Abstract:

Knowledge production hinges upon the methodology that is used. The reliability and accuracy of the methodologies used in research have a bearing on the trustworthiness and validity of the outcomes of research. Quantitative research methods are good at testing and sharpening theories developed by qualitative research methods. Mixed methods research (MMR) draws upon the strengths of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to yield comprehensive results on a research problem. Using a qualitative content analysis of research outputs completed between 2010 and 2016, this case study investigated the research methods used in educational studies in South Africa. The findings show that questionnaires and interviews were commonly used for data collection, but triangulation of methods was not prevalent. Positivist epistemologies and quantitative research approaches predominated research in education. A handful of studies used MMR and employed basic design typologies in contrast to complex typologies. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the utilisation of research methods in education. True to the interpretivist presuppositions of this study, these results are not definitive. Deploying multi-methods may result in a deeper understanding of the use of research procedures in the field of education. The value of this study lies in that it will lead to the accumulation of knowledge of research methodologies in the subject field and provide a baseline for future studies that have an interest in reflecting on context-specific methodological practices.

Keywords:

Research methods, methodology, methodological practices, qualitative and quantitative approaches.