Observations

• What is a covert participant observation?


  You are participating in the group but people don't know that you are observing
• How did Sudhir Venkatesh use covert participant observation?


  Gang leader for a day- lived on a Chicago housing estate for 7 years to observe the daily lives of the people there
• What are the practical advantages of covert participant observation?


  • It is the only method that can be used for studying certain groups, e.g. gangs, criminals
• What are the ethical advantages of covert participant observation?


  • It is participant led
  • It gives a voice to stigmatised groups
  • It can bring about social change
• What are the theoretical advantages of covert participant observation?


  • Good for digging deep and gaining an insight
  • Verstehen/empathetic understanding
  • It allows the researcher to enter with an open mind
• What are the practical disadvantages of covert participant observation?


  • It can be time consuming
  • It takes time to build a rapport
  • It requires both observational and interpersonal skills
  • Gaining access can be difficult
  • It is difficult to take notes
• What are the ethical disadvantages of covert participant observation?


  • There is no consent
  • Researchers may have to commit illegal acts
  • There is danger from the publication
  • Researchers and subjects could develop mental trauma
• What are the theoretical disadvantages of covert participant observation?


  • It is almost impossible to accurately repeat
  • It is a small scale so it is unlikely to be representative
• What is overt participant observation?


  You are participating in the group but they know that you are a researcher
• How did Paul Willis use overt participant observation?


  Learning to Labour- He followed a group of working-class boys over a number of years to see why working class people get working class jobs
• What are the practical advantages of overt participant observation?


  • Gives access to groups that could not be studied covertly
  • They are studying openly, so it is easy to generate and record data
  • Easy to separate researcher and participants
• What are the ethical advantages of overt participant observation?


  • People are not being deceived
  • They are less likely to suffer from mental trauma
  • Consent is given
• What are the theoretical advantages of overt participant observation?


  • You can get into the world you are studying
  • You can collect highly valid data
  • You can ask for clarification
• What are the practical disadvantages of overt participant observation?


  • Time consuming and expensive
  • Requires observational and interpersonal skills
• What are the theoretical disadvantages of overt participant observation?


  • Reliability
  • Low degree of representativeness
  • It is difficult to avoid subjectivity and form a bias
  • Hawthorne effect- people might behave differently because they know they being observed
  • Researchers might go naive
• What is overt non-participant observation?


  You are not participating and the people know that you are a researcher
• What is an example of overt non-participant observation?


  OFSTED
• What are practical advantages of overt non-participant observation?


  • Cheaper
  • Quicker
• What are the ethical advantages of overt non-participant observation?


  • There is consent
  • Theoretically, they have the right to withdraw
• What are the theoretical advantages of overt non-participant observation?


  • People act more naturally
  • Better reliability
  • Bigger sample size
• What are the disadvantages of overt non-participant observation?


  • They lack validity
  • Potentially disempowering for those participating
• What are the practical issues of structured observation in classrooms?

  • Closed physical and social environment
  • Easy to record behavior from the back
  • Short lesson duration prevents observer fatigue
  • Quicker, cheaper, and less training required
• Why might playground activity be challenging for structured observation?

  Too many different behaviors to categorize
• What is the reliability of structured observation in classrooms?

  • Limited range of behaviors
  • Easy to establish behavior categories
  • Replicable observations
  • Generates quantitative data for comparison
• What do interpretivists criticize about structured observation?

  It lacks validity by ignoring meanings
• How does observer presence affect classroom observations?

  • Observer presence can be off-putting
  • Difficult to disguise the observer's role
  • Likely affects behavior of teachers and pupils
  • Reduces validity of the observation
• What are the validity issues with participant observation in education?

  • Overcomes status differences between pupils and researcher
  • Researchers may still alter behavior when observed
  • Genuine behavior may be difficult to assess
• What are the practical issues of participant observation in schools?

  • Schools are complex environments
  • Understanding school functions takes time
  • Less disruptive than interviews
  • Restricted by school timetable and access
• What ethical issues arise in classroom observation?

  Pupils may not give informed consent
• What is the Hawthorne effect in the context of observation?

  • Observation must be overt
  • Few cover roles for researchers
  • Teachers may alter behavior due to observer presence
• What is the issue of representativeness in participant observation of schools?

  • Participant observation is small scale
  • Education system has over 35,000 schools
  • Achieving representativeness is virtually impossible