Reframing Sampling as a Transformative Act in Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Research

• In Event: Incorporating Transformative Frameworks into Mixed Methods Research: Challenges, Insights, and Recommendations

Abstract

Purpose and Objectives
This presentation draws on a mixed methods study exploring how beliefs shape teachers’ use of technology. For this panel discussion I will draw on the study to illustrate how MMR can benefit from integrating broadly the tenets of the transformative paradigm in designing research that is more cognizant of the diversities affecting participants’ experiences.
The objectives of this presentation will be to:
1. Expose the limitations of conventional sampling strategies in achieving transformative aims in explanatory sequential MMR designs;
2. Discuss how transformative principles can be integrated in sampling decisions across phases of an explanatory sequential mixed methods study to address power imbalances and achieve greater transparency;
3. Offer practical recommendations for researchers seeking to align mixed methods procedures with transformative principles generally.

Theoretical Framework
This presentation will be guided by the principles of the transformative paradigm outlined by Mertens (2009). Anchored in the view that research must address power imbalances and foreground the voices of marginalized groups, I present sampling as an act of great ethical significance rather than a neutral technical step—within the inquiry process.

Methods and Modes of Inquiry
The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The quantitative phase involved a survey of 248 teachers across different school types with varied resources and contextual realities within the Jamaican secondary school system. Informed by the results, the qualitative phase purposefully selected nine (9) teachers whose perspectives explained, challenged and deepened the initial findings. The sampling strategy was deliberately designed to respond to key considerations of the transformative framework to ensure that participants who embodied resistance, resilience, and innovation were heard.

Data Sources
Data were drawn from a survey in the quantitative phase. Multiple sources of data were included in the follow-up case study including semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and video-elicitation interviews.

Results and Conclusions
The sample was not only guided by variation in demographic and contextual factors, but also by the potential of participants to contribute transformative insights grounded in differences in their educational contexts. By re-centering sampling through a transformative lens, the research uncovered rich counter-narratives as teachers highlighted policy and contextual constraints, and enacted pedagogy that aligned with their interpretations of the limitations of their power within their contexts. These findings highlighted the need for redefining teacher agency. These insights would not have emerged through a purely technical sampling approach.

Scholarly Significance
This presentation contributes to the broader conversation on integrating transformative frameworks in mixed methods research by emphasizing sampling as a key mechanism for enacting ethical practices in MMR sampling processes beyond traditionally technical considerations of sampling. It highlights the value of applying transformative principles more broadly thus emphasizing its value for not only social justice oriented inquiry but also as a critical consideration for sampling and ethical design of research at every phase.

References
Mertens, D. M. (2008). Transformative research and evaluation. Guilford Press.

Author

• Tashane Haynes-Brown, University of the West Indies, Mona