As explained elsewhere (Hutchison, 2006), phenomenography is often
confused with the older, more well-established theoretical framework known as
phenomenology (van Manen, 1990). The goal of both theoretical constructs is a
description of the so-called “lived experience” of people, their perceptions of
what it means to go through an experience or phenomenon. The two theoretical
perspectives have slightly different functions, however. Consider, for example,
the different perspectives the two theoretical frameworks would bring to a study
of how students approach the task of studying for a course exam.