The Use of Mixed Methods and Critical Race Theory in Education Research: A Methodological Review

• In Event: Roundtable Session 101
  In Roundtable Session: Theoretical and Critical Mixed-Methods Conceptions

Abstract

While mixed methods approaches based on the transformative-emancipatory paradigm have been widely discussed in the methodological discourse, how researchers design and implement mixed methods studies informed by critical theoretical frameworks remains underexplored. This paper presents a review of 22 empirical, mixed methods studies that examined educational issues through a critical race theoretical lens. The review links methodological discourses with researchers’ practical application of mixed methods and provides examples of studies that highlight the transformative potential of mixed methods research. The paper offers recommendations, based on exemplary studies, for implementing theoretically and methodologically sound educational research using mixed methods and critical race theory. The paper’s intended audience includes mixed method researchers and educational researchers who employ critical theoretical frameworks.

Authors

• Theresa R.F. McKinney, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Vicki L. Plano Clark, University of Cincinnati