Research Methods for Education
SAGE Journal Articles
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Journal Article 1: McKim, C. A. (2015). The value of mixed methods research: A mixed methods study. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 11, 202–222.
Abstract: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to examine the perceived value of mixed methods research for graduate students. The quantitative phase was an experiment examining the effect of a passage’s methodology on students’ perceived value. Results indicated students scored the mixed methods passage as more valuable than those who scored the quantitative or qualitative passage. The qualitative phase involved focus groups to better understand students’ perceptions of the perceived value of mixed methods. Findings suggested graduate students view mixed methods passages as having rigorous methods, a newer history, and providing a deeper meaning of the phenomenon. This study adds to the literature base by revealing what value graduate students assign to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research.
Journal Article 2: Teemant, A. (2013). A mixed-methods investigation of instructional coaching for teachers of diverse learners. Urban Education, 49, 574–604.
Abstract: This longitudinal mixed-methods study investigates the efficacy and sustainability of instructional coaching outcomes among urban elementary teachers (N = 36) using focus group and quantitative pre-, post-, and 1 year-after intervention data. Coached teachers participated in a 30-hr workshop and then seven cycles of coaching (15 hr) targeting use of five research-based principles of learning—the Standards for Effective Pedagogy—for teaching diverse students. Findings demonstrate instructional coaching led to statistically significant (a) pedagogical transformation and (b) patterns of sustainability and attrition. Implications for theory, practice, and research are derived by interpreting quantitative and qualitative findings together.