Dr. Burke Johnson
Professor
University of South Alabama

Dr. Johnson is the author, with Larry Christensen, of Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches. The title of his keynote speech will be: Can the Philosophy and Practice of Mixed Methodology Help Us Construct a More Inclusive “Education Science”?

In this presentation, Dr. Johnson will provide an overview of the current state of the field in mixed methodology and discuss how it might mediate the longstanding qualitative-quantitative schism in education. He will trace the intellectual history out of which mixed methods research emerged, and he will briefly discuss its current philosophies and approaches to practice. He will explain how researchers can reconcile some of the epistemological differences between "pure" qualitative and quantitative research and distinguish a new set of philosophical underpinnings for mixed research. He also will address why mixed methods research fits well with interdisciplinary and practice-oriented fields such as many areas in educational research. Then Dr. Johnson will present the tenets for an “inclusive education science" and dialogue with the audience about the strengths and weaknesses of these tenets and listen to the audience to learn how they might be improved.