1. PREPARED BY:
LAVINIA M.
FORTUNA
MODULE 14
APPROACHES FOR
MIXED METHOD DESIGN
EDUC. 202-
STATISTICS
DR. WILSON
GAMAO
EXPLANATORY
SEQUENTIAL
EXPLORATORY
SEQUENTIAL
2. The most popular form of mixed methods
approaches in educational research.
Also referred to as a “two-phase model”
• Intent: to explain quantitative results with
qualitative data
• Priority: quantitative data collection and
analysis
• Quantitative data is collected first
• Qualitative data is used to refine results
3. Example of study:
A mixed methods sequential explanatory study
of the impact of chronic pain on family resistance
(West, 2012)
First, quantitative information was gathered: a
survey of family members
Second, qualitative information gathered to support
qualitative: interviews
(Creswell, 2015)
4. THE EXPLANATORY SEQUENTIAL DESIGN
QUANTITATIVE
Data Collection
and Analysis
Follow-
up with
QUALITATIVE
Data Collection
and Analysis
Interpretation
e.g. the researcher collects qualitative stories about adolescents’ attempts to quit smoking
and analyzes the stories to identify the conditions, contexts, strategies, and consequences
of adolescent quit attempts. Considering the resulting categories as variables, the
researcher develops a quantitative instrument and uses it to assess the overall prevalence of
these variables for a large number of adolescent smokers.
5. THE EXPLANATORY SEQUENTIAL DESIGN
Philosophical assumptions:
• Begin from constructivism for the qualitative phase
• Shift to postpositivism for the quantitative phase
Common variants:
• Theory-development: development of an emergent
theory/taxonomy/classification system, testing of the
findings/theory with a larger sample
• Instrument-development: gathering information to build a
quantitative instrument
6. THE EXPLANATORY SEQUENTIAL DESIGN
Philosophical assumptions:
• Begin from constructivism for the qualitative phase
• Shift to postpositivism for the quantitative phase
Common variants:
• Theory-development: development of an emergent
theory/taxonomy/classification system, testing of the
findings/theory with a larger sample
• Instrument-development: gathering information to build a
quantitative instrument
7. Opposite approach to the explanatory sequential design.
Used often to explore a phenomenon, identify themes, and/or design
an instrument & test it
• Intent: use qualitative data to determine variables and questions that
inform quantitative data collection
• Priority: qualitative data emphasized over quantitative
• Two phases: first to gather qualitative data from a small group, then
follow up with quantitative data collection from a large group
• Allows researcher to explore a problem before identifying variables,
but is very time-consuming
QUALITATIVE
Data Collection
and Analysis
Build to
QUANTITATIVE
Data Collection
and Analysis
Interpretation
(Creswell, 2015)
8. THE RESEARCHER
THE EXPLORATORY SEQUENTIAL DESIGN
Collects and analyzes
qualitative data first
followed by quantitative
data
Analyzes the qualitative data
and uses results to build
the subsequent quantitative
phase
Connects the phases by using the qualitative results to shape
the quantitative phase by specifying research questions and
variables, developing an instrument, and generating a typology
9. •Explore the field, because variables/theories/
hypotheses are unknown
•Develop an instrument or typology that is not
available
•Assess whether qualitative themes generalize to
a population
PURPOSES FOR THE EXPLORATORY
DESIGN
10. Choose this design if:
• Researcher and research problem are
qualitative oriented
• Important variables not known and
instruments not available
• Have time to conduct two phases
• Have limited resources and need to collect
and analyze one data type at a time
• New questions have emerged from
qualitative results
