Lesson Observations
For the classroom observations, two members of the research team – the researcher who is linked with the pair of teachers concerned throughout the project together with an assistant who complements the linked researcher in terms of subject/phase expertise.
We are recording:
• pre-observation notes about the lesson objectives and special features of the classroom, resources, lesson structure and pupils
• Field notes concerning the activities carried out during the lesson
• Additional points made by the teacher and researchers immediately post observation.
The field notes attempt to capture the key events during the lesson, at a level of detail which is appropriate for the significance of the event. These notes are subsequently shared with the teacher. The assistant researcher makes additional notes concerning individual pupil and group activity if possible. In addition, two video cameras record the classroom activity; one is focused on the front of the classroom (particularly on the interactive whiteboard or other means of whole class presentation), the other is held at the side by the assisting researcher in order to capture pupils’ reactions during whole-class interaction and pupil group activity when relevant.
The DVD recording of the main camera is left with the teacher, with a request to select a particular part of the lesson for a reflective dialogue with the linked researcher about a week later. The recordings are transferred to the researcher’s laptop PC in order to aid the preliminary analysis of field notes, and is subsequently deleted. Immediately after the observation, the two researchers record their reflections on the structure of the lesson, the activities carried out, and the orchestration by teacher and learners.
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