Integrating Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches into an Inquiry Course Sequence

John L. Hoffman, Claire Cavallaro, & Eugene Fujimoto

June 4, 2014

Table 1 Summary NotesStill a lot of “traditional” dissertation structure

Still very typical research sequence

There remains a “divided” b/t qual/qual

Big questionso Where does the strudent go?o How do we predict what skill sets they will needo Are research skills necessary across positions?

Do opportunities exist in the job market for the “innovation” of the CPED program?

How do we backwards map from where our students go and the skills they need when they’re back to our course design/content?

Are the attitudes and dispositions toward inquiry embedded throughout?

Table 2 Summary NotesMethodology Courses:

Pittsburgh debate

Want qual / quant paradigm -Traditional Consuming research rather than generate research Action research

Need courses that are more directed toward what practitioners use

Experimenting with qual/quant intergraded

Don’t know how to ask questions based on reports from data

What is depth of content for quant/qualitative

Quant/qual slemed be merged – what is depth of _______

Am to make applicable to _______ _____ qual/quant Using data to identify real problem

Traditional vs. integrated quant/qual/

Knowledge, skills & dispositions (habit or mind aligned with inquiry)

Table 3 Summary NotesMethodology-related outcomes in order to be effective leaders in the field:1. Students be able to use research in support of advanced practice.

• analyze and use school based data to make decisions2. Identify what approach is most effective for questions and identify the limitations and strengths of

each approach3. Concern that we are trying to prepare them to be successful in their problem of practice paper as

opposed to being critical consumers. Not convinced that the level they are receiving that they could push back on real practice issues.

4. Need to identify what is the purpose of the methods course.5. Alignment with social justice needs more focus. How it plays out in a students paper.6. Equal representation of qualitative or quantitative7. Use student's questions to frame the course (concern if they are ready)8. Habit of the mind towards inquiry.

Prompt#2 The inquiry sequence model1. Like the blending of all three approaches in the courses because questions often lend themselves to

other/multiple methods.2. Year-long course (inquiry1 and inquiry 2) with both a qual and quant prof co-teaching followed by

third course focused on writing and publishing using research findings from work in inquiry 1 and 2. 3. Qualitative is objective; Quan is subjective can be good but do students get confused with multiple

approaches within a class. 4. Negative-blending cuts off ability to go deeper in each area. 5. Is mixed methods really a methodology--so many combinations. How do you pull it in in in two

weeks.6. Limitation is the kind of data and the questions to be asked--seems not robust and the data that

they want to use is not robust.

Prompt#3: Research support seminars are 2 credits and meet once a month. 1. Doctoral entry cohort seminar-all professors present their work and how they research them. 2. Writing seminars - students come together bi-monthly3. No cohorts-- people are taking things when they are available4. Formed a new core with prereqs that require students move through in a funnel manner.