Exploring qualitative education research: a primer for physiologists

Determining how students perceive and navigate the physiology classroom is crucial for designing evidence-based pedagogy and a well-informed curriculum. As trained scientists, most physiology instructors are well versed in using quantitative research, a methodology that prioritizes statistical analysis to predict future outcomes. While these methods offer valuable insights into measurable trends, they often rely on assumptions that overlook the "why" and "how" of student learning, which fall into the realm of qualitative research methodologies. This primer aims to help physiology educators to better understand qualitative research by providing an overview of qualitative research, some key questions to address while forming a qualitative research question, and some of the main differences between qualitative and quantitative educational research. Finally, some examples of qualitative research in physiology are highlighted.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Predicting student outcomes only tells half of the learning story. To fully understand student learning, we must also understand their experience. This guide aims to demystify qualitative education research. From foundational theory to real-world examples, learn how to capture the "why" of student learning.