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...

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…