Students Integration and Transitioning in New Zealand School

Integration of Students Transitioning in New Zealand

The study uses the mixed methods to collect data using both quantitative and qualitative research approach. The mixed methods address the shortcomings of both the quantitative and qualitative research by combining the strengths of the qualitative and quantitative research. Johnson, & Onwuegbuzie (2004) define mixed methods as a class of research that combines both qualitative and quantitative research methods, technique approach and concepts. Philosophically, mixed methods use the pragmatic method to carry out the research using the induction, deduction, and abduction to seek explanations to an understanding. Unlike the qualitative or quantitative research that uses induction or deduction approach to seek for research explanation, the mixed methods combine both induction and deduction to seek explanation of research inquiry. The benefit mixed methods is that it attempts to use multiple research approach to answer the research questions rather than restricting to single research choice since the mixed methods use an expansive, complimentary, and pluralist approach to conduct research. Typically, "mixed methods research offers great promise for researchers because it helps to bridge the schism between quantitative and qualitative research." (Johnson, & Onwuegbuzie, 2004 p 15).

Major characteristics of mixed methods is that it combines major features of both qualitative and quantitative research. For example, quantitative research focuses on confirmation, deduction, hypothesis / theory development, prediction, explanation, statistical analysis, and standardized data collection. On other hand, qualitative research focuses on induction, exploratory, discovery, and theory / hypothesis development. A fundamental principle of mixed methods is that it gains a greater understanding of both the strength and weakness of qualitative and quantitative research to assist researcher combining the strategies in answering the research questions and achieve the research objectives.

"The majority of mixed methods research designs can be developed from the two major types of mixed methods research: mixed-model (mixing qualitative and quantitative approaches within or across the stages of the research process) and mixed-method (the inclusion of a quantitative phase and a qualitative phase in an overall research study)." (Johnson, & Onwuegbuzie, 2004 p 20).

Thus, the principle assists the researcher to collect multiple data by using different approach, strategies, and method. The major strength of the mixed methods is by using both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques to develop a superior research approach. For example, the qualitative research uses the interview to tap in the phenomenon to understand potential problems. Moreover, the qualitative research uses the close-ended instrument to measure important factors of the research literatures. By combining survey method with interview technique, the researcher is able to improve generability.

Johnson, & Onwuegbuzie (2004) discusses the strategy to develop the mixed method model. First, the research develops the research question. The next approach is to select the mixed research design. Moreover, the researcher collects data using both qualitative and quantitative approach. The next step is to carry out the data analysis, present the research findings and draw conclusions.

Leech, Dellinger, Brannagan, et al. (2010) contribute to the argument by pointing out multiple validity is one of the features of the mixed methods because the mixed research provides a stronger research evidence through collaborative approach. Typically, the mixed methods serve a triangulation to achieve research validity and reliability.

Despite the benefits that this study attempts to derive from the mixed method, its shortcoming is that it is time consuming and can incur a significant cost. Since the researcher combines both the qualitative and quantitative research, the researcher will incur a significant cost in competing the research. Despite the shortcomings identified in the mixed method, the benefits that this research derives from the research methods outweigh its shortcomings because the mixed methods assist the research to deliver reliability and validity of the research findings.

Data Analysis

The study uses the quantitative statistical technique to carry out the data analysis. First, the study uses the descriptive statistics to summarize the whole raw rata in a manageable form. The summary of whole data assists in arriving at the Mean (average) value of academic progression of all the students. Moreover, the study uses the statistical analysis to arrive at the Mean value of the attitude, behaviors, and homework results of the student of participants. The study also uses the variance analysis on the probability distribution of the data. The variance assists in determining the difference in students' behaviors over given years.

Results

The results reveal the variance in the transition periods of all the students participants with regards to their attitudes, behaviors and academic performances between 2011 and 2015. As being revealed in the Table 1, the average performances and behaviors are higher than the attitude of all the students during the transition period between 2011 and 2015.

Variance

Variance

Variance

Table1:

Attitude

Behavior

Homework

Student A -0,5

-10%

-0,2

-4%

-0,2

-4%

Student B

-1

-20%

-1

-20%

-1

-20%

Student C

Student D

-0,6

-12%

-1,5

-30%

-0,2

-4%

Student E

-1,4

-28%

-0,2

-4%

-1,2

-24%

Student F

Student G

0,7

14%

0,4

8%

0,7

14%

Student H

-1,4

-28%

-1,4

-28%

-1,9

-38%

Average

-0,7

-14%

-0,65

-13%

-0,63

-13%

Discussion

A transition between school serves as turning point for students. (Weiss & Bearman 2007, Seidman & French 2004). Typically, students who are able to make transition successfully still face challenges throughout their school years. One of the major elements that determines the successful transition is the students' academic performances. Moreover, the performances of students in their first academic year can affect the performances of students throughout their academic career. Typically, academic success of students is more likely to be influences by social integration and students who are able to socialize themselves quickly with other students are likely to perform better than students who socialize themselves easily. The differences in variance in academic performances, behaviors and attitudes of participants have been associated with different level of social integration of students' participants.

The transition is very important because it represents a major shift in the academic performances and behavior of students. Typically, the behavioral problems become evident when students change from one school to the other. Essentially, student's GPA (grade point average) is the predictor of academic performances. The GPA also reveals the extent student in transition has been effectively integrated in the academic environment.

The results support that the impact of transition affects the students differently. While the transition affects the behaviors of some students in a significant way, the transition does not really affect the behaviors of some students. The results show that some students can adapt quickly to a change in environment than the way other students adapt to a change of environment. Additionally, the attitude, behaviors, and performance of students vary and these variables have been influenced by the student's social background. The teacher also plays important role in enhancing the social integration of students. Teachers can assist students to achieve high academic performance through effective orientation with old students. Moreover, peer group in schools can assist in enhancing effective social integration. Teachers play important role in vertical teaming by forming formal and informal roles in enhancing students' social integration using extra curricular activities. It is essential to realize that students' social integration can be enhanced by organizing the extra curricular activities and encourage new students to actively participate in the extra curricular activities. The difference in students academic performances, difference in social behaviors and difference in students' attitudes are attributed to the extent students have been integrated socially in the formal school. The results support that students struggling in their academic performances are the students facing challenges to socialize effectively.