There are several different methods used to conduct research. The design of the research is a description of how the research was carried out (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008). Some of the different methods of research design are quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, action research, and secondary data analysis. Here are four scenarios which may include these methods.
Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.
This scenario involves the qualitative method. Most of the data in qualitative research is in the form of words instead of numbers. Interactive qualitative data is collected from people in their natural settings (2008, p. 26). Since the peer mediation group will be observed with no interference, they are in their natural setting. Also, the interviews are qualitative by using language instead of figures.
Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.
This scenario is best represented by the quantitative method, more specifically: the true experimental design. In this design, the researcher will control what each group will experience. Then the researcher can make comparisons between the different groups (2008, p. 23). The reason this is a true experiment is because the classes are randomly divided and the groups are randomly selected. A comparison is also being made between those that attend peer mediation training and those who do not.
Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.
Scenario 3 involves the action research method. In action research, educational professionals are provided information to help improve daily activities (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008). The purpose of action research “is only to address specific actions in a single context” (p. 174). In this case, attitudes of students (the single action) are being observed to see how they affect peer mediation (the single context).
Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.
This scenario involves pre-tests, post-tests and follow-up interviews. The tests are quantitative while the latter interviews are qualitative. This makes this scenario a mixed-method approach. The explanatory mixed-method design uses quantitative research that is followed by qualitative research (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008).
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