Mixed Methods Research Design Purpose The purpose of this study is to explain and explore the effectiveness, experience and perception of a group of at- risk East Baton Rouge Parish School District students at Scotlandville Magnet High School who are utilizing the online credit recovery program Edgenuity in lieu of traditional courses during the regular school day implemented as a drop-out prevention technique in an effort to be placed with their graduation cohort. Research Design A basic mixed method design was used to collect, examine, and combine both quantitative and qualitative data. “Mixed methods research designs involve the collection, analysis, and “mixing” of quantitative and qualitative designs to understand a research problem” …show more content…
What are the students’ perceptions of the Edgenuity program? 2. Do the students feel the program is assisting them in cohort placement? 3. Does the group of students perceive the program to be beneficial, although there is minimal instructional support? 4. How is the experience in a traditional classroom setting, but with virtual courses? Using data from both methods will greatly assist educators in determining if there is a need to move forward with this drop-out prevention method in an effort to address future at-risk students with the hopes of assisting them with proper cohort placement; ultimately leading to graduation. Strengths/Advantages There are several advantages of using the mixed method research design. Mixed methods studies answers certain difficult research questions better than qualitative or quantitative would alone (Lund, 2012). As stated by (Cronholm and Hjalmarsson, 2001, cited by Caruth, 2013), mixed method …show more content…
This can become a challenge for one researcher alone, and may require a team (Cronholm, & Hjalmarsson, 2011). “It is critical that researchers are aware of their skills sets and whether they are able to cope with the demands of utilizing a mixed methods approach” ( Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011, p. 291). One of the hardest obstacles is determining which mixed method research design is applicable for the specific study (Creswell & Plano, 2011). References Almalki, S. (2016). Integrating quantitative and qualitative data in mixed methods research: Challenges and benefits. Journal of Education and Learning, 5(3), 288-296. doi:10.5539/jel.v5n3p288 Caruth, G.D. (2013). Demystifying mixed methods research design: A review of the literature. Mevlana International Journal of Education, 3(2), 112-122. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.13054/mije.13.35.3.2 Lund,T. (2012). Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches: Some arguments for mixed methods research. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 56(2), 155-165. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2011.568674 Mills, G., & Gay, L. (2016) Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications. (11th ed.). Boston, MA: