Mixed methods and multimethod research in education: Six design decisions for collecting, combining, and developing datasets

This chapter describes how educational researchers can obtain a detailed understanding of a phenomenon by performing multimethod or mixed methods research. The decision to use multiple methods comprises six connected decisions concerning data collection, the combination of different data collection forms, and the further development of collected datasets. At each point, researchers consider qualitative and quantitative methods and data, as well as specific research methods. By applying their chosen methods, researchers develop a detailed understanding of the phenomenon in the form of an integrated conclusion or claim. This development process is shown in two real-life examples.