Participant Observation In Classroom

Words: 444
Pages: 2

Participant observation is one of the most effective and powerful tools in the anthropologists’ arsenal. In our particular study it is extremely useful because we are observing students within their natural class environment, which is fundamental to our understanding of how they’re engaging in learning. This is particularly important with the ALC’s as they purposely utilize a broad spectrum of instructional styles and learning methods, where being directly ‘in the field’ is imperative to understanding. More specifically we’ll be incorporating a passive style of participant observation which will involve attending classes and observing, but not necessarily actively engaging regularly with the students, instructor, or course work. This will allow us to keep a more neutral research stance as well as worry less about the ethical issue of potentially interfering with the students learning. Our research team will explore student engagement and the overall effectiveness of the Active Learning Classrooms. The primary focus of our participant observation will be male and female …show more content…
These classrooms will be observed during instructor taught active learning classes over a period of ten days. The classes being observed span a broad range of subjects; from Chemistry 1252, English 3050, Liberal Studies 2102, to Applied Databases 5160. Our observations will not be limited to just students, but will include the course instructors and any teachers assistants. Some measurements of engagement will include, eye contact, student/instructor communication, note taking, actively participating in group activities, attentive body language. We will also measure behavioral distractions such as use of phones, sleeping, leaving classrooms, compute usage, doodling, and