Mixed Method Design: Quantitative and Qualitative inquiry

Mixed method research involves the mixing of qualitative and quantitative research methods within, or at the boundary between paradigms. Therefore, this approach is a procedure for collecting and analyzing data by combining both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study to clarify the research problem (Creswell, 2005:2008).

Both research orientations to data collection and the required methods have their own individual strengths and weaknesses. These need to be recognised so that the most suitable methods can be applied to the research project. As suggested by Frechtling and Sharp (1997), issues to consider when assessing the mixed methods are often both theoretical and practical. Theoretical issues centre on the value of the data types, the relative rigor of the data and the basic underlying philosophies of evaluation, whereas practical issues centre on credibility of findings, staff skills, costs, and time constraints. Creswell (2003) states that “with the development and perceived legitimacy of both qualitative and quantitative research in the social and human sciences, mixed methods research, employing the data collection associated with both forms of data, is expanding” (p.208).

Creswell (2005) categorises three types of mixed method design and includes the characteristics that distinguish the types of design from each other. These are triangulation mixed methods design, an explanatory mixed methods design and an exploratory mixed methods design. Figure 3.2 depicts three types of mixed method designs, which are commonly applied to educational research.

Figure 3.2 Types of Mixed Method Designs (based on Creswell, 2005, p. 514)

For the triangulation design, an equal priority is given to both quantitative and qualitative data. Therefore, the data that results from quantitative and qualitative analyses are collected simultaneously and comparisons are made to distinguish the similarities and dissimilarities. The advantage of this design is it uses the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the explanatory design, priority is given to quantitative data, which is collected first to obtain important aspects of pattern and relationship between data and variables, whereas qualitative data is collected sequentially, and presented in the second phase. In other words, the qualitative data are used to refine or elaborate major issues found in the quantitative data and from its analysis. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses are usually presented separately.

1. Triangulation Mixed Methods Designs

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2. Explanatory Mixed Methods Designs

Follow-up

3. Exploratory Mixed Methods Designs

Building

QUANTITATIVE (Data and Results)

QUANTITATIVE (Data and Results)

Interpretation QUANTITATIVE (Data/Results) Qualitative (Data/Results) QUALITATIVE (Data/Results) Quantitative (Data/Results)

The exploratory design, on the other hand, starts with the qualitative data in order to explore a phenomenon and this is then followed by the quantitative data collection in the second phase to account for the significance of the themes identified in findings gained from the qualitative part of the project (Creswell, 2005).

According to Creswell (2005, pp.517-519) the fundamental features of these three types of mixed method design, that make them different from other research designs, are:

• Rationale for the design. A justification for both quantitative and qualitative data and the role that each plays and their relationship to each other

• Collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Different methods are used to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. These are, for example, questionnaires, interviews and document data.

• Priority. The “weight or priority” given to either the quantitative or qualitative data collection or both.

• Sequence. Data collection can be done in a sequence depending on the types of mixed method design being applied.

• Data analysis matched to a design. The type of mixed method used depends on the option for data analysis, comparing results and consolidating data for triangulation, or following up on particular cases.

The triangulation design using qualitative and quantitative methods for joint interpretation was used in this project. Creswell (2005) points out that this design is useful to cross- validate and corroborate research findings. Thus, in the present project, quantitative data was gathered using questionnaires, and qualitative data were collected through personal interviews. A mixed method approach was chosen for this research project because no research has been undertaken regarding the issue of social imaginary in Thai society. Therefore, to obtain a broad picture of the question in this investigation, an initial survey was required to canvas the different perspectives. To further understand the opinions of participants regarding the research issues, in-depth interviews with small samples were required in order to gain a deeper understanding of the research issues and identify the factors that influence the social imaginary in Thai society.

Previous studies have used a mixed method approach in a similar way. For example, Tuicompee (2008) used this method in the Thai Adolescent Survivors after the 2004

Tsunami: A Mixed Methods Study. That study used quantitative techniques with surveys distributed to 400 adolescents attending four tsunami-affected public schools in Phang Nga province, followed by a qualitative study with personal interviews of 40 students at those schools.

Similarly, a study by Easton (1992) called An analysis of the effect of the Australian

military training environment on the preferred learning styles of overseas defense force students used mixed methods. An explanatory design was used using questionnaires administered to 117 military students in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, followed by interviews in order to obtain additional information about the students’ preferences regarding learning and to confirm the validity of the data collected from the questionnaires.

Some mixed method studies have used a computer software program called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) in analysing the results. These studies use multiple regression analysis with the data from ‘independent variables’ that influence other ‘dependent variables’. This SPSS package was considered suitable for my project with globalization and cultural dimensions seen as independent variables considered to be influencing social imaginary (a dependent variable) in Thai society. An explanation of this program and its application to my project will be presented later in this chapter.

Phummi (2007) employed the SPSS program in his study called A Study of Relationship

between Some Factors and Democratic Values of Mathayom Suksa III Students in schools under Bangkok Metropolis. The SPSS program analysis was used to examine the relationship between democratic values and factors of democratic rearing, social skill, learning relationship and the mass media for Mathayom Suksa III students. The study used instruments for collecting data that included questionnaires concerning democratic rearing, social skill, peer-teacher relationships, peer-student relationship, democracy environment and mass media influence. Data were analysed and presented using multiple correlations and multiple regression analysis.

In this research project, qualitative data gathering methods were used in semi-structured interviews with curriculum developers and principals at the Ministry of Education, academics at Sripatum University, and government officers in the Department of Provincial Administration and the Department of Community Development of the Ministry of Interior. In addition, surveys completed by the undergraduate students from the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology at Thammasart and Sripatum Universities were used to complement and triangulate the data gathered from the interviews conducted with those participants mentioned.

The following section presents the qualitative and quantitative data gathering methods respectively. The quantitative method included using the questionnaires and the qualitative method consisted of semi-structured interviews.