This thesis centres on an analysis of the perceptions of lecturers and students on the place of research in the nursing curriculum. An investigation into the conceptions held by both teachers and students requires the research to be conducted from a ‘second order’ perspective. The way teachers think about teaching and the way students think about learning cannot be observed. A recently developed second-order qualitative approach known as phenomenography (Marton, 1981; 1986), which has been used extensively in research, has been adapted for this study. The samples consisted of mental health nursing students from three higher education institutions in Scotland. The lecturer samples were from the same institutions and were selected on the basis of their involvement in delivering the research aspects of the curriculum. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The qualitative data package - NUD-IST was used to assist management of the data during analysis. It became clear through this project that there needs to be more evidence-based support for the rhetoric on evidence-based nursing, and its place in teaching and learning. The thesis has provided a basis for developing research in nursing education in this direction by describing a fully developed methodology especially suitable for this research purpose. In addition, it has offered a conceptual framework that provides a stronger theoretical underpinning for nurse education, derived directly from the experiences of students, as well as staff, in nurse education. In so doing, it also contributes to the wider research into student learning which is currently paying more attention than in the past to teaching and learning within the differing subject areas.