Quantitative And Qualitative Research Methods: Bridging The Gap

In the past decades, engineering educators have published interesting research, mainly using quantitative research methods. A few studies have used qualitative research methods, but none has effectively combined both approaches for a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying issues. In this paper, I discuss qualitative and quantitative methods and their theoretical frameworks, and review the work of Tonso, published through the American Educational Research Association. Next, I illustrate how the addition of qualitative research could enhance two important engineering education research studies. Finally I propose a synergistic research model that uses both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and explore the necessary resources to implement such a model.