scholarly journals Learning by Doing: Student Experiences in a Mixed Methods Research Course

10.28945/4683 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 031-046
Author(s):  
Katherine Myers-Coffman ◽  
Maliha Ibrahim ◽  
Karolina Bryl ◽  
Janelle S Junkin ◽  
Joke Bradt
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Data Integration ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Applied Learning ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Class Project ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Doctoral Candidates

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to detail the experiential learning processes of an 11-week doctoral-level intermediate mixed methods research (MMR) course in which student-researchers conceptualized and implemented an MMR study to apply theoretical and methodological learning in a practical manner. Our aim is to emphasize the value of an applied MMR course for improved student learning and curriculum planning for faculty by highlighting meaningful insights on study design, data integration, team collaboration, and the challenges and opportunities involved in project execution within a time-limited academic course. Background: MMR courses are increasingly being integrated into graduate programs, yet few offer intermediate or advanced courses that go beyond introductory topics and engage students in applied learning. Furthermore, most articles on MMR courses are written from the instructor perspective and not from the student perspective. Methodology: This article is organized by each week of the course curriculum, and the output of the research project, couched within reflections of the applied process, is presented. While this paper is grounded in an experiential reflection of learning, the research project itself is referred to frequently to help elucidate and capture this learning in a systematic way. The applied study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to examine career satisfaction and career preference changes over time in doctoral candidates and graduates. Contribution: This paper contributes to higher education by providing a student-led exemplar of applied learning in MMR pedagogy for doctoral students irrespective of discipline and research topic. It provides a sample research project, executed start to finish with a guiding blueprint that can be adapted by faculty and students in various academic departments, within a quarter or semester long course. Findings: Ultimately, this course led to increased confidence and preparation to conduct interdisciplinary mixed methods research. Unique to mixed methods research, the areas in which we witnessed the most growth included developing mixed methods research questions, choosing a design based on these questions, and engaging in data integration. Recommendations for Practitioners: We provide the following recommendations to instructors interested in developing intermediate- or advanced-level MMR courses: a) obtain input from students on what they are most interested in learning during course conceptualization or early on in implementation; b) consider that a great deal of time outside of the classroom may need to be dedicated to the class project, which may impact the feasibility and successful execution of an experiential course; and c) sufficient class time is dedicated to data integration from quantitative and qualitative inputs. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers interested in further examining learning and proficiency garnered from MMR and other research courses may benefit from including students as co-researchers. In addition, engaging in systematic qualitative research on student and professor experiences in learning and teaching MMR courses could highlight further areas for course refinement and topics for future research. Impact on Society: Given the increasing prevalence of MMR being included in research funding announcements as a preferred methodology, it is imperative to rigorously train researchers in mixed methods research at varying levels of advancement (i.e., introductory, intermediate, and advanced). Future Research: Our small explanatory sequential mixed methods study began as a class project, yet highlighted areas that could be studied further for doctoral candidates and graduates in clinically oriented fields, such as learning what types or qualities of training and mentorship may yield more career preparedness and satisfaction.

scholarly journals The Role of Qualitative Research in Clinical Trial Development: The EASE Back Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Bartlam ◽  
Jacqueline Waterfield ◽  
Annette Bishop ◽  
Melanie A. Holden ◽  
Panos Barlas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Pilot Rct

This article outlines the rationale for adopting a mixed methods approach within randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and explores challenges associated in doing so. Taking the example of the EASE Back feasibility and pilot study ( Evaluating Acupuncture and Standard care for pregnant wom En with BACK pain: ISRCTN49955124), we detail why and how we operationalized a concurrent-sequential mixed methods research design. We present key findings from the exploratory research (focus groups and interviews) and explain how these were integrated with descriptive findings (a national survey of physical therapists) in order to inform and refine the design of the explanatory phase (the pilot RCT). We conclude with a discussion of lessons learned and implications for future research design and conduct.

A Generative Sequential Mixed Methods Approach Using Quantitative Measures to Enhance Social Constructionist Inquiry

2021 ◽  
pp. 155868982098627
Author(s):  
Diego Romaioli
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods

In order to enhance core mixed methods research designs, social scientists need an approach that incorporates developments in the social constructionist perspective. This work describes a study that aimed to promote occupational well-being in hospital departments where employees are at risk of burnout, based on a constructionist inquiry developed starting from the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Taking this study as an example, we define a “generative sequential mixed methods approach” as a process that involves consulting quantitative studies to identify criticalities on which to conduct focused, transformative investigations. The article contributes by envisaging ways to mix qualitative and quantitative methods that consider a “generative” and “future-forming” orientation to research, in line with recent shifts in social psychology.

Developing the Methodology for an Applied, Interdisciplinary Research Project: Documenting the Journey Toward Philosophical Clarity

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 450-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loene M. Howes
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research Project ◽  
Logic Of Inquiry ◽  
Methodological Refinement

Methodologists have urged researchers who use mixed methods to justify their methodological choices and provide greater clarity about the philosophical underpinnings and implications of their approaches. This article outlines the reasoning process undertaken in an endeavor to develop philosophical clarity for an applied, interdisciplinary, mixed methods research project about the communication of scientific evidence in the legal system. I used Greene’s domains of methodology for social inquiry as a framework for addressing reflexive questions about assumptions. Flowing from the domains of values and philosophies, the logic of inquiry was developed before the implications for the integration of findings and reporting of research were outlined. Early engagement in reflexive questioning provided a foundation for methodological refinement throughout the ongoing research journey.

Creating and Implementing a Mixed Method Research Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 604-613
Author(s):  
Mette L. Baran ◽  
Janice E. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Core Characteristics

This chapter serves as a guideline for outlining the core characteristics of mixed methods research (MMR) and the various steps researchers undertake in order to conduct a research study. The purpose is to create a worksheet assisting the researcher step by step from beginning to end following the seven steps to conducting research. While the focus is on MMR the steps are similar for any type of research methodology. It is important to note that MMR is not a limiting form of research. Researchers need a MMR question and a mixed methods purpose statement for the research project. This chapter will also help explain why mixed method research is one of the best approaches in answering a research question. Finally, the chapter includes a suggestion to the importance of adding a visual diagram of the MMR into the research project and into the final report.

Creating and Implementing a Mixed Method Research Study

2016 ◽  
pp. 293-302
Author(s):  
Mette L. Baran ◽  
Janice E. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Core Characteristics

This chapter serves as a guideline for outlining the core characteristics of mixed methods research (MMR) and the various steps researchers undertake in order to conduct a research study. The purpose is to create a worksheet assisting the researcher step by step from beginning to end following the seven steps to conducting research. While the focus is on MMR the steps are similar for any type of research methodology. It is important to note that MMR is not a limiting form of research. Researchers need a MMR question and a mixed methods purpose statement for the research project. This chapter will also help explain why mixed method research is one of the best approaches in answering a research question. Finally, the chapter includes a suggestion to the importance of adding a visual diagram of the MMR into the research project and into the final report.

Consumer Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Mobile Marketing

2011 ◽  
pp. 357-368
Author(s):  
Amy Carroll ◽  
Stuart J. Barnes ◽  
Eusebio Scornavacca
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Consumer Perceptions ◽  
Consumer Acceptance ◽  
Mobile Marketing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Wireless Service

Mobile marketing is an area of m-commerce expected to experience tremendous growth in the next 5 years. This chapter explores consumers’ perceptions and attitudes towards mobile marketing via SMS through a sequential, mixed-methods investigation. Four factors were identified and proven as all having a significant impact on mobile marketing acceptance—permission, content, wireless service provider (WSP) control, and the delivery of the message, which guided the development of a revised and empirically tested model of m-marketing consumer acceptance. The findings also suggest that marketers should be optimistic about choosing to deploy mobile marketing, but exercise caution around the factors that will determine consumer acceptance. The chapter concludes with a discussion about directions for future research.

Mixed Methods Research in Knowledge Management Studies (2009–2014): A Content Analysis of Journal Articles

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (03) ◽  
pp. 2050016
Author(s):  
Patrick Ngulube
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Complex Design

The purpose of this article is to investigate the adoption and utilisation of mixed methods research (MMR) in an emerging field, such as knowledge management (KM). Methodologies used by researchers have a bearing on the reliability and validity of the knowledge they produce. There is need to explore the prevalence in use of various methodologies over time. Such studies provide researchers time to reflect on their research practices. It is important to reflect on how researchers are adopting and utilising MMR approaches and what can be done to improve methodological approaches in research. A qualitative content analysis of articles from five leading KM-centric journals published between 2009 and 2014 was conducted for the research purpose. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the utilisation of MMR in KM and provide guidance for those seeking to learn about and apply MMR approaches in research in context. Only 1.1% of the studies were classified as representing some form of MMR. Of the eight articles that were sampled, five of them did not explicitly identify themselves as MMR studies. Two of the articles did not give reasons for combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. None of the studies that were examined identified the MMR approach that was employed. Four of the MMR studies were exploratory, three were explanatory and one was convergent. All the articles were partially mixed studies. Few researchers indicated how they prioritised qualitative and quantitative strands. A handful of sampled studies used MMR and employed basic design typologies in contrast to complex typologies. It is recommended that KM research should embrace MMR and use complex design typologies in order to enhance their understanding of the complex problems that KM scholars encounter. Methodological pluralism has the potential of contributing to the growth in knowledge and development of many perspectives in the field: an appreciation of the advantages of using MMR and its potential to provide a holistic, innovative and robust perspective of research phenomena. The selection criteria in this study excluded other journals that cover KM research. Further research may uncover whether the prevalence rates reported in this study are consistent with those journals which were excluded in this study. Methodologies used by researchers for different kinds of research may be different. The research method employed in this study does not have the ability to establish that. Future studies may employ interviews and other data collection techniques in order to triangulate methods to determine why MMR was not prevalent. The future research directions should consider the extent to which personal, interpersonal and social contexts influence researchers to use MMR.

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