Keywords
Phenomenological Method
Qualitative Research
Education Research
Lived Experience
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
Hermeneutic Inquiry
How to Cite
Abstract
Hermeneutic phenomenology enables an in-depth understanding of educational experience through lived meanings; however, limited methodological systematization hinders the formulation of robust conclusions regarding its consolidation as a method. Accordingly, this systematic review aimed to analyze the foundations underpinning the use of the hermeneutic phenomenological method in qualitative studies in the field of education, to identify the phases, techniques, and methodological procedures employed in its application, to describe its main practical uses in recent research, and to detect methodological gaps and challenges that may guide future studies. The PRISMA methodology was applied. The search conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Google Scholar yielded a total of 50 articles; after the screening process, 16 studies were selected. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using an adapted version of the CASP Qualitative Checklist. The findings confirm that hermeneutic phenomenology has been consolidated as a predominant and pertinent approach in qualitative educational research, as it allows for an understanding of the complexity of lived experience through the integration of description and interpretation; nevertheless, its application exhibits methodological heterogeneity and shortcomings in the explicit articulation of philosophical foundations, which limits the comparability and rigor of the studies.
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