ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I discuss reflexive mixed methods research (MMR) as utilizing pluralistic approaches and explaining complex and dynamic relationships within an education system. I first define key methodological terms and then discuss different approaches that are commonly used in MMR and their ontological and epistemological stances. I contrast these approaches with critical realism’s ontology of a stratified reality and its epistemological pluralism, which allows researchers to integrate different kinds of data to explain complex problems within specific contexts. I expand upon reflexivity through the metaphor of a kaleidoscope to illustrate how the MMR process can engage with different perspectives or paradigms.
