The purpose of this study is to clarify that van Manen's (Max van Manen, 1942- ) hermeneutic phenomenological methodology has been developed as a “science of examples” through “doing phenomenology.” By reviewing his research development, it is possible to understand his phenomenological work and the perspective of "science" that van Manen attempts to provide us with the basis of phenomenological educational research methodology. And then, it is also possible to understand how the implications for a phenomenological educational approach to the work in education.