• EDRS 797: Mixed Research Methods in Education
• Semester: Spring 2007
• Professor: Dr. Joseph Maxwell
• Syllabus

• Idea Memo
• Memo 2: Research questions, goals, data sources, data collection and analysis strategies
• Memo 3: Validity Matrix

• Brewer, J. & Hunter, A. (2006). Foundations of Multimethod Research. (2nd ed.).
          Sage Publications.
• Milgram, S. (2004). Obedience to Authority. Harper, 1976. Reprinted with a new
          foreword by Jerome Bruner.
• Assigned Readings: see Syllabus

• Bredo, E. & Feinberg, W. (1982). Knowledge and Values in Social and
          Educational Research. Temple University Press.
• Conrad, K. (1994). (Ed.) Critically Evaluating the Role of Experiments.
          New Directions for Program Evaluation. Jossey-Bass.
• Eisner, E. & Peshkin, A. (1990). Qualitative Inquiry in Education:
          The Continuing Debate. Teachers College Press.
• Green, J.; Camilli, G.; & Elmore, P. (eds.). (2006). Handbook of
          Complementary Methods in Education Research (3rd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Light, R.; Singer, J.; & Willett, J. (1990). By Design: Planning
          Research on Higher Education. Harvard University Press.
• Shadish, W.; Cook, T.; & Campbell, D. (2002). Experimental and
          Quasi-experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference. Houghton Mifflin.

        As expected, with Dr. Maxwell teaching this course, I had to brace for a lot of reading and writing.   It turned out however that this time the focus was much more on readings, and relatively few papers to write, culminating with final presentation about potential research agenda.

         On the methods side, this was an interesting course. Dr. Maxwell made us look at various philosophical positions on various methodological approaches, conflicts among those, compatibility issues with regards to mixing various approaches, various data analysis and reporting approaches, and some of the shifts towards mixed methods by hard-core quantitative or qualitative gods. Another important learning experience that came out of various readings for this course is that the assigned readings exposed us to various case-studies done using different mixed-method approaches: in conceptualizing the mixing of methods, data collection and analysis -- which was either isolated/serialized or integrated, and some of the ways findings were reported. Overall it was a wonderful addition to the research methods arsenal. I wanted to conduct a mixed-method study for my dissertation research study before taking this course; however, this course got me completely hooked up to a mixed-method approach for my final research agenda.

         Moreover, I used all the three assignments to work on clarifying the direction of my overall research agenda, research questions, goals, potential sources of data, data collection and analysis strategies, and some of the validity threats to the likely findings. Although, this course was not part of my program of studies, and I was forced to take it in order to meet my Research Assistant requirements, however, I am glad I took it. It was a perfect timing for taking this course, particularly, considering I may take the dissertation proposal class with Dr. Maxwell. At least, he will have some idea about my overall research agenda. It is interesting that the idea for my dissertation research agenda was born in his class a year ago, and this course helped me clarify many of the unknowns. That doesn't mean that I've my research agenda completely worked out. But, I feel much more comfortable now than I did at the end of the last semester.

        [Click here] to see the list of competencies achieved in this course.