Jennifer E. Symonds

Death of mixed methods? Or the rebirth of research as a craft

Abstract The classification by many scholars of numerical research processes as quantitative and other research techniques as qualitative has prompted the construction of a third category, that of ‘mixed methods’, to describe studies that use elements from both processes. Such labels might be helpful in structuring our understanding of phenomena. But they can also inhibit our activities when they serve as inaccurate or limiting descriptors. Based on the observation that mixed methods are fast becoming a common research approach in the social sciences, this paper questions whether the assumptions that are used and perpetuated by mixed methods are valid. The paper calls for a critical change in how we perceive research, in order to better describe actual research processes. A ‘core’ design typology of the mechanisms underlying research structures and processes is posited to encourage creative thinking around alternatives to the three purported paradigms of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. This ‘return to basics’ seeks to encourage new and innovative research designs to emerge, and suggests a rebirth of research from the ashes of mixed methods.

Emotional and Motivational Engagement at School Transition: A Qualitative Stage-Environment Fit Study.

Adolescents typically like school less after making age-graded school transitions. Stage-environment fit theory (Eccles & Midgley, 1989) attributes this to a mismatch between developmental needs and new school environments. Our in vivo study provides a basis for future quantitative designs by uncovering the most prevalent stage-environment interactions in adolescents’ descriptions about school. Across one school year, adolescents discussed their emotional and motivational engagement. Emotional engagement (i.e., liking) was mainly based on adolescents’ emotions interacting with their daily experiences of teachers, peers, and lessons. In comparison, motivational engagement (i.e., value) was attributed to distal interactions between the self-concept and school as a gateway to friendships and a career. Because unique stage-environment interactions occurred for each engagement type and adolescents felt simultaneously engaged and disengaged, we recommend finer grained analyses of measured engagement. Finally, we argue for discerning time periods of preparing for, encountering, and adapting to new environments in stage-environment fit models, in our proposed model of transition phase psychology.