The Theories And Applications Of Mixed Methods Research

Mixed methods research refers to an approach which combines quantitative methods and qualitative methods in a single research project. The rapid development of mixed methods research benefited from the debate between quantitative methods and qualitative methods. Mixed methods research is seen as the third research approach that is different from quantitative research and qualitative research.As a research path, mixed methods research adapts to the need that the conception and methods of education science research call for constant update. At the same time, it also meets the requirement of the trend of interdisciplinary research development. Recently, mixed methods research has highlighted its important role in the education science research. In our current education research findings, there are some research cases used mixed methods research design strategies. However, few scholars work at the systematic research of mixed methods in the theory level. The dissertation aims to introduce this research approach and provide a new thought for the education researcher to choose the method. Meanwhile, it can help education researcher to use mixed methods more rationally, so as to describe and explain the research problem more totally and intensively.Mixed methods research is problem-centered, emphasizing research methods serve the research purpose. Pragmatism and eclecticism provide a theoretical basis for the mixed methods research. There are four main research types in the mixed methods designs, namely, sequential explanatory design, sequential exploratory design, concurrent triangulation design, concurrent embedded design. The different design types have different sampling strategies and data analysis methods. For the sampling strategies, what commonly used is basic sampling method, sequential sampling method, concurrent sampling method and multilevel sampling method. For data analysis methods, it mainly includes data reduction, data consolidation, data transformation, typology development, extreme case analysis and so on. On the basis of sampling and data analysis, there are three processing modes to interpret the mixed methods research results, namely, processing mode of convergence results, processing mode of complementary results, processing mode of diverse results. In the process of writing the paper, the author uses many specific examples to support to describe the problems mentioned in this dissertation.