This CARLA presentation is the culmination of a semester-long independent study on mixed methods research in language learning and teaching. Although mixed methods research has gained traction since the paradigm wars of the 1990s, it is still adopted relatively infrequently in research in the broad field of language learning and teaching. In this presentation, we will first discuss our understanding of the underlying paradigms and purposes of mixed methods research. We then argue that this research approach offers important affordances for the field of language learning and teaching research given the multi-dimensionality of the constructs that are studied. We note, therefore, the gap between the potential of mixed methods research and the reality of its scarcity in current literature. We conclude the presentation by describing our upcoming study that will look more closely at this gap by speaking directly with researchers to understand why they do or do not adopt mixed methods in their own work.
Presenters:
Cory Mathieu is a PhD student in Second Language Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her research focuses on materials use and development and content and language integration in secondary Spanish immersion programs.
Anuradha Gopalakrishnan is a PhD student in Second Language Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her research interests include multilingual pedagogies, third language acquisition and foreign language education. Her multilingual and multicultural experiences shape her research work and influence her teaching.
This presentation is cosponsored by the Second Language Education Program in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. …...more
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