The Challenges of Conducting Mixed Methods Research in SecondLanguage Education: PhD Candidates’ Perspectives

Due to growing interest in conducting mixed methods research (MMR) in the fields of applied linguistics and second/foreign language (L۲) education, Ph.D. candidates are often encouraged to conduct MMR in their dissertations. However, despite such an interest, it seems that MMR has not been acknowledged in these fields which indicates that there might be some barriers in the way of its use. So, the aim of the present study is to investigate the challenges of conducting MMR in the field of L۲ education from the Ph.D. candidates’ perspectives. The participants were nine Ph.D. candidates (five females and four males) majoring in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). In order to gain a deeper insight into the perspectives of the participants’, semi-structured interviews were used as the instrument for data collection. The interview data were transcribed and then analyzed using a paradigmatic approach typical of qualitative content analysis to find out about the challenges of conducting MMR in TEFL from the Ph.D. candidates’ perspectives. Analyzing the data, some common themes emerged. More specifically, the findings showed that Ph.D. candidates considered lack of time and lack of sufficient knowledge as the main challenges of conducting MMR in TEFL. Considering the results of the present study, it is suggested that the policy makers in higher education should intervene and minimize the challenges of conducting MMR by changing research policies and equipping Ph.D. candidates with sufficient knowledge on how to conduct MMR.