Mixed Methods Writing Exercise

by | Dec 9, 2024 | Essays

 

Consider a research problem you want to address that requires a mixed-methods research design. Consider a mixed-methods study that you might conduct. Use Creswell & Creswell as a guide.

Provide answers to the following questions:

Report the research questions and hypotheses for both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Describe the data collection procedures for both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Describe the data analysis procedures for both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Describe how the strands will be connected.
Describe how the results will be reported, validated, and interpreted by both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


This question has been answered

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Research Problem: The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Student Stress and Academic Performance

Research Questions:

Quantitative:

  • What is the relationship between mindfulness meditation practice and perceived stress levels among college students?
  • Does mindfulness meditation practice improve academic performance among college students?

Qualitative:

  • How do college students perceive the impact of mindfulness meditation on their mental health and well-being?

Research Problem: The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Student Stress and Academic Performance

Research Questions:

Quantitative:

  • What is the relationship between mindfulness meditation practice and perceived stress levels among college students?
  • Does mindfulness meditation practice improve academic performance among college students?

Qualitative:

  • How do college students perceive the impact of mindfulness meditation on their mental health and well-being?
  • What are the barriers and facilitators to regular mindfulness meditation practice among college students?

Data Collection Procedures:

Quantitative:

  • Survey: A self-reported survey will be administered to a large sample of college students to collect demographic information, mindfulness meditation practice frequency, perceived stress levels, and academic performance data (e.g., GPA).

Qualitative:

  • Semi-structured Interviews: In-depth interviews will be conducted with a smaller sample of college students who have practiced mindfulness meditation. The interviews will explore participants’ experiences, perceptions, and motivations.
  • Focus Groups: Focus groups will be conducted with groups of 5-8 college students to discuss their experiences with mindfulness meditation and to generate ideas for future research.

Data Analysis Procedures:

Quantitative:

  • Descriptive Statistics: Descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, standard deviation, frequency distributions) will be used to summarize the data.  
  • Inferential Statistics: Correlation analysis and regression analysis will be used to examine the relationship between mindfulness meditation practice, perceived stress levels, and academic performance.

Qualitative:

  • Thematic Analysis: Thematic analysis will be used to identify patterns and themes in the interview and focus group data.
  • Narrative Analysis: Narrative analysis will be used to explore individual participants’ stories and experiences with mindfulness meditation.

Connecting the Strands

The quantitative and qualitative strands will be connected through a convergent parallel design. This design involves collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously, with the goal of integrating the findings to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem.  

Specifically, the quantitative findings will provide a broader understanding of the relationship between mindfulness meditation and stress and academic performance, while the qualitative findings will provide deeper insights into the lived experiences of participants.

Reporting, Validation, and Interpretation

The results of the study will be reported in a mixed-methods research paper. The quantitative findings will be presented using tables, figures, and statistical analyses. The qualitative findings will be presented using narrative descriptions and thematic analysis.

To validate the findings, the researchers will use triangulation, member checking, and peer review. Triangulation involves using multiple data sources to confirm findings. Member checking involves sharing the findings with participants to ensure accuracy and credibility. Peer review involves seeking feedback from other researchers to improve the quality of the research.  

By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, this research will provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of mindfulness meditation on college students. The findings of this study may inform the development of interventions to improve student mental health and academic performance.

This question has been answered.

Get Answer