What the study found
The article argues that methodological pragmatism can help medical education researchers move beyond a strict choice between qualitative and quantitative methods. It presents pragmatism as a pluralistic approach in which the research question should guide method selection.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say this matters because rigid methodological dualism may limit medical education research's ability to capture the complexity of socially embedded phenomena. They suggest pragmatism offers a way to prioritize the methods best suited to the question rather than philosophical allegiance.
What the researchers tested
This is a conceptual article rather than an empirical study. The authors discuss philosophical debates about postpositivism, interpretivism, and pragmatism, and they use the lead author's prior research on self-assessment of communication skills in clinical settings as an example.
What worked and what didn't
In the example given, a postpositivist deductive approach allowed examination of score distributions and correlations between students' self-assessments and external assessors' scores. It did not allow examination of the stories behind the scores or the contextual factors shaping agreement or disagreement, while a pragmatist mixed-methods approach allowed interviews to add explanatory detail and identify student-, interaction-, and patient-related factors.
What to keep in mind
The article is an argument for methodological pragmatism, not a report of a new dataset or experiment. Its claims are based on philosophical discussion and one illustrative research example, and the abstract does not describe formal limitations beyond that scope.
Key points
- The article argues for methodological pragmatism in medical education research.
- It presents pragmatism as a way to combine qualitative and quantitative methods when appropriate.
- The authors say rigid methodological dualism may limit how well research captures complex social phenomena.
- An example from self-assessment of communication skills shows how interviews added information beyond score distributions and correlations.
- The abstract describes the piece as conceptual rather than an empirical study.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Pragmatism is presented as a way to bridge qualitative and quantitative methods
- Authors:
- Ghaith Alfakhry, Danica Sims, Ariel Lindorff
- Institutions:
- National Institute of Public Administration, University of Oxford, University of Johannesburg
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-11
- DOI:
- 10.1111/medu.70204
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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