Our Group Plan for a Mixed Methods Study

1. Our Group Plan for a Mixed Methods Study by John W. Creswell, Ph.D. and Vicki L. Plano Clark, M.S. University of Nebraska-Lincoln jcreswell1@unl.edu vpc@unlserve.unl.edu and Workshop Participants Andrews University, July, 2004

2. Title • Explaining how doctoral students learn research methods: A mixed methods investigation • Round Table participants ways of learning mixed methods • The learning process for mixed methods research • Mixed methods research: An approach to research discovery • Mixed methods approach to learning mixed methods research

3. Data Collection • Quantitative data: • Survey: knowledge (pre and post) • Behavior/Observational check list: facilitator & participants • Demographics • Qualitative data: • Essay/Journal documents • Focus group interviews • Videotape • Documents about leadership program

4. Reasons for mixing • * Follow up the quantitative results with an in-depth exploration with qualitative data

5. Skills, Time, and Resources • Skills • Quantitative: Statistical analysis; Design or locate a survey instrument; Stats software; Observation check list training; Knowing how to administer instruments; Confidentiality and permissions • Qualitative: Design questions for focus group; Managing logistics; Qualitative analysis; Interviewing skills; Recognizing personal bias • Time: ~3 weeks of data collection • Resources: Administrative resources; Equipment; Printing costs; Software

6. Audience(s) • Participants of program • Program faculty • Publication editors • Funding officers/Funding agencies

7. Overall Research Question • Quantitative • How did the workshop improve our knowledge and attitudes toward mixed methods research? • What was the effectiveness of the workshop for learning mixed methods? • Qualitative • How did you learn about mixed methods research? • What did you experience? • In what ways have you applied what you learned? • What did you find as useful during the workshop? • In what ways were you impacted?

8. Type of Mixed Methods Design • Mixed methods research is a design for collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or series of studies to understand a research problem (Creswell, 2004) • Design type: This study will use a Sequential Explanatory design • Reason for type: Follow up the quantitative results with an in-depth exploration with qualitative data. That is to explain the quantitative results.

9. Data Analysis • Quantitative analysis • Descriptive analysis (M, SD,…) • Correlational analysis; Relate variables; Regression models • Qualitative analysis • Transcribe • Code and look for themes (~5) and interrelate • Mixing

10. Sept 04 Oct 04 Nov 04 Dec 04-Jan 05 Mar 05

11. Purpose Statement: Sequential Explanatory Design The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study will be to obtain statistical, quantitative results from a sample representing the doctoral students in the leadership program at Andrews Univ. and then follow-up with a few individuals in the workshop to probe or explore their learning in more depth. In the first phase, quantitative research questions will address the relationship between the effect of the workshop on attitudes and knowledge of 40 participants in the mixed methods workshop. In the second phase, qualitative focus group interviews with three groups of 7 individuals will be used to further explore attitudes and knowledge.