Applying Mixed Method Research Design to a Research Scenario
Creswell and Creswell (2018) describe, in Chapter 10, three basic types of mixed methods designs: convergent, explanatory sequential, and exploratory sequential. Pay particular attention to pages 217–218, 221–222, and 224. Creswell and Creswell also discuss factors important in choosing a design (pages 236–239), including a recommended design based on the study’s objectives and expected outcomes (see Table 10.3 on page 237, particularly the rows related to the three basic types).
The challenge, this week, is to understand how you might use a mixed method design to merge both the quantitative and qualitative research scenarios you’ve been developing the past 4 weeks.
The following quantitative research problem was presented in the Week 1 Introduction:
The scholarly community does not know the extent to which critical thinking skills differ between graduating seniors from a high school at which the curriculum was problem-based compared to a high school with lecture-based curriculum.
An explanatory quantitative-qualitative sequential mixed methods design might add the following qualitative research problem to help “explain” the results of the quantitative portion of the study, regardless of whether there was a difference in critical thinking skills:
The scholarly community does not know the classroom experiences of graduating high school seniors in problem-based versus lecture-based curricula that might explain differences, or not, in critical thinking skills.
Similarly, the following qualitative research problem was presented in the Week 1 Introduction:
The scholarly community does not know what classroom experiences contribute to students’ critical thinking skills or the developmental range of experiences across elementary grade levels.
An exploratory qualitative-quantitative sequential mixed methods design might add the following quantitative research problem to “explore” whether the results of the qualitative portion of the study (the coded list of classroom experiences and developmental range of experiences that contribute to critical thinking skills) are equally prevalent in public and private elementary schools:
The scholarly community does not know the extent to which public and private elementary schools differ in the use of classroom experiences and the developmental range of experiences that contribute to critical thinking skills.
In this Discussion, you will identify a mixed methods research design you could use to accomplish your quantitative and qualitative research objectives from the previous Discussions.
To Prepare
Read this week’s Learning Resources on mixed methods designs. Think about how each design sequences and combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to achieve research objectives.
Review your Week 1 through Week 4 Discussions on a quantitative and qualitative research problem, purpose, research question, and theoretical/conceptual framework.
Identify a mixed methods design that would accomplish your quantitative and qualitative research objectives.
Alignment of scenario elements is important. See the Examples of Aligned and Misaligned Scenarios document, which can be downloaded from the Week 5
Learning Resources area of the classroom.
Discussion posts are pass/fail but have minimum criteria to pass. See the Discussion Rubric to ensure you understand the pass/fail criteria.
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