MIXED-METHODS

RESEARCH DESIGN

Dr. FADZILAH AMZAH

fadzilahamzah@usm.my

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A Quick Quantitative research Qualitative research
Review Deductive approach  Inductive approach
Objective reality  Participant’s
perspectives
Causal relationships
 Describing and
Identify and test understanding
hypotheses relationships
Random selection of  Emerging questions
participants  Purposive sampling

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 1. The 2W(what & why) and Goal of Mixed-
Methods Research Design

2. 2 Dimension in Mixed-Methods

Learning 3. 3 Approaches of MMRD

Outcomes;
4. Methodological issues to consider

5. Challenges in MMRD

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 What is MMRD

Combines QL & QTT research designs by including

both quantitative & qualitative research data in a
single study.
The purpose of MMRD is to understand a
phenomenan more fully that is possible using
either QL or QTT alone.
A pragmatic choice to address research problems
through multiple methods with the goal of
increasing the breadth, depth, and consistency of
research findings
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 While quantitative methods can reveal
empirical evidence showing causal or
correlative relationships or the effects of
interventional studies, qualitative methods
provide contextual information that colours
the experiences of individual learners.
MMR research is to use qualitative work to
follow up/elaborate on quantitative findings
or to validate findings in multiple ways.

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 What do you want to know?

Five Key What will be the detailed quantitative, qualitative, and

mixed methods research questions that you hope to

Questions for address?

Getting What quantitative and qualitative data will you collect

and analyze?

Started
Which rigorous methods will you use to collect data
and/or engage stakeholders?

How will you integrate the data in a way that allows

you to address the first question?

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 WHY mixed methods ???
• By assessing both outcomes of a study (i.e.,
quantitative) as well as the process (i.e., qualitative),
we can develop “a complex” picture of social
phenomenon (Greene & Caracelli, 1997, p. 7)
* explaining the What & Why & How
• (When one type of research (qualitative or
quantitative) is not enough to address the research
problem or answer the research questions.)

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Rationale for Using Mixed Methods

1 2 3 4 5
Obtain different, Build Explain statistical Have better Track the process
multiple comprehensive results in more contextualized of program or
perspectives: understanding depth measures intervention
validation

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 WHY MMRD
• Teaching and learning (T&L)occur in social environments with specific
cultural contexts, personal value systems, and classroom dynamics
that colour how students learn and teachers teach (T&L process).
• In such environments, understanding the educational processes (T&L)
in which teachers and students engage becomes crucial to
understanding how students learn.
• MMR is particularly appropriate for educational research, because it
(i) contextualizes quantitative differences observed in ER studies, (ii)
capturing the contextual, sociocultural norms and the experiential
factors that characterize undergraduate biology classrooms.

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 Goal of MMRD
• The goal of mixed methods is NOT, however, to
replace either the quantitative or the qualitative
approaches.
• Rather, the goal of mixed methods is to build on the
strengths of both methods and minimize their
weaknesses when the research merits using more
than one method (Creswell et al., 2003; Johnson and
Onwueg- buzie, 2004).
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 2 major dimensions:

2 1. Time order
Dimensions (Concurrent versus Sequential)
of MMRD 2. Paradigm emphasis
(Equal status versus Dominant status).

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 1. Sequential
Explanatory Design
Basic (3)
Mixed 2. Sequential
Methods Exploratory Design
Designs
3. Concurrent Design

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 1. Sequential Explanatory Design

 Characterized by two
distinct phases: an initial
phase of quantitative
data collection and
analysis followed by a
second qualitative data-
collection and analysis
phase.
 Findings from both
phases are integrated
during the data-
interpretation stage.
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Cont..

• The general aim of this approach is to further explain

the phenomenon under study qualitatively or to
explore the findings of the quantitative
• Study in more depth (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 2010).
• “In what ways do the qualitative findings explain the
quantitative results?”

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Cont..

• “In what ways do the qualitative findings explain the

quantitative results?” (Creswell et al., 2003).
• Often, the initial quantitative phase has greater
priority over the second, qualitative phase.
• At the interpretation stage, the results of the
qualitative data often provide a better understanding
of the research problem than simply using the
quantitative study alone.

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 2. Sequential Exploratory Design
Characterized by two
distinct phases: an initial
qualitative phase followed
by a second phase of
quantitative data
collection and analysis.
Findings from both
phases in this design are
integrated during the
data-interpretation stage.

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 Research Questions

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3. Concurrent Triangulation Design

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 B. Concurrent
Triangulation Design
• In the concurrent design, both qualitative and
quantitative data are collected in a single phase.
• The general aim of this approach is to better
understand or obtain more developed
understanding of the phenomenon under study,
the data can be collected from the same
participants or similar target populations.
• The goal is to obtain different but complementary
data that validate the overall results.

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 Guidelines to select a specific MMRD

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Methodological issues to consider

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 1. Researcher should possess all the
knowledge & skills needed to master
the full range of QLL & QTT research
POTENTIAL techniques
2. Researcher must have the
CHALLENG considerable time & resources
ES IN MMD 3. A high level skill is required to analyze
QTT & QL data sources concurrently or
in sequence and to find both
intersection and disperencies.

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 Writing about MMRD

When reporting mixed-methods study, the writing must

• communicate the intent of the study (e.g., “this mixed-methods study
examined ...”);
• specify which design was used (e.g., “we used sequential exploratory design
to...”);
• describe how both data forms were collected (e.g., “through structured
interviews, we addressed the question of ... partic- ipants were also
surveyed ...”);
• provide the rationale for why both quantitative and qualita-tive data sets were
collected (e.g., “the qualitative study addressed [i.e., the research question];
the quantitative study addressed [i.e., the research question]...”); and
• describe how validity and reliability (or “trustworthiness”) were established in
the chosen design.
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 Reference

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 Thank you !!!!

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