Conceptual issues and analytic strategies in mixed-method studies of preschool inclusion

Mixed-method designs increasingly are being used to investigate multi-facet ed educational phenomena, but many conceptual and practical challenges rema in in combining qualitative and quantitative methods. This paper addresses the conceptual issues by illustrating how 2 analytic approaches were used f or different mixed-method purposes in the study of preschool inclusion. Usi ng family and classroom studies as examples, the paper describes practical strategies for conducting mixed-method data analysis in terms of data reduc tion, transformation, comparison, and interpretation.