Transcript How to Design a Mixed Methods Study

Our Group Plan for a Mixed Methods
Study
by John W. Creswell, Ph.D. and Vicki L. Plano Clark, M.S.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
[email protected]
[email protected]
and Workshop Participants
Andrews University, July, 2004
Title
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Explaining how doctoral students learn research methods: A
mixed methods investigation
Round Table participants ways of learning mixed methods
The learning process for mixed methods research
Mixed methods research: An approach to research discovery
Mixed methods approach to learning mixed methods research
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Data Collection
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Quantitative data:
 Survey: knowledge (pre and post)
 Behavior/Observational check list: facilitator & participants
 Demographics
Qualitative data:
 Essay/Journal documents
 Focus group interviews
 Videotape
 Documents about leadership program
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Reasons for mixing
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* Follow up the quantitative results with an in-depth exploration
with qualitative data
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Skills, Time, and Resources
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Skills
 Quantitative: Statistical analysis; Design or locate a survey
instrument; Stats software; Observation check list training;
Knowing how to administer instruments; Confidentiality and
permissions
 Qualitative: Design questions for focus group; Managing
logistics; Qualitative analysis; Interviewing skills;
Recognizing personal bias
Time: ~3 weeks of data collection
Resources: Administrative resources; Equipment; Printing costs;
Software
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Audience(s)
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Participants of program
Program faculty
Publication editors
Funding officers/Funding agencies
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Overall Research Question
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Quantitative
 How did the workshop improve our knowledge and attitudes
toward mixed methods research?
 What was the effectiveness of the workshop for learning
mixed methods?
Qualitative
 How did you learn about mixed methods research?
 What did you experience?
 In what ways have you applied what you learned?
 What did you find as useful during the workshop?
 In what ways were you impacted?
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Type of Mixed Methods Design
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Mixed methods research is a design for collecting, analyzing,
and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single
study or series of studies to understand a research problem
(Creswell, 2004)
Design type: This study will use a Sequential Explanatory design
Reason for type: Follow up the quantitative results with an indepth exploration with qualitative data. That is to explain the
quantitative results.
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Data Analysis
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Quantitative analysis
 Descriptive analysis (M, SD,…)
 Correlational analysis; Relate variables; Regression models
Qualitative analysis
 Transcribe
 Code and look for themes (~5) and interrelate
Mixing
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Sept 04
QUAN
data
coll ection
Procedur es:
•Survey
•Observations
•Demographic
s
Products:
• Numeric
data base
Oct 04
QUAN
Data
ana lysis
Procedures:
• Descriptive
stats
• Hypothesis
testing
• Regression
model
Products:
• Test result s
• Tables wit h
stats output
Nov 04
Dec 04-Jan 05
Mar 05
Selecting
individuals
for focus grps
qua l
data
coll ection
qua l
data
ana lysis
Combined
results
Procedures:
• Selection
based on
QUAN results
such as
different time,
racial groups,
statistically
significant
questions
Procedur es:
• Design
interview
protocol
• Focus
groups
• Essays
• Videotape
Procedur es:
• Transcribe
• Code and
themes
Procedur es:
•Quantitative
results
• Qualit ative
finding s
Products:
Identification
of
participants
Products:
• Qualit ative
data base
Products:
• Qualit ative
portrait
(themes/
individua l
expe rienc es)
Products:
• Discussion
section
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Sequen tial Exp lana tory Mixed Methods Design
Purpose Statement: Sequential
Explanatory Design
The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study will be
to obtain statistical, quantitative results from a sample representing the
doctoral students in the leadership program at Andrews Univ. and then
follow-up with a few individuals in the workshop to probe or explore their
learning in more depth. In the first phase, quantitative research questions
will address the relationship between the effect of the workshop on
attitudes and knowledge of 40 participants in the mixed methods
workshop. In the second phase, qualitative focus group interviews with
three groups of 7 individuals will be used to further explore attitudes and
knowledge.
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