Using Multiple Correspondence Analysis to Understand College Transition: A Mixed-Methods Study With Crossover Analysis

• In Event: Advanced Applications of Mixed-Methods Research: Instrument Development and Crossover Analysis Strategies

Abstract

Mixed methods research provides an opportunity to investigate complex educational phenomena. However, there is a need for examples of how integration – a defining characteristic of mixed methods research – can be executed when using different data types. Illustrated through a study of the transition to college for students with disabilities, the steps of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) as an approach to data integration are delineated. Within the context of a mixed methods convergent design that included both survey and qualitative interview data, MCA advanced study findings that considered both confirming and disconfirming outcomes from the respective analytic approaches. Implications for research design and the expansion of mixed methods research, as well as the study of college transition, are discussed.

Authors

• Elisabeth Kutscher, The George Washington University

• Lionel Howard, The George Washington University