A Primer about Mixed Methods Research in an Educational Context
Keywords:
mixed methods, visual methods, school playgroundsAbstract
Changes in the academic enterprise, including the growth of
large-scale team-based research, likely account for the growing presence
of projects that are framed to involve mixed methods. This
methodological essay provides a non-technical introduction to mixed
method approaches. It is directed toward an audience motivated
primarily by content area, rather than methodological, interests.
Different methodological constructs are illustrated by using a single
mixed methods study about promoting active play in school
playground. A distinction is made between mixed and multi-method
research, with the recommendation that the mixed method label is most
appropriate when there is the intent to communicate that the interface
between qualitative and quantitative strands is key to understanding the
way the research was executed and the conclusions that are drawn.
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Copyright (c) 2016 Elizabeth G. Creamer
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