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CONSIDERING RESEARCH METHODOLGY IN EDUCATION 2
The field of research methodology is constantly changing, and so too are the
views held towards the value, validity, and relevance of the diverse research methods,
time, many qualitative researchers and quantitative researchers did not see the
legitimacy in the other approach to doing research. However, members of both research
camps began to realize, on a deeper level, the value of the alternate approach (Mertler,
2016). From an educational standpoint, and when considering and assessing the value in
different methods of research with regards to education, one must take a step back and
knowledge rather than to realize one method or another [] research questions, not
method ought to drive education research (Ercikan & Roth, 2006). It is this
plan, assess, and execute their studies with their preferred method(s).
valuable in their own right. One is not inherently superior or inferior to the other. Both
approaches to research are scientific in particular ways, and each has its own strengths
and weaknesses. Since they each contribute important research findings that help us
that educational problems are best investigated using whatever method or methods are
most appropriate for the research situation. (Mertler, 2016). There are many variables
to be considered when one is faced with the task of deciding on the appropriate research
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Who are my participants? What kinds of information do I want to collect? What kinds of
information am I able to collect? How much time do I have to gather? How will I analyze my
data? are to be considered. Rather that focusing too much on the method itself, one must
Quantitative? we are encouraged to put the research question itself first, allowing that
to guide the decisions around choosing a research method. Ercikan and Roth focus on
the somewhat harmful and all too common polar distinction between qualitative vs.
quantitative research, suggesting that this view can be limiting for research and can
lead to inappropriate inferences based on findings. This article aims to inform us that
the question should drive the method selection, and the approach to research should be
integrative and chosen in such a way that best suits the research question(s). We are
encouraged to move beyond this polarization and see things through a different lens-
one that emphasizes unique research aims that are not necessarily meant to fit into
either category.
In contrast to Ercikan and Roths work, Denzin discusses the threats that exist
to validity and ethics more specifically while focusing on qualitative research in his
article, The elephant in the living room: or extending the conversation about the
politics of evidence. He uses the analogy of the elephant in the room to emphasize the
evidence-based model whose threats can no longer be ignored. And although Ercikan,
Roth and Denzin may be in agreement with certain aspects of addressing research
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fact, one could argue they disagree completely about the value of mixed method
research. While Denzin sees it a threat, Ercikan and Roth favour an integrated
approach. Denzin sees mixed method research as a threat to validity and claims that a
that the two paradigms are in contradiction (Denzin, 2009). Unlike Ercikan and Roth,
Denzin feels the need to look closely at qualitative measure to address the threat this
agreeing with Ercikan and Roth in terms of a more integrated approach to research,
particularly in seeing that value of mixed methods research and a strong emphasis in
letting the question guide the researcher. As an educational researcher, I would most
often favour a mixed method approach for a number of reasons. Of course, every method
will have certain limitations, however, []one of the distinct advantages of mixed-
methods research is that the strengths of one type of data and analysis can often be used
There are certain questions in education that rely on both methods in order to get a
certain trend or issue that exists in hope to implement or make changes to policy,
curriculum, assessment practices, etc. For example, one may examine the idea of
anonymous peer feedback and increased student achievement. After looking at existing
literature on this topic, and generating research questions, the researcher decides that
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using qualitative methods will be most beneficial. They then decide to study several
classes under the same instructor-some using anonymous peer feedback and others not,
to determine the benefits that anonymous peer feedback has on student achievement.
Through observations and having students participate in the same structured peer
feedback process, the researcher is able to gain insight and develop hypotheses for
further quantitative research. They may find that in fact there is in fact a positive impact
on student achievement when using anonymous peer feedback. From here, the research
decides to delve deeper into this research, as they realize their original sample size is
small and they wish to generate results from a larger sample population. Perhaps they
want to include other instructors within that educational institution and have a more
how incorporating quantitative research could potentially address the limitations of the
former method. The researcher may decide to conduct an online survey and/or face-to-
face interviews to all instructors that currently use or have used anonymous peer
feedback, and examine the perceived benefits on student achievement. In doing so, they
are able to gather information around attitudes and opinions from a much larger sample
population. This researcher has now employed a mixed method approach to best suit
their research needs and gather the most relevant and accurate data as possible.
study (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2009). Instead of including only one instructor and their
students, the researcher is able to expand their research and include many more
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nature. In this case, an instructors teaching style and delivery itself may have influence
on the impact of the peer feedback process, and the overall results; by incorporating
quantitative methods, one may address this bias. This is one example where a researcher
may decide that combining both methods is the best possible option in addressing their
In combining both qualitative and quantitative measures, not only can one offset
weaknesses of each, but they also have more options, flexibility, and a much more
tailored approach to addressing their research question. To some degree, one could
argue that almost all research is flawed, and as researchers it is our responsibly to do
our best to reduce these flaws; we must be aware of bias, self-fulfilling prophecies, as
well as skewed generalizations. With that said, using both methods has the potential to
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References
Denzin, N. K. (2009). The elephant in the living room: or extending the conversation about the
politics of evidence. Qualitative Research, 9(2) 139160.
Ercikan, K., & Roth, W-M. (2006). What good is polarizing research into qualitative and
quantitative? Educational Researcher, 35, 14-23.