ABSTRACT
Mixed methods (MM) approaches to social network analysis have been presented as a promising way to establish a more global understanding of networks. Particularly, research has acknowledged the power of qualitative data to help interpret and nuance structural properties of networks acquired through quantitative data. This chapter aims to provide a thorough understanding of the network structure in the context of teachers’ first years in the profession, using an MM design. The chapter first provides a short theoretical background. Next, the MM design is described, and the results are delineated. The results reveal that for most beginning teachers (BTs), the assumption that access to resources in the network is positively associated with their job attitudes seems to be supported. The qualitative data provides explanations for the cases where the assumption seems to be incorrect. The chapter concludes by discussing the added value of the design, limitations, and guidelines for practice.
