ISM for D&T: Research methods 3Observation & documentary analysis

Alison Hardy & Sarah Davies

Monday 4th February 2013

Learning outcomes

• Know about observation as a research tool/method

• Be aware of some of the strengths and limitations of observations in educational research

• Know about documentary research and using documents as a method for collecting data

(Sharp 2012. p.83 & 94)

How do you know something to be as you think it is?

Does it matter how you arrive at that knowledge?

18 April 2023 3

Remember this?

Approaches and paradigmsNormative paradigm Interpretive paradigm

Survey research Case study research

Documentary research

Experimental research Action research

Sharp 2012. p.46

This is just one interpretation of approaches to educational research. Cohen, Manion and Lawrence (2007a) discuss these paradigms and how they represent a researchers epistemology and ontology.

Reflect:• Where are you on the paradigm spectrum?• What do you think this says about you as a researcher?

A SEQUENCE OF CONSIDERATIONS

PREPARATORY ISSUES

METHODOLOGY

SAMPLING & INSTRUMENTATION

TIMING & SEQUENCING

Ontology, epistemology, constraints, purposes, foci, ethics, research

question, politics, literature review

Approaches, reliability, validity

Reliability, validity, piloting

A SEQUENCE OF CONSIDERATIONS

ORIENTING DECISIONS

RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODOLOGY

DATA ANALYSIS

PRESENTING AND REPORTING RESULTS

E.G. SURVEY, EXPERIMENT, NATURALISTIC, CASE STUDY, ACTION RESEARCH, TESTING

Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007b

Key features of observations

Summary from Sharp (2012) and Morrison (1993) in Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2000)• Collect detailed information about what people are

actually doing• Enable the researcher to gather data and explore:

– Physical setting (room, layout)– Human setting (groups, people organisation)– Interactional setting (conversations, planned, unplanned)– Programme setting (resources, pedagogic styles)

Quotes from Morrison (1993) in Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2000. (p.304)

Before you begin

• What do I hope to learn from this observation?• Who do I want to complete the observation?• How will the information I obtain help me

achieve my goals and objectives for my professional practice?

• Structured:• hypothesis decided, confirming or refuting

hypothesis• Unstructured:

• hypothesis-generating• Semi-structured:

• hypothesis-generating• Spectrum of the observer role:

(Sharp 2012 and Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2000)

Types of observation

Complete participantComplete observer

Designing the observation schedule‘incidence, presence and frequency’

• Event sampling: how often• Instantaneous sampling: when (chronology) &

as it happens• Interval recording: after it happens• Rating scale: judgementHow to record:• Note taking, photos or audio-visual

Observing your lessons

• Who would observe?• What would they observe?• How would the observation be recorded?

Task:Answer the questions above in relation to your research question

• Your research is small scale and only some elements of the findings may be transferrable

• You need to be clear about:

(Spradley 1980 in Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2000, p.212)Task:Which of these items would you need to consider for your topic?

Space People (actors) Activities

Objects Acts Events

Time Goals Feelings

Checklist for field notes

Schedule 1

Task:Look at the Classroom Observation forms in your PDR file and consider if any of the following ways of recoding data are used:– Event sampling– Instantaneous sampling– Interval recording– Rating scale

Do you think the right technique is used for the topic?How could you improve the form and why?

Schedule 2Task:

Look at the Classroom Observation forms in your PDR file and consider which of the following detail is recorded in the field notes:

• Space• People (actors)• Activities• Objects• Acts• Events• Time• Goals• Feelings

Is the correct detail recorded ?How will this detail help inform your practice?

Avoid….

• …looking out of place• …being tempted to interfere• ….being intrusive• …making assumptions• …being judgemental

(Sharp 2012, p.90)Read:BYARD, K., 2002. Is seeing really believing? Observation lessons from a teacher's perspective. Education 3-13, 30 (2), 56-61.

Documentary Research

Only focusing on the use of documentary research for this module; there are other types of documents which may be used n other research projects but in ISM you will primarily look at:

What type of documents?

Document types

• Examination papers/ tests/ projects• Attendance registers• Pupil’s work: paper and artefacts• Pupil diaries• Lesson plans/ evaluationsTask:

Write down 2/3 documents you might look at for your topic

Things to remember

• Products of their time• Embedded in the current cultural and political

context • Documents may be created only for your

project• Analysis in interpretive: how are you looking

at the documents (remember bias)(Sharp 2012, p.96)

Task

Which documents would you need to investigate for the following?• Impact of literacy strategies on design work• Engaging gifted and talented in D&T• Dyslexic pupils in D&T: appropriate teaching

strategies• The nature and content of your own course

and its assessment framework

References

• BYARD, K., 2002. Is seeing really believing? Observation lessons from a teacher's perspective. Education 3-13, 30 (2), 56-61.

• BELL, J., 2010. Doing your research project. Open University Press.

• COHEN, L., MANION, L. and MORRISON, K.R.B., 2007a. Research methods in education [electronic resource]. London: Routledge.

• COHEN, L., MANION, L. and MORRISON, K.R.B., 2000. Research methods in education. London: Routledge

• SHARP, J., 2012. Success with your education research project. Learning Matters.

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