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Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley Adjunct Professor, TReSI group, Western Sydney University pat@researchsupport.com.au Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide The research world is a world divided Qt Ql “New People to New Groups” S. Gladen licenced under CC BY 2.0 2 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Standard text-book descriptions of methods Qualitative Quantitative exploratory confirmatory process oriented variance/outcome focus subjective objective natural controlled unstructured structured purposive probabilistic researcher instruments text numbers flexible fixed narrative statistics case - oriented variable - oriented inductive deductive generalise to theory generalise to population 3 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide …but The phenomena we study are not divided, even if our thinking about them often is. 4 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 We have divisions; we need dimensions. Phenomena are multidimensional. We need multidimensional methods . 5 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide The qual-quant continuum - methods for multidimensional phenomena exploratory confirmatory process oriented variance/outcome focus subjective objective natural controlled unstructured structured purposive probabilistic researcher instruments text numbers flexible fixed narrative statistical case-oriented variable-oriented inductive deductive generalise to theory generalise to population Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Muddy boundaries • There is no defining difference, and yet we all sense a difference and can attempt to describe each. • Bergman describes these as two interrelated families • Pond - field metaphor – the boundary might be unclear, but you can still identify pond and field. 7 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Standard definitions of mixed methods bridging but not transcending, thus perpetuating the divide • Mixed methods research is the type of research in which a researcher or team of researchers combines elements of qualitative and quantitative research approaches … for the broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration. (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, & Turner, 2007: 123) • In mixed methods, the researcher • Collects and analyses both qualitative and quantitative data rigorously in response to research questions and hypotheses, • Integrates (or mixes or combines) the two forms of data and their results … (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018: 5) 8 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Bridging the qual-quant divide created challenges These challenges came from: • disciplinary traditions and alignments • knowledge and skills required • methodological training • publishing and especially in relation to • effectively combining qual and quant in one project, and • presumed paradigmatic (primarily epistemological) foundations (which began, incidentally, as a largely US phenomenon in education) 9 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Pendulum swings in methodology • Early 20C (and prior): typically multiple or mixed methods selected to fit purpose, without challenge • Mid 20C: Psychology, education, health studies attempt to emulate natural or clinical sciences, using ‘objective’ quantitative methods • Later 20C: Challenges to the ‘hegemony of quantitative methods’ – development of ‘naturalistic’ alternative –> emphasis on epistemological foundations (paradigms) • Late 20C: Mixed methods began to be identified as a specific approach to methodology in 1980s–90s. Named as a ‘third methodological movement’ in 2004. 10 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Epistemological (paradigm) issues in MM history: War … and Peace 11 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Data as a representation of phenomena Research transforms phenomena, to make them visible. Transformation involves multiple layers of interpretation - in selecting/constructing data - in analysing and converting them into evidence Text and numbers (forms of data) can each be treated as: - respondents’ constructions reinterpreted by the researcher, or - as representing reality, reported descriptively as ‘what is’. They are different ways of making phenomena visible. 12 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Re-thinking paradigms/epistemology, and the connection with methods Data – the building blocks of knowledge – are epistemologically neutral; the way they are employed is not: - this is … - this is seen as … - this is understood to be … Numbers and words, and what they mean, are equally a human construction. All research is interpretive. Paradigms influence but do not determine methods choices. 13 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide An alternative definition of mixed methods Mixed methods studies are those in which more than one source or type of data, and/or more than one approach to analysis of those data, are integrated throughout the study in such a way as to become interdependent in reaching a common theoretical or research goal (Bazeley, 2010: 432) 14 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Transcending the divide implies • Having a common purpose or goal, across diverse methods • Selecting data on the basis of need (and availability) rather than type • Interdependence of different elements in reaching the goal (exchange across the DNA strands) • Consequently generating a sum greater than the parts 15 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide 7 Cs – the how of integration and transcendence Converse throughout the project Construct one method based on another Combine in complementary analysis Compare across data types and sources Convert data from one form to another Compile using all sources together Convey based on topic, not method 16 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Integration in MM can occur: • Iteratively, throughout a project, as information and ideas flow from one method to another, often unconsciously • Deliberately, at ‘points of interface’ in the design of a project • Primarily, through data management and analysis • Reflectively, as all the thoughts prompted by the various data sources are drawn into a coherent set of inferences from the project • Evidentially, in the recorded results of a study (before the discussion)! 17 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide In practice An integrated, multidimensional way of thinking about and doing research means: • focusing on your research purposes and questions • exploring the research problem from multiple perspectives • design, free from constraints on choice of methods • judging available data by its relevance rather than its form • analytic integration of methods used • integrated writing of results as well as conclusions • and it benefits from use of computer technology 18 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Focus on research purposes and questions 19 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Explore possibilities, and develop a plan 20 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide

Keynote Address - MQIC 2019 Judge available data by its relevance rather than its form Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Integrate analyses within and across methods Combine Compare Convert 22 Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide Dr. Pat Bazeley, Transcending the Qualitative - Quantitative Divide