A mixed-method inquiry was chosen as the most appropriate method for this study.
4.2.1.1 Definitions
The terms quantitative and qualitative are used frequently to identify different modes of inquiry or approaches to research. The terms can be defined on two levels of discourse. At one level, quantitative and qualitative refer to distinctions about the nature of knowledge: how one understands the world and the ultimate purpose of the research. On another level of discourse, the terms refer to research methods, i.e. how data is collected and analysed, and the types of generalisations and representations derived from the data (McMillan & Schumacher 2006:12).
Both quantitative and qualitative research studies are conducted in education. Purists suggest that quantitative and qualitative research methods are based on different assumptions about the world, the research purpose, research methods, prototypical studies, the researcher role, and the importance of context in the study (Firestone 2005:16-17).
Mixed-methods research collects both quantitative and qualitative data because these researchers believe that a combination of approaches results in a more complete understanding of education problems. Although one approach might be emphasised more than the other, both types of data are considered essential to the study. One type of data may be collected first, followed by the other, or both quantitative and qualitative data may be collected simultaneously (Lodico, Spaulding & Voegtle 2006:17). Qualitative research is typically associated with „interpretive‟ or constructivist paradigms; quantitative research is generally associated with „scientific‟ or positivist paradigms (Yardley & Bishop 2008:353).
Quantitative research is usually based on some form of logical positivism, which assumes there are stable, social facts with a single reality, separated from the feelings and beliefs of individuals. Quantitative research seeks to establish relationships and explain causes of changes in measured, social facts. In quantitative research, researchers consider different sources of variability. Variability refers to how much observations of something take on different values (McMillan & Schumacher 2006:118).
Qualitative research is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of comprehensive narrative data in order to gain insights into particular phenomena of interest. Qualitative research is useful for describing and answering questions about participants and contexts. The purpose of qualitative research is to promote a deep, holistic understanding of a particular phenomena (Maritz & Visagie 2010:1-2).
In qualitative study, the researcher is central to any study. Interpretations are based on the researcher‟s experience and background. In quantitative research, the researcher tries to remain outside of the system, keeping biases to a minimum. For data collection, qualitative emphasis is on words. Quantitative research emphasises numbers (Lichtman 2010:9-10).
The methodologies of educational research are constantly evolving and changing. Qualitative designs became much more popular over the last 25 years, and experimental designs are making a comeback in popularity. In the past decade, this can be seen in the use of mixed-method designs (McMillan & Schumacher 2006:399). Mixed-methods research is a style of research that uses procedures for conducting research that are typically applied in both quantitative and qualitative studies (Maritz & Visagie 2010:24).
4.2.1.2 Advantages of mixed-method research and technical considerations
Because mixed-methods designs incorporate techniques from both the quantitative and qualitative research traditions, they can be used to answer questions that could not be answered in any other way. By combining and increasing the number of research strategies used within a particular project, the researcher is able to broaden the dimension and hence the scope of the project. By using more than one method within a research study, the researcher is able to obtain a more complete picture of human behaviour and experience. This enhances the researcher‟s understanding and may achieve research goals more quickly (Mertens & Mclaughlin 2004:113).
The aim of this study is to investigate the differences and similarities of how MFL is taught in universities in China and South Africa (see 1.4) through a literature study, but also through an exploration of the experiences of lecturers teaching MFL and the students acquiring MFL in these two very different contexts (see 3.5 & 3.8). Moreover, this study breaks ground as the first comparative study to explore the provision of MFL in these two higher education systems. Taking these factors into consideration, different tools of data gathering, such as a survey whose results could be statistically analysed as well as narrative interviews which allow for in-depth understanding of the social phenomena, were desirable in order to gain a multi-layered insight into particular phenomena of interest. Therefore, the mixed-method research which allowed for the employment of both quantitative and qualitative methods was deemed appropriate for this research.
4.2.1.3 Researcher‟s role
The researcher‟s own background characteristics may constitute important points of difference between the researcher and his or her subjects or participants. Various background characteristics of the researcher can influence data, of which age, gender and ethnicity are probably the most important. In order to decrease the researcher‟s effects on data, the researcher must monitor the information about him or herself which is disclosed to the subject. Certain information, such as personal opinions and political or religious loyalties, has the potential to act as a constraint on the self-disclosure of the subject. But the researcher can avoid such an effect by refraining from revealing such information to his or her subjects (Tietze
2012). On the other hand, it must also be remembered that the researcher‟s person is necessary and vital to the establishment of an authentic relationship with subjects and can often contribute to the collection and analysis of valid data. The researcher‟s personal characteristics can thus simultaneously be viewed as an advantage and a drawback (Tietze 2012).
I have suitable background characteristics and a special relationship with this topic. My major at both bachelor and master degree levels is Chinese Language and Literature and this assisted in the design of the questionnaire. In addition, I have 13 years teaching experience as a lecturer, two years as an associate professor and five years as a head of Department of Chinese language and literature in Tianjin University of Science and Technology in China. I believe this work experience allowed me to establish a trusting relationship with the participants of this study and enabled them to share freely with me. I am also a qualified teacher of MFL and proficient in English: I hold a qualification certificate of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (advanced) and a certificate of advanced level of English with distinction. In terms of residence, I am a citizen of China and also a permanent resident of South Africa. This is helpful for the understanding of both education systems and convenient for conducting the survey in person.
4.3 RESEARCH DESIGN