Philosophical Underpinnings of Mixed Methods Research in Education

Identifying one's philosophical underpinnings makes the mixed methods research process more credible, transparent, and trustworthy. A philosophical paradigm refers to a set of beliefs about the nature of reality (ontology); what is knowledge, who can create it, and how (epistemology); the values that relate to one's beliefs and practices (axiology); and one's research practices (methodology). Mixed methods educational researchers have many paradigmatic foundations: positivism, postpositivism, critical realism, constructivism, pragmatism, postmodernism, and transformative-emancipation as well as dialectical pluralism, yinyang philosophy, and Indigenous philosophies. Each paradigm has its own set of beliefs, values, and practices though many paradigms overlap with one another.