4.4 Research design
4.4.2 Reason for choosing mixed methods
The purpose of using mixed methods is that the use of a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches may offer a better understanding of complex phenomena and research problems than either approach alone (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007). Mixed methods are used to offer a more complete understanding of teachers’ beliefs in OPD than either the quantitative or the qualitative method alone. Thus, teachers’ beliefs are viewed from multiple perspectives. The mixed-methods approach enables the use of both the qualitative and quantitative approach. The rapid evolution of technology makes it an integral part of the individual’s life, but existing theories and findings do not explain the phenomenon sufficiently (Venkatesh, Brown, & Bala, 2013). Therefore, mixed methods can provide strategies to help researchers to explore and understand the phenomenon and as a result, contribute to theory. This approach is suitable because it allows the preliminary qualitative exploration of the research phenomenon in a small sample to get greater insight into the research situation, collecting information for developing a measuring instrument and analysing the research topic through two complementary methods rather than competing methods (Bergman, 2008; Creswell & Plano Clack, 2011; Flick, 2008). The aims of the researcher are to reach the situation where “blending qualitative and quantitative methods of research can produce a final product which can highlight the significant contributions of both” (Nau, 1995, p. 1), where “qualitative data can support and explicate the meaning of quantitative research” (Jayaratne, 1993, p. 117). This assumption makes sure that the researcher takes full advantage of the strengths of a mixed-methods approach through the final outcome as the qualitative approach is best at making sense of participants’ points of view through what is called storytelling. Mixed-methods research has the capacity to solve exploratory research questions (Teddlie & Tashakkori 2003; 2009).
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Thus, for exploring the beliefs of secondary school teachers about online professional development which involves cognitive and behavioural attitudes, to analyse participants’
points of view, a qualitative approach is suitable to explore these facets. Using a qualitative approach allows the researcher to develop theories that may emerge. It assists the researcher to unfold the phenomenon in more detail so that an overall picture of the phenomenon being studied can be constructed. However, it is difficult to predict the impact of the generalisability of themes. For instance, new insights and modes of analysis can be reached by mixing research methods (Kaplan & Duchon, 1988; Orlikowski & Baroudi, 1991).
Many researchers (Attewell & Rule, 1991; Cavaye, 1996; Gable, 1994; Kraemer &
Dutton, 1991; Orlikowski & Baroudi, 1991; Wynekoop, 1992) have put forward several reasons for applying mixed methods. Primarily, it allows the construction of a broad, rich picture about a phenomenon better than each method would be capable to do on its own.
Secondly, as the findings can be supported through cross-validation attained as soon as diverse categories and data sources converge and are found congruent, the strength of the results increases. Thirdly, it also helps to clarify reasons why diverging results were obtained.
Fourthly, researchers can take advantage of the strengths of each while minimising the flaw built into single strategies; thereby finally, increasing the validity of the research findings.
Additionally, researchers such as Denzin and Lincoln (1994) among others feel that researchers could mix elements of quantitative and qualitative paradigms at their ease or to adapt preferred parts from each the way they want to (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994; Lincoln &
Guba 1985; Guba, 1990). Gable (1994) supplies two major reasons for adding quantitative survey data with qualitative case study data, firstly to create a richer context while bringing more value to the building models; and secondly to ameliorate the internal validity and interpretation of quantitative results. The main strength of a survey which contains the characteristics of generalisability or external validity can be combined with the major strength of case studies that is its complicatedness and discoverability. This can result in producing a better piece of research (Gable, 1994). In the same way, Denzin (1989) contends that the drawbacks of one method are frequently the strength of the other one; but the researcher can overcome flaws by combining the methods.
Using online technology is more about the ways it can be best put to use, how to manage it, what its effects are on the individuals and the school in the context of online PD
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for teachers and the society. Online PD is both a social and a technical process. As social phenomena are complex to study, using different perspectives permits a phenomenon to be explored from diverse perspectives (Banville & Landry, 1992). Therefore, using various angles and method is laudable and valid to explore online professional development as it is part of information systems which are a pluralistic field by nature (Banville & Landry, 1992).
It also allows the application of different paradigms in a research.
As the purpose of the study was descriptive as well as exploratory, the choice of mixed methods was obvious, as Robson (1993) has suggested that survey is most appropriate for descriptive research, and exploratory is most suitable for a case study. The qualitative method has been used in exploratory research to provide a deep understanding of the phenomenon (Punch, 1998; Walsham 2006), whereas the quantitative method in confirmatory research is to test theories (Venkatesh, Brown, & Bala, 2013). The mixed- methods approach can address both confirmatory and exploratory research questions at the same time (Teddlie & Tashakkori 2003, 2009). Individual voices obtained through the qualitative phase can be generalised using the quantitative data (Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2003).
This research approach offers both contradictory and complementary findings that lead to a re-examination of the conceptual framework and the assumptions. It might be suitable to use mixed-methods design to address research problems in four instances, namely (a) Triangulation Design – when both qualitative and quantitative methodology are needed; (b) Embedded Design – when a second source of data is needed to enrich the study; (c) Explanatory Design – when the quantitative results needs to be explained, and (d) Exploratory Design – when the researcher first needs to explore the context qualitatively (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007).
The emphasis of this part is not for claiming that mixed methods is the sole suitable research approach for this research. Instead, it highlights the ability of the approach to enable the understanding of the complexity linked to the beliefs of secondary school teachers about online professional development. The researcher agrees that a mixed-methods approach is more appropriate in dealing with online technological issues. So, instead of competitors, qualitative and quantitative approaches must be regarded as complements. Moreover, both exploratory (qualitative) and descriptive (quantitative) method would be used in this study.
This study uses the exploratory design as described in the next section.
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The potential use for selecting the mixed-method approach for this study is based on Creswell’s (2003) and Creswell and Zhang‘s (2009) argument, which is as follows:
a) The second quantitatively phase of the design will be used to confirm the qualitatively driven first phase conducted;
b) To allow flexibility in its application, the mixed methods may or may not be implemented within a given theoretical perspective;
c) Starting with the focus group and then uses analysed information to develop a survey instrument, enables the researcher to explore how individuals describe a phenomenon;
d) The interpretation of the qualitative findings were assisted by using the quantitative data and results obtained; and
e) The approach being in two phases renders it simple to apply and straightforward to describe and report.