Extending understandings

Abstract

Mixed methods research is increasingly popular both within and beyond education because of the advantages offered by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Some mixed methods research, however, does not fully harness the potential or depth that mixed methods has to offer. In this article, I consider some of this potential in terms of how mixed methods research can contribute to addressing “wicked problems,” theory generation, and culturally responsive research. I then discuss two important considerations for quality mixed methods research: appropriate paradigmatic foundations and the genuine integration of qualitative and quantitative components. The article is intended to provide both provocations and resources for those learning about, teaching about, considering, using, or contributing to mixed methods research in education.

Reinvigorating the Village Health Teams in Mitooma District, Uganda: Current Effectiveness, Associated Factors, and Challenges

“…A mixed-methods approach was chosen because of its ability to handle complex issues pertaining to VHT participation [25,26] combining quantitative and qualitative data in a way that permits research issues to be adequately addressed. Additionally offered were a logical framework, methodological adaptability, and an in-depth understanding of small examples [26,27]. A complete and in-depth response to the research questions was made possible by the use of a mixed-methods study design [28] and helped to extend the implications of the study's ndings to the broader population.…”

“…Convergent designs with pragmatism as the theoretical premise are a popular and useful approach in mixed methods research [25]. The study was able to reach triangulated results by combining qualitative and quantitative approaches since the different categories of data were examined independently utilizing quantitative and qualitative analytical procedures, respectively [25,26,27,28]. By combining the two sets of data into a convergent design, it was easier to validate one set of ndings with the other and to get a complete view of the issue under investigation [25,26,27,28].…”