Mixed-Methods Educational Research Review: Methods and Future Directions

• In Event: The Current State of Mixed-Methods Research: A Systematic Review and Panel Discussion

Abstract

Objectives
The purpose of this systematic review is to understand the methodological practices of current mixed methods researchers. Specifically, we aim to identify what characterizes mixed methods research in the field of education.

Perspectives
A systematic review is a method of identifying and analyzing published articles with the goal of understanding the scope of research conducted in this area (Snyder, 2019). This type of review is especially useful when gathering data that can be used to inform decision-making (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005).

From 1999 to 2019, the number of mixed methods articles published in the social sciences grew from 13 to 4,103 (Morgan, 2023), a swelling that did not go unnoticed by leading scholars in the field. In 2004, Johnson and Onwuegbuzie asserted that the “time has come” for mixed methods research. In 2008, Creswell and Garrett called mixed methods research a “movement.”

Since those early assertions, scholars have proposed varying standards as to what counts in mixed methods research. Morgan (2023) recently explored whether social science scholars are “on the bandwagon” with what the mixed methods field is pushing in terms of quality indicators.

Methodology and Data Sources
We used the SPIDER (sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, and research type) framework for this systematic literature review. The sample consisted of scholars who published mixed methods research studies within the last 10 years within the field of education.

We searched the Education Research Complete, ERIC (EbscoHost), Academic Search Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global databases. We included dissertations and theses as these capture how mixed methods research is taught and applied in university settings. We did not include gray literature.

The search consisted of two main concepts: education researchers and mixed methods. We built a line-by-line search searching keywords in both the title and abstract fields and relevant subject descriptors for each main concept. We combined “education” and “research/er” for the first concept and then used “mixed methods” as the second concept. See Table 1 for the keywords we used for the title and abstract searches.

We used Covidence to screen the titles and abstracts, with two reviewers independently screening each article. A third member of the team settled any disputes. Once we determined the articles met our criteria, we uploaded the full text and analyzed each paper.

Initial Results
We screened 14,908 mixed methods studies in the field of education. While the screening is still in progress, we have currently identified 112 studies that met our criteria. Just as Morgan (2023) and Guetterman et al. (2021) reported, we found a range of fidelity to the inclusion of mixed methods principles. Within our initial findings, we noted little methodological differences between published articles and dissertations.

Scholarly Significance
We analyzed these articles to understand the scope of current mixed methods studies in the field of education. We recognize that the scholarly contribution of this review hinges on the responses of the methodological experts. We anticipate that the results from this symposium will advance the field.

Authors

• Laila Y. Sanguras, Baylor University

• Mary Olinger, Temple Independent School District

• Brodney Fitzgerald, Grossmont College

• Toyosi Stephen Adedara, Baylor University

• Amy James, Baylor University