Reviewing Mixed Methods Approaches Using Social Network Analysis for Learning and Education

Abstract

Across the globe researchers are using social network analysis (SNA) to better understand the visible and invisible relations between people. While substantial progress has been made in the last 20 years in terms of quantitative modelling and processing techniques of SNA, there is an increased call for SNA researchers to embrace and mix methods developed in qualitative research to understand the what, how, and why questions of social network relations. In this chapter, we will reflect on our experiences with our latest edited book called "Mixed Methods Approaches to Social Network Analysis for Learning and Education", which contained contributions from 20+ authors. We will first review the empirical literature of Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis (MMSNA) by conducting a systematic literature review. Secondly, by using two case-studies from our own practice we will critically reflect on how we have used MMSNA approaches. Finally, we will discuss the potential limitations of MMSNA approaches, in particular given the complexities of mastering two ontologically different methods.

Cohort-Based Education and Other Factors Related to Student Peer Relationships: A Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis

“…Social network analysis (SNA) and, in particular, MMSNA, can be a valuable tool for understanding students' social integration related to their peer relationships within the university environment. SNA is an increasingly common method used in educational research and using MMSNA can illuminate the meaning of social relationships and interactions, the role of individual agency in social integration, and other nuances of the social environment by integrating qualitative methods into traditional quantitative SNA techniques [55].…”

Storytelling With Networks: Realizing the Explanatory Potential of Network Diagrams Through the Integration of Qualitative Data

“…Developing joint displays answers explicit calls within the Mixed Methods Research community for authentic methods to integrate qualitative and quantitative data when reporting research findings (Sandelowski, 2003;Morse and Niehaus, 2009;O'Cathain, 2009;Dahlberg et al, 2010). There is also growing interest within SNA to develop mixed methods approaches (Bellotti, 2014;Domínguez and Hollstein, 2014;Crossley and Edwards, 2016;Froehlich et al, 2019Froehlich et al, , 2020. Narrated Network Diagrams will help Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis (MMSNA) researchers display diverse evidential records of social phenomena when reporting findings.…”

Personality-Sensitive Pedagogies: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Small Group Interactions Among 9-10 Year Olds

“…Social Network Analysis (SNA) is an approach to investigating relations and social structures through the use of networks (Froehlich et al, 2020). Reviewing and coding the eight video-recorded episodes, we used detailed dynamic social network analysis (SNA) protocols and a novel degree-centrality measure (indicating level of influence of the individuals in the group) to analyse the frequency and type of pupil interactions.…”

“…); pro-social (giving compliments, resolving or averting arguments, praising an idea); anti-social (arguing, sowing dissention in the group); task knowledge (indicating an understanding of the nature and requirements of the task); subject knowledge (bringing prior knowledge to bear on the task), dominance (gaining authority, asserting an opinion, taking control of resources); subordination (acquiescing in an argument, relinquishing resources) and miscellaneous. Froehlich et al (2020) note that both quantitative and qualitative SNA have their limitations. The detailed quantitative analysis revealed an overview of the structural properties of the network, but less of the content being exchanged or the fluctuations of the relationships.…”

“…In this study we identified children who self-reported low levels of extraversion and/or high levels of neuroticism (tendency to worry) as personality traits and then observed them working in small group collaborative learning situations. Using social network analysis (SNA) as a way of understanding the group interactions, we employed a novel measure of degree centrality (influence) and coupled this with a qualitative analysis of the nature of the group interactions, establishing a genuinely mixed methods social network analysis (Froehlich et al, 2020). Findings suggest that low levels of extraversion and/or high levels of neuroticism can be, but are not always associated with lower levels of participation and that a range of other factors, notably the personality traits of the other children, affect participation.…”