Observation and research in the classroom context

Observation and research in the classroom context

1. Classroom observation

   • beginning
     • it began to be used in 1960´s.
   • Purposes
     • To compare teaching methods
     • To study the most efficient classroom techiniques
     • To evaluate teachers and materials
   • A systematic approach
     • It is an important tool for studying what actually happens in the classroom in a systematic way.
   • Interaction analysis
     • Area of classroom research
       • MODELS
         • FIAC (FLANDER´S INTERACTION ANALYSIS CATEGORIES (1970): 10 categories
         • FLINT (FOREIGN LANGUAGE INTERACTION BY MOSKOWITZ (1976)
         • FOCUS (FOCI FOR OBSERVING COMMUNICATION USED IN SETTINGS BY FASSELOW (1977)
   • Discourse analysis
     • "it has contribute to a better awareness of the internal structure and functional purpose of verbal classroom interaction" De la Madrid, n.d.
       • MODELS
         • COLT MOODEL (Communicative orientation of language teaching. SPADA, 1985)
         • Sinclair and Couldthard Model (1975): Five levels
         • Craig Chaudron (1988). Two main types: structural and functional units

2. Ethnography

   • It involves "the study of the cultural characteristics of a group in real world rather than laboratory settings" NUNAN (1997)
     • CONSTITUTIVE ETHNOGRAPHY. MEHAN (1979)
       • Characteristics
         • Retrievability of the data
         • Comprehensive data treatment
         • Convergence between researcher´s and participant´s perspectives
         • Interactional level of analysis
     • ANALYSIS OF RECORDED DATA. ERICKSON AND SHULTZ (1981)
       • 6 STAGES

3. Teacher reflection

   • Donald Schonwork
     • He proposed a reflective model of teaching practice in which teachers are encouraged to reflect in their own classroom teaching.
       • Kinds of professional knowledge
         • Received knowledge: facts, theories, Data
         • Experimental Knowledge
     • Reflective practitioner
       • a teacher who is able to reflect on his/her own practice, learn from the experience and develop personally and professionally.
   • Components of reflective teaching
   • Teacher´s beliefs
     • "Conceptual schemata" or mental constructs. Came from both received and experiential knowledge.
       • Basic stages in studies examining teachers´beliefs (De Vicente)
         • COGNITIVE
         • CRITICAL
         • INTERPRETATIVE

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