OBSERVATIONS

OBSERVATIONS

1. Is a way of gathering data by watching behavior, events, or noting physical characteristics in their natural setting.

   • IT CAN BE
     • OVERT(everyone knows they are being observed); you will typically need to conduct overt observations because of ethical problems related to concealing your observation
     • COVERT (no one knows they are being observed and the observer is concealed). The benefit of covert observation is that people are more likely to behave naturally if they do not know they are being observed
   • IT CAN BE
     • DIRECT: when you watch interactions, processes, or behaviors as they occur; for example, observing a teacher teaching a lesson from a written curriculum to determine whether they are delivering it with fidelity
     • INDIRECT: you watch the results of interactions, processes, or behaviors; for example, measuring the amount of plate waste left by students in a school cafeteria to determine whether a new food is acceptable to them.
   • ADVENTAGES OF CONDUCTING OBSERVATION
     •  Collect data where and when an event or activity is occurring.  Does not rely on people’s willingness or ability to provide information. Allows you to directly see what people do rather than relying on what people say they did.
   • DISADVENTAGES OF CONDUCTING OBSERVATIONS
     • Susceptible to observer bias.  Susceptible to the “hawthorne effect,” that is, people usually perform better when they know they are being observed, although indirect observation may decrease this problem.  Can be expensive and time-consuming compared to other data collection methods.  Does not increase your understanding of why people behave as they do.
   • WHE SHOULD YOU CONDUCT OBSERVATIONS
     • When you are trying to understand an ongo g process or situation. -When you are gathering data on individual behaviors or interactions between people. -When you need to know about a physical setting. -When data collection from individuals is not a realistic option.
   • WHEN PLANNING AN OBSERVATION
     • Determine the focus--Design a system for data collection(Recording sheets and checklists, Observation guides,Field notes )--Select the sites--Select the observers. --Train the observers.--Time your observations appropriately.
   • SYSTEMS FOR OBSERVING LANGUAGE CLASSROOM INTERACTION
     • FOCI
       • In this system, communication both inside and outside of the classroom are seem as a series of patterned events in which two or more people use mediums such as speech, gestures, noises or writing to evaluate, interpret and in other ways communicate separate areas of content, such as the meaning of words, personal feelings or classroom procedures.
     • COLT
       • A classroom observation technique that describes classroom events at the level of activity and analyzes the communicative features of verbal exchanges between students and teachers within each activity is described;COLT consists of two parts , part A focuses on the description of classroom activities and contains five subsections. Part B is intended to capture the communicative feature of the classroom.