Vagle’s Phenomenology in Action: How Exploring Experiences of College Twin Separation Demonstrates Benefits of Educational Research
Location
College Student Research 1 (Session 2 Breakouts)
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to apply Vagle’s (2014) post-intentional phenomenology as a methodological framework to explore and examine the phenomenon of the separation of twins during their college years. Multiple semi-structured interviews with eight twin participants were conducted to capture their lived experiences. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using Vagle’s whole-parts-whole method; three tentative manifestations of the phenomenon were discovered; and vignettes were constructed to share the twins’ stories in their own voices.
Findings indicated that twins who attended different colleges used this experience to discover their own individual identities apart from their twin sibling, which consequently strengthened their twinship. Further, they developed autonomy, experienced singularity, and made new friendships apart from their twin sibling. They also overcame challenges related to separation from the twin that enhanced their individual ability to be self-sufficient.
While the focus of findings was on the experiences of twins’ attending different colleges and how that impacted twinship as well as their educational experiences, there is further value for educational researchers in noting how Vagle’s approach was applied and can yield findings related to phenomenon-specific lived experiences to help educators to better understand their students and issues they may encounter as they navigate college.
Keywords
Qualitative Research, Phenomenology, Twins, Higher Education
Professional Bio
Dr. Justin Yoshida is a Spanish teacher at Lakeview High School in Northwest Georgia. Drs. Richard and Lorraine Schmertzing are professors at Valdosta State in the Department of Leadership, Technology, and Work Force Development: his focus is Qualitative Research and hers is Instructional Technology. Both worked with Dr. Yoshida on this study as part of his dissertation. Our belief that phenomenology is an effective means for understanding experiences students not only bring to post-secondary schooling but also have while there leads us to explore those experiences in order to help them adapt and flourish there.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Yoshida, Justin; Schmertzing, Richard; and Schmertzing, Lorraine C., "Vagle’s Phenomenology in Action: How Exploring Experiences of College Twin Separation Demonstrates Benefits of Educational Research" (2020). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 31.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2020/2020/31
Vagle’s Phenomenology in Action: How Exploring Experiences of College Twin Separation Demonstrates Benefits of Educational Research
College Student Research 1 (Session 2 Breakouts)
The purpose of this study was to apply Vagle’s (2014) post-intentional phenomenology as a methodological framework to explore and examine the phenomenon of the separation of twins during their college years. Multiple semi-structured interviews with eight twin participants were conducted to capture their lived experiences. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using Vagle’s whole-parts-whole method; three tentative manifestations of the phenomenon were discovered; and vignettes were constructed to share the twins’ stories in their own voices.
Findings indicated that twins who attended different colleges used this experience to discover their own individual identities apart from their twin sibling, which consequently strengthened their twinship. Further, they developed autonomy, experienced singularity, and made new friendships apart from their twin sibling. They also overcame challenges related to separation from the twin that enhanced their individual ability to be self-sufficient.
While the focus of findings was on the experiences of twins’ attending different colleges and how that impacted twinship as well as their educational experiences, there is further value for educational researchers in noting how Vagle’s approach was applied and can yield findings related to phenomenon-specific lived experiences to help educators to better understand their students and issues they may encounter as they navigate college.
