The selection of an appropriate research methodology is fundamental because it provides the philosophical and theoretical foundation that guides the entire research process.
While research methods determine the specific techniques used to collect and analyse data, methodology explains why particular methods are chosen and how they align with the research aims, assumptions about reality (ontology), and beliefs about knowledge (epistemology) (Denscombe, 2021). As illustrated in the infographic, methodology provides the overarching strategy that connects the theoretical framework, research design and methods into a coherent investigation.
For this study, which seeks to answer the question:
“What underlying mechanisms influence the development of self-efficacy among apprentices undertaking work-based learning in the UK health and social care sector?”
The methodology must move beyond describing apprentices’ experiences to explaining why these experiences occur. Self-efficacy develops within complex workplace environments where organisational culture, mentoring relationships, leadership, workload, supervision and individual agency interact in dynamic ways. These influences are not always directly observable and cannot be fully understood through quantitative measurement alone. Therefore, a methodology capable of investigating both observable experiences and the deeper structures that generate them is required.
A critical realist methodology is particularly appropriate because it recognises that reality exists independently of individuals’ perceptions while acknowledging that our understanding of reality is mediated through social experiences and interpretation (Bhaskar, 1978). Critical realism distinguishes between three interconnected domains:
- The empirical – what apprentices experience and report, such as feelings of confidence, competence and support.
- The actual – workplace events that occur, including supervision, assessments, mentoring interactions and clinical experiences.
- The real – the underlying organisational, cultural and structural mechanisms that generate these events, such as leadership practices, organisational culture, staffing pressures, learning opportunities and mentoring quality.
Rather than simply describing apprentices’ accounts, the methodology employs retroduction, a key analytical process within critical realism, to infer the hidden causal mechanisms that explain observed outcomes. This enables the research to develop explanatory rather than purely descriptive knowledge.
The methodology also aligns closely with the nature of work-based learning, which occurs within authentic practice settings characterised by complexity and open social systems. Unlike controlled experimental environments, health and social care organisations are influenced by multiple interacting factors that vary across contexts. Consequently, self-efficacy cannot be explained through universal causal laws but must be understood in relation to contextual conditions and organisational structures. Critical realism acknowledges this complexity and seeks to identify mechanisms that are contingent upon particular circumstances rather than universally predictive.
Methodologically, this philosophical position supports the use of a qualitative multiple case study design. Case studies enable the researcher to investigate self-efficacy development within real-world organisational settings while preserving the contextual richness necessary for explanatory analysis. Semi-structured interviews capture apprentices’ lived experiences, whereas organisational documents such as mentoring frameworks, supervision policies and training guidance provide evidence of the structural conditions influencing learning. The integration of multiple data sources facilitates triangulation and strengthens the credibility of the explanations generated.
Importantly, the methodology determines the choice of research methods rather than the reverse. Interviews and document analysis are selected because they are consistent with the critical realist aim of explaining how individual experiences are shaped by deeper organisational mechanisms. In this way, methodology provides the logical bridge between philosophical assumptions and practical research decisions, ensuring coherence throughout the research design.
Ultimately, adopting a critical realist methodology enables this study to address a significant gap in apprenticeship research by moving beyond measuring levels of self-efficacy to explaining the organisational and social mechanisms through which self-efficacy develops. This approach offers both theoretical insight into work-based learning and practical recommendations for improving mentoring, organisational support and apprenticeship practice within the UK health and social care sector.