mixed methods research

  the lesson.. is In module nine you are introduced to mixed methods research.  As some of you may know I am considered a mixed methods researcher, so I wanted to provide you with a foundational understanding of the methodology within this course.  Many people think that mixed methods research is simply designing a study that uses both quantitative and qualitative methods; however, this is an over simplification of a much more complex idea.  Historically, mixed methods research is a relatively young methodology.  [Side note: if you're confused about the difference between 'methodology' and 'method(s)', the primary difference is that methodology is a larger term that discusses the conceptual approach to a study whereas the methods are the specific and particular tools used to conduct that study.]  A review of peer-reviewed articles published in the last thirty years with the term 'mixed methods' indicates that the use of this methodology has grown expontially with over 4,000 peer reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2015!  The key idea here is to understand that mixed methods should be chosen when the research questions at hand are best answered by these methods.  True mixed methods research utilizes multiple types of data and variety of synthesized methods to explore data in different ways than either qualitative or quantitative methods can. In this module you will read three chapters from Cresswell and Plano Clark's (2010) text on mixed methods research.  These chapters will help you gain a foundational understanding of what mixed methods is, why it is chosen, and how it can be used.  In particular, chapter three will introduce you to some of the variety of mixed methods research designs prevalent in the field.  The discussion question for this module (DQ 8) will then allow you to put that understanding into practice by dreaming up your own mixed-methods design.   https://youtu.be/1OaNiTlpyX8  Question: Briefly design a mixed methods research study that might be used to evaluate student success. Make sure you descibe which mixed methods design you are selecting and provide a rationale for why that rationale is best for reseach topic or questions your are attempting to answer.    Â