Bridging the qualitative-quantitative divide: Experiences from conducting a mixed methods evaluation in the RUCAS...

Area of Science:

• Education for Sustainable Development
• Evaluation Methodology
• Mixed Methods Research

Background:

• Traditional planning and evaluation in education for sustainable development often rely on single research paradigms (quantitative or qualitative).
• This approach can limit the depth and robustness of evaluation findings.
• There is a need for more comprehensive evaluation designs to capture the complexities of sustainable development initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the utility of mixed method evaluation designs in education for sustainable development.
• To demonstrate how sequential transformative mixed methods can integrate qualitative and quantitative data effectively.
• To highlight the benefits of combining different research paradigms for program planning and evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized sequential mixed method evaluation designs, involving iterative data collection where one phase informs the next.
• Integrated qualitative and quantitative data through a transformative process.
• Applied these methods within the context of the 'Reorientation of University Curricula to Address Sustainability (RUCAS)' program.

Main Results:

• Sequential mixed methods provide complementary insights, leading to significant gains compared to single-approach evaluations.
• The integration of qualitative and quantitative data enhances the robustness of evaluation findings.
• The RUCAS program exemplifies the successful application of this integrated approach.

Conclusions:

• Sequential transformative mixed method evaluation is recommended for program planning and evaluation in education for sustainable development.
• Combining methods from different research paradigms offers more robust results than single approaches.
• Acknowledging epistemological and methodological differences is crucial when integrating diverse research paradigms.