Classroom observations

Abikoff, H., Gittelman-Klein, R., and Klein, D.F. (1977) Validation of a classroom observation code for hyperactive children. / Consult Clin Psychol 21 519-533. 

The first source of data for this study was a set of field notes based on classroom observations, a logical first step in a study of students experiences in... 

O management group to solve problems Classroom observation of... 

The research tools that the teachers used consisted of classroom observations and student interviews. 

Classroom observations, general observations and field notes were made throughout the research. While all students were happy to be interviewed and observed, the secondary students were not willing to participate in the planned diary scheme. Greg and Jerry made one or two sporadic entries, via computer or scribe, in the first term, but then found the work too onerous on top of all the demands of the curriculum. Mike did not want to take part at all, since he felt included at Meadow Hill anddidnot want to dwell on things which made him different. 

There were evident in many of the expressed attitudes of staff and in classroom observations a retention of attitudes concerning pedagogy and needs which stressed the separateness of the Inclnsion Project pupils. Inclusion Project students would often (but not most of the time) be doing different tasks on their own and away from other children. This is covered fully later in the section on the curriculum, but it is mentioned here insofar as it has implications for initial and continuing professional development of staff Some illustrative comments are given here ... 

There was little evidence from staff comments that staff had changed their teaching styles in response to the children. Classroom observations confirm that a more common response to the presence of the children is to pretend nothing s happened - in other words to accept and... 

This was confirmed by classroom observation in one case an experienced primary teacher was noted skilfully to incorporate the Inclusion Project student in the work of a group of children without identifying him or marking him out for special comment. However, her questioning and language were sensitively adapted to his needs. 

The primary schoolchildren were all happy in their mainstream settings according to their own, their teachers andtheirparents accounts, and our classroom observations. Some were vehement about not wanting to return to the special school. 

With the exception of Greg, and to a lesser extent Jerry, all the students reports of the friends they had made were confirmed by teachers and parents accounts, by classroom observation and, in the primary schools, by sociometric exercises. 

Some faculty members express frustration with the lack of student mathematics preparation, which researchers corroborate with classroom observations. These observations reveal that students were occasionally unfamiliar with rudimentary concepts. During a class session at FAMU-FSU, a professor stopped and asked a student, Haven t you ever seen this before The student and the group responded, No. The professor tried again, I thought that you would have seen this before. The students again responded, No. Professor pleaded Calculus III Again the students responded, No. Such encounters seem to wear heavily on faculty ... 

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