From July 18 to July 21, 2023, Professor Yan Wenfan from the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts Boston was invited to give an intensive course on “Mixed Methods Research”. Over fifty faculty members and students took part, including 2021 and 2022 Ed.D. cohorts.
Professor Yan Wenfan led the class through the full arc of mixed-methods work: how the leading models map onto real problems, the nuts-and-bolts of gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative strands in the same study, and, finally, a hands-on session where students pitched their own designs for instant feedback.
On July 18 and 19, Professor Yan Wenfan began with the very idea of mixed-methods research—what it is, what signature traits set it apart, and what building blocks it requires—then spent the two days spotlighting the four staple designs: convergent, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and embedded. Anchoring each model in a landmark study, he walked the room through what that design can do and where it can backfire.
On July 20, Professor Yan Wenfan showed how each mixed-methods design shapes the way you collect data, who you collect it from, and in what order. Using a live case, he demonstrated sample-selection rules that keep the quantitative and qualitative strands talking to each other, then moved step-by-step through cleaning and analyzing numbers, coding and weaving themes, and finally marrying the two sets of results—flagging the traps that swallow studies when the marriage is rushed. Afterward the class tried the whole sequence on a fresh problem, start to finish, with Yan circulating to keep the integration honest.
On July 21, Professor Yan Wenfan wrapped up the previous three sessions by inviting students to present their own research proposals and designs using the mixed-methods approaches covered in the course. Students seized the opportunity eagerly, each giving a concise account of their question, design, and integration plan. After every presentation Yan delivered sharp, pinpoint feedback—praising what was solid, questioning what was shaky, and offering concrete next steps. By the end of the day the room echoed the same refrain: the fog had lifted, the path forward looked clear, and the four-day dive had left them retooled and re-energized.
Over the four-day course, Professor Yan Wenfan moved effortlessly from theory to practice, guiding participants from a first grasp of mixed-methods logic to the point where they could confidently craft their own integrated designs. The workshop drew unanimous praise for widening and sharpening everyone’s view of what solid empirical research can look like.
Text and photos: Hu Yanting
