Techniques
Cons:
Requires teachers to give up valuable time dedicated to teaching, planning,
attending team meetings..etc.
Fieldnotes
What is it?
Written records of participant observers.
*You can not physically record everything that is happening during an
observational episode, nor should you try to! Only pick out what is
essential in the observation.
Maintain a running record of what is happening in a format that will be
most helpful for YOU.
ex.
8:15am
As you observe...
Even though the routines and setting will be very familiar to you, try
to look with new eyes and approach the scene as if you are an
outsider.
Look for bumps
By standing back and observing the class, teachers may catch
unexpected response to classroom management plan or lessons,
pattern or trends of student behaviors...
is a casual
conversation to inquire into something that has presented itself as an
opportunity to learn about their (teachers) practices. The best way to
conduct this types of interview is to use the 5 Ws and H
questions.
Try to use both open ended and closed ended questions. Ask if there is
anything else to add and just like in the younger grades make sure to
give them wait time!
Focus Groups
Try to collect shared understanding from
several individuals and specific people.
Important things:
Take turns
Record and Transcribe
E-Mail Interviews
Pros
Effective for busy professionals
Transcription of the interview has already
been done for you by the respondent
Cons
Ethical issues about confidentiality and
anonymity
Questionnaires
Written collection of self-report questions
answered by participants
Allows researcher to collect large
amounts of data in a relatively short
amount of time
Assuming participants can read and write
and are motivated
Questionnaires
Carefully proofread questionnaires
Avoid a sloppy presentation
Avoid a lengthy questionnaire
Do not ask unnecessary questions
Try to elicit a variety of responses
Allow for an other comments section
Allow for confidentiality
Google Forms!
FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Motto Contains everything you need for
doing nearly every survey with grace.
Multilingual versions
Teacher-Made Tests
Aid teachers in monitoring and adjusting
instruction
Teachers often adapt commercial
curriculum materials
Can develop innovative curricula to address
a particular area of focus and need to
develop tests for these on their own
Standardized Tests
Intended to provide individual student achievement data
Track if students meet Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP)
Critical to our understanding of how teaching practices
affect our students
Attitude Scales
Likert Scale
Semantic Differential
On a scale of SD to SA
Each response
corresponds to a point
value
On a scale of bipolar
adjectives
For both scales,
the sum of the point values
determines the scores.
Triangulation
-
Research
Questions
Data Source
1
1.
2.
3.
4.
Triangulation
*The desire to use multiple sources of data
Multi-instrument
approach
Summary of Chapter 4
Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection Techniques
are used to systematically investigate an area of focus
Techniques include:
-direct observation
-interviews
-questionnaires
-attitude scales
-new and existing record
-artifacts
-teacher-made and standardized tests
-school-generated report cards