Handbook of Mixed Methods Research in Education

Despite the growing popularity of mixed methods research, a 2025 survey shows that most educational research still avoids the use of numerical data, reflecting ongoing methodological polarisation. This Handbook for Mixed Methods Research in Education is, therefore, timely. It addresses the gap, highlighting the value of using multiple designs. This handbook offers both theoretical and practical guidance in planning, conducting, and reporting mixed methods studies in education. This chapter sets the field and identifies key issues in mixed methods research in education, such as the importance of context, overcoming the divide between quantitative and qualitative approaches, ‘integration’, triangulation and practical challenges. The chapter introduces the Handbook’s three parts: foundations and approaches in mixed methods research in education; real-life examples; and future directions.