Embedded Qualitative-Priority Mixed Design

The embedded qualitative-priority mixed design nests a secondary quantitative strand within a dominant qualitative inquiry. The qualitative strand drives the research logic, framing the questions, guiding data collection, and anchoring interpretation, while the quantitative component plays a supporting role — typically measuring outcomes, tracking context variables, or confirming patterns emerging from the qualitative core. The result is a rich, theoretically grounded account that remains rooted in participants' meanings while gaining empirical precision where needed.