Foreword

Abstract

The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his [or her] wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.Kahlil GibranTeaching is the highest form of understanding.AristotleAny genuine teaching will result, if successful, in someone's knowing how to bring about a better condition of things than existed earlier.John DeweyIn a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less. Lee IacoccaAs all teachers in all times and all places know, the challenges of teaching are second only to the challenges of parenting; both are uniquely dedicated to the cultivation of learners' minds, passions, and sensibilities. Teaching involves the development of a strong and well organized curriculum and the creative provision of meaningful information, but it is also so much more. Igniting the spark of independent learning, fostering the efficacy of each individual learner, encouraging learners' spirits to soar while also nurturing their sense of social responsibility - these are the among the enduring challenges of teaching.Teaching about new ideas and endeavors presents additional challenges, as the substance being taught is itself unsettled and unfinished. Notably, the teacher must provide a clear and strong framework for the material of the course, yet simultaneously question and critique this framework and encourage learners to do the same. Creating a safe environment in which such critical learning can take place is a particular responsibility of teachers at the frontiers of knowledge and action.So it is with the teaching of mixed methods approaches to social inquiry. The field of mixing methods is a new field in terms of conceptualization and theory development, even though applied social scientists have been mixing methods in practice for many decades. There are currently multiple voices in the field, which makes it lively and dynamic, but also invokes special responsibilities about deciding which perspectives to include in the course material - only those of the instructor, or a range of diverse stances and voices? This is so in all fields, but even more so in a new field where the terrain is not yet fully formed. Learning about mixing methods also invokes fundamental issues related to the prerequisite skills, knowledge, and experience needed for a meaningful learning experience. What prior knowledge, field experience, and methodological attitudes do learners need to make sense of the complex layers of mixes possible and the range of mixed methods purposes, designs, and analyses appropriate in varied contexts? Further, many learners come to a mixed methods course from fields still dominated by just one methodological tradition. The lack of mixed methods exemplars and mentors in their own field - and perhaps especially the limits on students' opportunities to publish future mixed methods work - can constrain the quality and meaningfulness of their learning experience. In short, as argued by Pat Bazeley (2003):Few graduate students are prepared for the specific demands of this genre of research methods. Combination or integration of diverse methods demands of the researcher multiple knowledges of methodological traditions; a capacity to understand, employ, and adapt diverse (statistical and text-interpretive) methods of data analysis; prescience to envision what might be possible (and useful); and an ability to resolve the technical and interpretive complications which arise. (p. 118)[Moreover] the essential element for successful application of mixed methods is to have sufficient understanding of methodology that one can be flexible, adaptable, and often innovative in the application of methods. This requires 'deep learning' built on breadth as well as depth of knowledge, practical experience, and a personality that can tolerate ambiguity and 'messiness.' (p. …