A mixed methods study to understand student resistance to active learning

Prateek Shekhar, Maura Borrego, Cynthia Finelli, Michael Prince, Matt DeMonbrun, Cynthia Waters, Charles Henderson

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Increasingly, engineering education researchers are using qualitative research methods to study learning and retention in engineering. While quantitative methods provide generalizable results, qualitative methods generate rich, descriptive understanding of the investigated phenomenon. On the other hand, a mixed methods approach provides benefits of the two approaches by incorporating them in a single study. However, engineering faculty often face difficulty in integrating qualitative and quantitative methods and designs in their educational research. This article discusses mixed methods in the context of an actual ongoing engineering education research project investigating student resistance to active learning. We describe the research design including design process; challenges; decisions; theory building based on prior work, existing theories, our emerging results, and our collective experiences as instructors; and reliability and validity considerations of our mixed methods. Our mixed method research experience highlights the importance of thinking iteratively between qualitative and quantitative data sources during the instrument development process.

Original languageEnglish (US)
StatePublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes
Event6th Research in Engineering Education Symposium: Translating Research into Practice, REES 2015 - Dublin, Ireland
Duration: Jul 13 2015Jul 15 2015

Conference

Conference6th Research in Engineering Education Symposium: Translating Research into Practice, REES 2015
Country/TerritoryIreland
CityDublin
Period7/13/157/15/15

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Education
  • General Engineering

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