the Department of Education at the Islamic University of Madinah. The researchers employed a phenomenological qualitative approach, conducting seven in-depth interviews with doctoral students specializing in Curriculum and Instruction in the Department of Education. The findings revealed that the students have a good understanding of several fundamental principles of qualitative research, such as the nature of qualitative data and the importance of interaction between the researcher and the participants. However, they experience difficulty in distinguishing between the concepts of validity, reliability, and objectivity as applied in quantitative research. In addition, the results indicated that the students possess partial awareness of the philosophical foundations underlying qualitative research, without this awareness being fully developed within a coherent theoretical and methodological framework. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated the presence of prominent challenges faced by students during the conduct of qualitative research, most notably the difficulty of selecting the most appropriate qualitative approach due to the multiplicity of approaches and their conceptual overlap, as well as challenges related to data collection, such as limited access to participants, consent procedures, time constraints, and lack of cooperation from certain institutions.