DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/nmjn.v9i1.23485

Purpose, Quality, and Value in Critical Realist Research within Nurse Education

*Phil Coleman  -  Staff Tutor/Senior Lecturer, School of Health, Wellbeing & Social Care Faculty of Wellbeing, Education & Language Studies The Open University, United Kingdom
Open Access Copyright (c) 2019 Nurse Media Journal of Nursing

Citation Format:
Abstract

Background: There have been a wide range of practice fields in nursing research including education; however, the quality of research in these disciplines has often failed to provide a sufficiently robust foundation.     

Purpose: This paper explores the purpose of educational research, how quality can be assured in such research and how the value of a research study in nurse education can be determined; focusing predominantly on arguments associated with the use of qualitative, and to a lesser extent, mixed methods research.  

Methods: A Critical Realist review drawing upon relevant literature from the fields of nursing, education, and healthcare was undertaken to examine issues of purpose, quality, and value in such research.

Results: A wide range of criteria were identified to evaluate the purpose, quality, and value of Critical Realist research using qualitative and mixed methods research within nurse education.

Conclusion: The holistic, theoretically-eclectic, pragmatic, and solution-focused nature of nursing as a discipline means that Critical Realist research in nursing, and more specifically, nurse education should explicitly reflect these principles.
Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Critical realist; nurse education; research
Funding: None

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Articles
Language : EN
Recent articles
Revisiting the Barriers to and Facilitators of Research Utilization in Nursing: A Systematic Review Effects of Family Empowerment on Increasing Family Support in Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Effects of Islamic Spiritual Mindfulness on Stress among Nursing Students Editorial Front Matter Editorial Back Matter More recent articles
Most cited articles
The Competencies, Roles and Scope of Practice of Advanced Psychiatric Nursing in Indonesia Case Study: Evidence-Based Interventions Enhancing Diabetic Foot Care Behaviors among Hospitalized DM Patients Providing Basic Needs and Encouragement as Strategies in Managing Aggression in Dementia Clients Effects of Family Empowerment on Increasing Family Support in Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Review: Factors Relating to Nurses’ Caring Behaviors for Dying Patients More cited articles
  1. Alvesson, M. (2003). Beyond neopositivists, romantics and localists: A reflexive approach to interviews in organisational research. Academy of Management Review, 28(1), 13-33
  2. American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN]. (2006). AACN position statement on nursing research. Aliso Viejo: American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  3. Anderson, C. (2010). Presenting and evaluating qualitative research. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(8) Article 141,1-7
  4. Anderson, G. & Herr, K. (1999). The new paradigm wars: is there room for rigorous practitioner knowledge in schools and universities?. Educational Researcher, 28(5), 12-21
  5. Arksey, H. & Knight, P. (1999). Interviewing for social scientists: An introductory resource with examples. London: Sage
  6. Barbour, R. (2001) Checklists for improving rigour in qualitative research: a case of the tail wagging the dog?. British Medical Journal, 322(7294), 1115-1117
  7. Beck, C. T. (2009). Critiquing Qualitative Research. Archives of Research in Nursing Journal, 90(4), 543-554
  8. Behar-Horenstein, L. & Feng, X. (2015). Emancipatory research: A synthesis of quantitative evidence. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 5(3), 46-56
  9. Bisman, J. (2010) Postpositivism and accounting research: a (personal) primer on critical realism. Australasian Accounting Business and Finance Journal, 4(4), 3-25
  10. Bogdan, R. & Knopp Biklen, S. (2010). Foundations of qualitative research in education. In Luttrell, W. (ed). Qualitative Educational Research. Abingdon: Routledge
  11. Brossett-Garner, D. (2014). Theories from the behavioral sciences. In McEwan M. & Wills, E. Theoretical basis for nursing. 4th Ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer
  12. Burnard, P., Gill, P., Stewart, K., Teasure, E. & Chadwick, B. (2008). Analysing and presenting qualitative data. British Dental Journal, 204(8), 429-432
  13. CareSearch. (2011). Evidence-based practice: Nurses as researchers. Retrieved from: https://www.caresearch.com.au/caresearch/Portals/0/Documents/PROFESSIONAL-GROUPS/Nurses%20Hub/NH_EBP_Nurses-as-Researchers_July_2011.pdf
  14. Carr, W. (2007). Educational research as a practical science. Journal of Research & Method in Education, 30(3), 271-286
  15. Clark, A. (2008). Critical realism. In Given, L. (ed) The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage
  16. Clegg, S. (2001). Is computing really for women? A critical realist approach to gender issues in computing. In Lopez, J. & Potter, G. (eds.). After postmodernism. An introduction to critical realism. London: The Athlone Press
  17. Clegg, S. (2005). Evidence-based practice in educational research: a critical realist critique of systematic review. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 26(3), 415-428
  18. Cody, W. (1996). Drowning in eclecticism. Nursing Science Quarterly, 9(3), 86-88
  19. Collier, A. (1994). Critical realism. An introduction to Roy Bhaskar’s philosophy. Verso: London
  20. Cooley, A. (2013). Qualitative research in education: The origins, debates, and politics of creating knowledge. Educational Studies, 49(3), 247-262
  21. Edgley, A., Stickley, T., Timmons, S. & Meal, A. (2016). Critical realist review: exploring the real, beyond the empirical. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 40(3), 316-330
  22. Evans, J. & Benfield, P. (2001). Systematic reviews of educational research: Does the medical model fit?. British Educational Research Journal, 27(5), 527-541
  23. Fealy, G. (1997). The theory-practice relationship in nursing: An exploration of contemporary discourse. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25, 1061–1069
  24. Feuer, M., Towne, L. & Shavelson, R. (2002). Scientific culture and educational research. Educational Researcher, 31(8), 4-14
  25. Fisher, P. & Freshwater, D. (2015). An emancipatory approach to practice and qualitative inquiry in mental health: Finding ‘voice’ in Charles Taylor's ethics of identity. Ethics and Social Welfare, 9(1), 2-17
  26. Fossey, E., Harvey, C., McDermott, F. & Davidson, L. (2002). Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36(6), 717–732
  27. Gorard, S. & Cook, S. (2007) Where does good evidence come from?. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 30(3), 307-323
  28. Greene, J. (2008). Is mixed methods social inquiry a distinctive methodology?. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2(1), 7-22
  29. Groundwater‐Smith, S. & Mockler, N. (2007). Ethics in practitioner research: An issue of quality. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 199-211
  30. Hammersley, M. (2003). Can and should educational research be educative?. Oxford Review of Education, 29(1), 3-25
  31. Hewitt, J. (2009). Redressing the balance in mental health nursing education: Arguments for a values-based approach. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 18(5), 368-79
  32. Kinsella, E. (2007). Technical rationality in Schön’s reflective practice: dichotomous or non-dualistic epistemological position. Nursing Philosophy, 8(2), 102–113
  33. Knowles, J. & Gray, M. (2011). The experience of critiquing published research: Learning from the student and researcher perspective. Nurse Education in Practice, 11(6), 390-394
  34. Leach, M. & Tucker, B. (2018). Current understandings of the research-practice gap in nursing: A mixed-methods study. Collegian, 25(2), 171-179
  35. Luttrell, W. (2010). Introduction. The promise of qualitative research in education. In Luttrell, W. (ed). Qualitative Educational Research. Abingdon: Routledge
  36. Madill, A. (2008). Realism and critical approaches. In Given, L. (ed). The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage
  37. Mays, N. & Pope, C. (2000). Assessing quality in qualitative research. British Medical Journal, 320, 50-52
  38. McEvoy, P., & Richards, D. (2006). A critical realist rationale for using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Journal of Research in Nursing, 11(1), 66-78
  39. Mellor, N. (2001). Messy method: The unfolding story. Educational Action Research, 9(3), 465-484
  40. Miller, K. & Tsang E. (2010) Testing management theories: critical realist philosophy and research methods. Strategic Management Journal, 32(2), 139-158
  41. Mischler, E. (1990). Validation in inquiry-guided research: the role of exemplars in narrative studies. Harvard Educational Review, 60(4), 415-442
  42. Moreno Casbas, T. (1999). Building a European nursing research strategy. Madrid: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
  43. Mulholland, J. (1997). Assimilating sociology: critical reflections on the ‘Sociology in nursing’ debate. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(4), 844-852
  44. National Nursing Research Unit [NNRU]. (2012). Policy+Review. Kings College: London
  45. National Research Council Committee on Scientific Principles for Education Research [NRCCSPER]. (2002). Scientific research in education. Washington: National Research Council
  46. Nursing & Midwifery Council [NMC]. (2018). The code. Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council
  47. Oltmann, C. & Boughey, C. (2012). Using critical realism as a framework in pharmacy education and social pharmacy research. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 8(4), 333–337
  48. O'Mahoney, J. & Vincent, S. (2014). Critical Realism as an empirical project: a beginner’s guide. In Edwards, P., O'Mahoney, J. & Vincent, S. (eds). Studying organizations using critical realism. A practical guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press
  49. Onwuegbuzie, A. & Leech, N. (2005). Taking the “Q” out of research: teaching research methodology courses without the divide between quantitative and qualitative paradigms. Quality & Quantity, 39(3), 267-295
  50. Patomaki, H. & Wight, C. (2000). After postpositivism? The promises of critical realism. International Studies Quarterly, 44(2), 213-237
  51. Pring, R. (2000). The ‘false dualism’ of education research. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 14(2), 247-260
  52. Rennie, I. (2009). Exploring approaches to clinical skills development in nursing education. Nursing Times, 106(3), 20-22
  53. Royal College of Nursing [RCN]. (2009). Research ethics. RCN guidance for nurses. London: Royal College of Nursing
  54. Samsi, K. (2012). Critical appraisal of qualitative research. London King’s College. Retrieved from https://www.kcl.ac.uk/scwru/pubs/2012/conf/samsi26jul12.pdf
  55. Savage, M. (2019). NHS England loses 6,000 mental health nurses in 10 years. The Guardian, 19/5/19. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/19/mental-health-nursing-numbers-6000-fall-nhs-england
  56. Schiller, C. (2016). Critical realism in nursing: An emerging approach. Nursing Philosophy, 17(2), 88-102
  57. Scott, D. (2007) Resolving the quantitative-qualitative dilemma: A critical realist approach. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 30(1), 3-17
  58. Sellman, D. (2010). ‘Values and Adult General Nursing’. In Pattison, S., Hannigan, B., Pill, R. & Thomas, H. (eds). Emerging values in health care: The challenge for professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
  59. Smith, R. (2014). Medical research—still a scandal. The BMJ opinion. Retrieved from https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2014/01/31/richard-smith-medical-research-still-a-scandal/
  60. Smith, B. A, Lee, H.-J., Lee, J. H., Choi, M., Jones, D., Bausell, R. B., … & Broome, M. (2008). Quality of reporting randomized controlled trials (RCTS) in the nursing literature: Application of the consolidated standards of reporting trials (CONSORT). Nursing Outlook, 56(1), 31-37
  61. Stenhouse, L. (1981). What counts as research?. British Journal of Educational Studies, 29(2), 103-114
  62. Stiles, W. (1993). Quality control in quality research. Clinical Psychology Review, 13(6), 593-618
  63. Sutton, J. & Austin, Z. (2015). Qualitative research: Data collection, analysis, and management. Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 68(3), 226-231
  64. Swedish Society of Nursing [SSN]. (2016). Nursing-research and the future. A strategy for nursing research. Stockholm:S wedish Society of Nursing
  65. Terry, K. (2013) The competency landscape: A critical realist exploration of the ways nurses understand and utilise competency standards (Unpublished Doctoral thesis). University of Tasmania
  66. Thorn, S. (2000). Data analysis in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing Notebook, 3, 68-70
  67. Torrance, H. (2012). Triangulation, respondent validation and democratic participation in mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 6(2), 111-123
  68. Van Cleave, J. (2012). Scientifically based research in education as a regime of truth: An analysis using Foucault's genealogy and governmentality (Doctoral thesis). University of Georgia
  69. Wand, T., White, K. & Patching, J. (2010). Applying a realist(ic) framework to the evaluation of a new model of emergency department-based mental health nursing practice. Nursing Inquiry, 17(3), 231-239
  70. Watson, S. & Watson, W. (2011). Critical, emancipatory, and pluralistic research for education: A review of critical systems theory. Journal of Thought, 46(3-4), 63-77
  71. Willis, L. (2015). Raising the bar. Shape of caring: A review of the future education and training of registered nurses and care assistants. Leeds: Health Education England/Nursing and Midwifery Council
  72. Wilshaw, G. (1997). Integration of therapeutic approaches: A new direction for mental health nurses?. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(1),15–19
  73. Wilson, V., & McCormack, B. (2006). Critical realism as emancipatory action: The case for realistic evaluation in practice development. Nursing Philosophy, 7(1), 45-57
  74. Woolner, P., Clark, J., Hall, E., Tiplady, L., Thomas, U. & Wall, K. (2010). Pictures are necessary but not sufficient: Using a range of visual methods to engage users about school design. Learning Environment Research, 13(1), 1-22
  75. Woolner, P., Hall, E. & Wall, K. (2007). Getting together to improve the school environment: User consultation, participatory design and student voice. Improving Schools, 10(3), 233-248

Last update:

  1. Family-Centered Care Experiences in Elderly with Chronic Diseases in Communities: Qualitative Study of Patients, Families, Nurses, and Volunteers

    Ah Yusuf, Jenny Marlindawani Purba, Dewi Eka Putri, Ronal Surya Aditya, Abdullah Saleh Alruwaili, Daifallah M. AlRazeeni. Health Equity, 8 (1), 2024. doi: 10.1089/heq.2024.0009

  2. What are the ethical dilemmas in the decision‐making processes of nursing people given electroconvulsive therapy? A critical realist review of qualitative evidence

    Victoria Sweetmore. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 29 (2), 2022. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12778

Last update: 2024-11-23 15:02:21

  1. The experience of nurses in handling business class patient in commercial medical escort in Indonesia

    Aditya R.S.. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11 (7), 2020. doi: 10.31838/srp.2020.7.19