FUNDAMENTALS OF MIXED-METHODS RESEARCH DESIGN: ANALYSIS OF MASTER'S STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF METHODOLOGICAL TRAINING

Bhaskar Raj Upadhyay, Saule Sadykova

2026

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DOI 10.70239/arsu.2026.t84.n2.20
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

The article presents the experiences of organizing and conducting a scientific and practical workshop on " Basics of Mixed Methods Research Design," which took place on October 14-15 at K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University as part of post " Bolashaq " ("500 Scholars") program. The goal of the workshop was to improve the methodological competence of graduate students in the field of mixed methods research and building awareness as well as developing ethical research skills. To assess the effectiveness of the workshop and identify current student needs, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five graduate students from various educational programs. A thematic analysis of the interviews showed that graduates have a basic understanding of mixed methods as a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches but experience difficulties with practical applications (e.g. design, sampling, data integration, analysis, and research ethics). Participants showed a need for practice-oriented skills building, including examples of case studies, tool development training, and on-going mentoring supports. Finally, the analysis showed that there is a greater need for students to learn about mixed methods as a part of the mandatory graduate level methodological courses. In addition, students need greater encouragement to learn and pursue mixed methods research through interdisciplinary projects. Furthermore, a continuous focus on research ethics needs to be part of graduate students’ educational and research practices.