Kenyan Teachers and Inclusion: Mixed-Method Study Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction

The practice of using a mixed research method is relevant when scholars face the task of describing this or that problem from different points of view. For these purposes, it is often common to resort to a mixed analysis strategy where both oral surveys are conducted among target groups, and digital statistical data are compiled. As the object to analyze the use of this method, a separate article will be discussed. It is called “Examining the Attitudes and Concerns of the Kenyan Teachers Toward the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in the General Education Classroom: A Mixed Methods Study” and it is written by Odongo and Davidson (2016). The evaluation of the method of this article’s research and its features will help to describe the relevance of the applied sample for the problem under consideration and to analyze the main characteristics of the study.

Appropriateness of the Research Questions to the Study Under Consideration

The research questions proposed in the article correspond to the stated type of the study since the answers to them provide not only the survey of interested persons but also a digital report on the data. Odongo and Davidson (2016) argue that one of their goals is to trace “the relationship between teachers’ concerns and their experience with inclusion of children with disabilities” (p. 3). For this purpose, it is required to cite some points that are necessary for appropriate evaluation and providing teachers with answers, which is done in the article. Also, the authors mention the peculiarities of perception of the described problems and digitally present the participants’ answers (Odongo & Davidson, 2016). It allows concluding that the applied method of research is consistent with the claimed design.

Reasons for Integrating Two Types of Research

The primary reason why the two research methods are combined into one is likely that the authors sought to corroborate the obtained findings in the survey process with digital information and wanted to receive the complete picture of the problem. According to Teddlie and Yu (2007), the successful integration of a quantitative and qualitative method makes it possible to have as deep an analysis of a particular issue as possible since different ways of evaluating data are applied. Odongo and Davidson (2016) note that the significance of their work lies in the fact that different stakeholders should realize the importance of the described problem. Therefore, a detailed study involving two methods of data collection and evaluation helps to comprehensively solve the task.

Philosophical Perspective of the Study

When assessing the article from the point of view of the philosophical perspective, it can be noted that the concept of interpretivism is relevant here since solutions taken on an individual and subjective level play a major role in the decision-making process. According to Odongo and Davidson (2016), the significance to take actions on the problem of the children with disabilities’ socialization in schools is an acute social issue. Accordingly, the need for intervention does not have the value from the economic, political or other side but is determined solely by the individual characteristics of the topic under consideration. Therefore, such a concept is the most appropriate.

Mixed Methods Design Characteristics and Their Implementation

The characteristics of the analyzed mixed methods design provide for concurrent timing. It means that the data that are needed for the assessment were collected in parallel rather than sequentially, and the researchers did not first use one method and then the other. The oral collection of information and drawing up of a digital picture passed in the same time interval, which is explained by the authors in their article (Odongo & Davidson, 2016). Also, scholars did not give priority to one particular method, and both designs are equal. As Creswell and Clark (2007) remark, this approach to research allows equally using the merits of both quantitative and qualitative methods that are integrated into one. On the whole, voluminous and high-quality work was done, as it can be seen from the results of the study.

Mixed Methods Design of the Study

When evaluating the study’s mixed methods design, it is possible to claim that the triangulation design was used to collect and assess all the data. In this type, “only one data collection phase is used, during which quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis are conducted separately yet concurrently” (“Mixed methods research,” 2016, para. 19). In their study, the authors did not focus on a specific method for analyzing the issue but conducted surveys and the compilation of digital tables in parallel, while conducting conversations with teachers and inputting their answers into appropriate forms (Odongo & Davidson, 2016). This method was likely used because many participants were involved (142 teachers). Therefore, it was logical to record their answers in the process of the study and not to postpone the procedure for drawing up percentage reports.

Sampling Strategies

In their study, the authors used not a continuous sample but a selective approach to the search for participants (Odongo & Davidson, 2016). Thus, according to the report, one hundred general teachers were invited and forty-two representatives of education from special educational institutions (Odongo & Davidson, 2016, p.8). Also, two separate schools were selected from ten originally considered (Odongo & Davidson, 2016, p. 9). It means that the sample was thorough and suitable for this type of the study since for a competent assessment of the problem, the sufficient number of participants was necessary. As Creswell and Clark (2007) note, the triangulation design provides targeted sampling at each phase of the study. The authors successfully coped with this task.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Used Methodology

From the standpoint of the strengths of the study, the authors were able to present well-validated and substantiated findings. Also, “compared to sequential designs, data collection takes less time in concurrent research,” which is significant in the acute need for effective practical intervention (“Mixed methods research,” 2016, para. 21). However, there are some weaknesses in the used methodology, which should be taken into account. Thus, for instance, the described research requires much experience and expertise for simultaneous integration of two methods. Also, it can be difficult to compare the results of two separate methods, using the information presented in different forms. Moreover, given that data collection is concurrently conducted, the results of one method, for example, an interview, can hardly be integrated into the other. Therefore, all these nuances deserve particular attention.

Conclusion

Thus, the evaluation of the article’s mixed methods design and its peculiarities can help to assess the relevance of the applied sample and to analyze the basic characteristics of the study. The design of triangulation contributes to a faster study compared to other types. A concurrent quantitative and qualitative approach is useful when working with many participants to timely register all the information. The applied method also has some weak features (the need for having much experience, difficulties in comparing the study’s outcomes, the absence of the possibility to integrate one method into the other). The described article can be a good scholarly platform for further successful interventions.

References

Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Mixed methods research. (2016). Web.

Odongo, G., & Davidson, R. (2016). Examining the attitudes and concerns of the Kenyan teachers toward the inclusion of children with disabilities in the general education classroom: A mixed methods study. International Journal of Special Education, 31(2), 1-30.

Teddlie, C., & Yu, F. (2007). Mixed methods sampling: A typology with examples. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(1), 77-100.