Mixed methods research design: A comparison of prevalence in JRME and AERJ

In relation to the push for scientifically based research in the field of education, as advocated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, this study examined the trends of mixed methods research articles published in Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME; n = 151) and the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ; n = 247) over the past 10 years (i.e., 1999–2008). Mixed methods research accounted for 33% of empirical articles published in these flagship journals. Mixed methods articles were more qualitative in orientation, with 54% constituting such a design. Contextual themes, such as relationships, thought processes, pedagogy, representations, understanding, and validation were examined in these studies. Mixed methods research was found to be more prevalent in JRME (a flagship mathematics journal) than in AERJ (a flagship journal publishing articles from all disciplines of education). The study also illustrated the complementary nature of quantitative and qualitative approaches in producing rigorous research.