introduction: what is observation?
TRANSCRIPT
SPED4 Child Observational
StudyMarlyn C. Saludes, Maed-SPED
Topics: Prelim (Nov. 5-Dec. 9) What is observation Purposes of observation How to do observation in SPED classroom Observation: A major part of the assessment
process.
How well do you observe? Take 15 seconds and look at the picture below. Move to the next slide or turn away from the computer screen and write down everything you observed. Then, come back to the photo and see what you missed (or thought was there and isn’t!).
What is observation?
an observation is information or data about objects, events, moves, attitudes, calamities, realities or phenomena using directly one or more senses.
Observation…Involves all 5 senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste
Why do we observe?• To improve our teaching
– understanding our biases and improving our objectivity
• To construct theory• To help parents• To use as an assessment tool• To wonder why and solve a
problem• To communicate with children
ObservationsAdvantages
Most direct measure of behavior
Provides direct information
Easy to complete, saves time
Can be used in natural or experimental settings
Disadvantages May require training Observer’s presence
may create artificial situation
Potential for bias Potential to overlook
meaningful aspects Potential for
misinterpretation Difficult to analyze
What is Observation for?
Children are observed for developmental progress .
Observations take place primarily through children’s normal daily activities, their use of language, social interactions with others and work samples that demonstrate learning.
Focus System Tools Environment
Fundamentals of Observations
Fundamentals of Observations… Con’tFocus
What do you want to know? Whom/what do you want to
observe? What aspects of behavior
do you want to know about? What is your purpose?
SystemsWhat will you do?How will you record
information?How detailed will you be?How long will you record?
Fundamentals of Observations… Con’t
ToolsWhat will you need for your
observation?How will you record what you
want to know?
Fundamentals of Observations… Con’t
EnvironmentWhere will you watch?What restraints are inherent in the setting
Fundamentals of Observations… Con’t
SummaryObservation
We observe to learn about the whole child. These four concepts work in tandem to provide the most complete
understanding of an individual child and the child within the group: Scripted or required observation Intuitive observation Planned observation Spontaneous observation
The environment affects how, when, where, and what we observe. We plan with prompts to elicit actions to observe and document. We observe to provide information for assessment.
What is the end result?Understanding of the whole child
Assessment and EvaluationCommunication with parents and caregivers
Activities
Developmental checklist Ethical procedure
Methods of Observation Naturalistic Observation
Observe and record behaviors at time of occurrence in natural setting
Uses trained, objective observers Behavioral description system requiring little
inference Minimally intrusive School is highly conducive to this type of
observation
Methods of Observation Participant and Non Participant
observation . In participant observation, the degree of the
participation is largely affected by the nature of the study and it also depends on the type of the situation and also on its demands.
But in the non participant type of observation, no participation of the observer in the activities of the group takes place and also there occurs no relationship between the researcher and the group.
Methods of Observation Analogue Observation
Designed to simulate the conditions of the natural environment
Requires a highly structured and controlled setting in which behaviors of concern are likely observed.
Indirect measurement procedure Examples – parent child role play interactions Generalization issues - / high degree of inference Allows for greater control of environment Requires structure of observational setting to
closely resemble natural environment
Methods of Observation Self Monitoring
Target child is trained in observing and recording their own behavior
Advantages – low cost and efficiency, can tap into covert private thoughts and its lack of intrusiveness
Disadvantages – reliability / validity, difficult to train child
Need to provide sufficient training, use formal observation forms, require minimal energy for self monitoring procedures, conduct reliability checks and reinforce subject.
Methods of Observation Subjective and Objective Observation
All the observations consist of the two main components, the subject and the object.
The subject refers to the observer whereas the object refers to the activity or any type of operation that is being observed.
Subjective observation involves the observation of the one’s own immediate experience whereas the observations involving observer as an entity apart from the thing being observed, are referred to as the objective observation. Objective observation is also called as the retrospection.
Practice: Structured/unstructured observationsImagine you are sitting in a room where ten
youth are sitting at computers learning about Web 2.0 applications.1) If you want to assess to what extent students are interested and learning, what specifically would you look (listen) for? 2) If you aren’t sure what specifically indicates student interest or learning and you want to see what is going on during the demonstration, how would you proceed?
Example – Observing participation in an after school program Who you will observe:
youth attending the program What you will observe:
Age, gender Length of time student stays in the program Involvement in activities: which activities
Level of involvement Interactions with other youth; with staff
When you will observe: all hours the program is open for one week each month during 2007
Types of Observations• Narratives-The most valuable, but also the most
difficult.– Running records: keeping track of everything that
happens in a specified time period– Anecdotal records: a brief description or “word picture”
• Time Sampling -The measuring of a behavior over time. A quantitative method where you count the number of times a behavior occurs at uniform time intervals
• Event Sampling -where the observer records a specific behavior only when it occurs. Often used for recording less frequent behavior
Topics: Midterm
The role of observation in SPED Participation in SPED settingThe need for field experience.
Types of Observations
• Teacher-Designed Instruments– Checklists– Rating Scales– Shadow studies
• Standardized tests– Screening tests– Developmental tests Intelligence tests– Readiness tests
Steps in planning for observation Determine who/what will be observed.
Determine aspects that will be observed (characteristics, attributes, behaviors, etc.).
Determine where and when observations will be made.
Develop the observation guide Pilot test the observation guide Train the observers and have them practice. Conduct the observations Analyze and interpret the collected information. Write up and use your findings.
Who does the observations?
You – program staff Participants - Youth Parents Teachers Volunteers Other stakeholders Colleagues
Who/what can you observe People (individuals, groups,
communities) Characteristics Interactions Behaviors Reactions
Physical settings Environmental features Products/physical artifacts
Use sampling strategies as you do for other methods of data collection
How to rHow to record your observationsons
It is not good enough to just observe, you need to record your observations. You might use:
Observation guide Recording sheet Checklist Field note Picture Combination of the above
Process :Training –preparation/orientation may be necessary
To learn what to look for To learn how to record observations To practice To ensure that observations across sites are
consistent: observers use the same methods, rate an observation in same way
Summary
What have you learned in this lecture?
Homework
Visit a basic education classroom. Use the guide questions in the classroom
observation handout Due November 17
Guide questions
What did you do first?
What is behavior?
What should be observed?
Behavior Academic Performance Skills
Behavior-Conduct
BEHAVIOR refers to actions usually measured by commonly accepted standards:
His behavior at the party was childish.
CONDUCT refers to actions viewed collectively/especially as measured by an ideal standard:
Conduct is judged according to principles of ethics.
Deportment-Comforment
DEPORTMENT is behavior related to a code
or to an arbitrary
standard: Deportment is guided by rules of etiquette.
The teacher gave Susan a m
ark of B in deportment.
COMPORTMENT is
behavior as viewed from the standpoint of
one's management of one's own actions:
His comportment was marked by a quiet assurance.
Checking in…What do you think? Answer YES or NO to each of the following1.Observation involves “seeing” and “listening” 2.People may behave differently when they know they are being observed so it is better not to tell them3.Structured observations provide more accurate and useful information4.As long as you see it, it doesn’t matter if you record what you saw5.You, as someone who “knows” the program and the participants, are best suited to conduct the observations6.The same principles of sampling apply to observation as to other forms of data collection Check your answers at the end
Checking back in…Answers1. Observation involves “seeing” and “listening” YES
2. People may behave differently when they know they are being observed so it is better not to tell them NO – they often DO behave differently but that is not a reason not to tell them they are being observed.
3. Structured observations provide more accurate and useful information NO – unstructured observation also can be very useful
4. As long as you see it, it doesn’t matter if you record what you saw NO – you must record your observations to have evidence of it existing
5. You, as someone who “knows” the program and the participants, are best suited to conduct the observations NO – various people might be well suited, though training may be necessary
6. The same principles of sampling apply to observation as to other forms of data collection YES