Teaching Mixed Methods Using Active Learning Approaches

Abstract

There is a paucity of empirical research on teaching mixed methods. To fill this gap in literature, this convergent mixed methods study explores the effectiveness of using active learning approaches in teaching a mixed methods course. The qualitative data, including 10 individual interviews, 29 students’ reflections, and 26 teaching evaluation surveys, were used to examine students’ learning experience and outcomes. Students’ presentations (N = 29) and final papers (N = 29) were transformed into numbers as the quantitative data. The converged results indicated that students were actively engaged in learning and achieved the expected learning outcomes. This study makes valuable contributions to the mixed methods pedagogical culture by providing details and suggestions on how to use active learning approaches in teaching mixed methods.