A Qualitative Perspective on Randomized Control Trial Mixed-Method Approaches

The Math for All (MFA) qualitative research team approached the randomized control trial (RCT) mixed methods investigation from a "pragmatic" perspective (Cresswell and Plano-Clark, 2011), that is, the belief that multiple realities can exist and that neither a qualitative nor quantitative approach is valued over the other. Further, the perspective presented in this paper reflects the belief that qualitative data, used in conjunction with quantitative data, create a more complete picture of the overall intervention: RCT quantitative data measure impact while qualitative data capture critical explanatory information about the impact. Thus, collaboration among researchers from "both sides of the aisle" is important for enriching the overall analysis. Specifically, qualitative researchers working in the context of RCT studies are able to identify qualitative research themes that inform the overall project and broaden the conceptual understanding of how and why the project works as it does. In this project, qualitative researchers are responsible for bringing a sense of the participants' meanings, an interpretive inquiry perspective, and an inductive data analysis, three of several research characteristics that Creswell notes as unique to qualitative research (2007). While a quantitative study can determine causal attribution, the addition of qualitative methods allows for a deeper analysis of why and how these causal relationships exist. Researchers in this study are seeking convergence through triangulation (Greene, Caracelli, & Graham, 1989), providing greater support for conclusions about the implementation and information that can guide current and future implementations. In the MFA study, qualitative researchers conducted in-depth interviews with teachers and principals in the treatment and control schools. Thus, the RCT mixed method research design increases the depth and the complexity of the study by introducing the perspective of the individuals directly involved in the program. The interviews give "voice" to the teachers and principals in the Math for All project and provide context information to enhance the understanding of the program's implementation and impact. Basically, the qualitative data play three critical roles in the MFA study: the interviews provide formative feedback to guide ongoing program implementation; they identify issues that might contribute to the identification of modifying variables and thus enhance the program's Theory of Change model; and they triangulate the quantitative data collected by the other researchers. The MFA qualitative data explore the teachers' perspectives on the professional development they have been receiving and the changes they may have subsequently made in their classrooms. For example, teachers described the impact of the MFA program on their understanding of how children learn mathematics and the influence this understanding had on their classroom practices. Open-ended questions allowed the researchers to explore how individual teachers were responding to the professional development, including constraints teachers might have experienced in implementing the MFA elements. By gathering explanatory data, researchers can provide schools and research communities with greater insight into critical elements for successful implementation.