POSTGRADUATE GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF A STUDENT-CENTRED LEARNING EXPERIENCE

There are a number of challenges associated with the teaching of research methods to university students, and despite the existence of related literature, this issue remains under-researched in art and design education. This article adopts a phenomenological approach to investigate how a group of postgraduate graphic design students considered the experience of learning social science research methods within the parameters of a student-centred approach to teaching and learning. The article concludes with the description of the shared experience. The adopted instructional approach had a positive impact on the learning experience of some students, while there were others who preferred a more teacher-centred approach. A future study based on action research can explore a combination of the two different instructional approaches and evaluate the effect on teaching and learning. However, it would also be useful to consider the relevance of social science research methods to graphic design professional practice and how this can inform instructional approaches.