SPED4 Child Observational

StudyMarlyn C. Saludes, Maed-SPED

Topics: Prelim (Nov. 5-Dec. 9) What is observation Purposes of observation How to do observation in SPED classroom Observation: A major part of the assessment

process.

How well do you observe? Take 15 seconds and look at the picture below. Move to the next slide or turn away from the computer screen and write down everything you observed. Then, come back to the photo and see what you missed (or thought was there and isn’t!).

What is observation?

an observation is information or data about objects, events, moves, attitudes, calamities, realities or phenomena using directly one or more senses.

Observation…Involves all 5 senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste

Why do we observe?• To improve our teaching

– understanding our biases and improving our objectivity

• To construct theory• To help parents• To use as an assessment tool• To wonder why and solve a

problem• To communicate with children

ObservationsAdvantages

Most direct measure of behavior

Provides direct information

Easy to complete, saves time

Can be used in natural or experimental settings

Disadvantages May require training Observer’s presence

may create artificial situation

Potential for bias Potential to overlook

meaningful aspects Potential for

misinterpretation Difficult to analyze

What is Observation for?

Children are observed for developmental progress .

Observations take place primarily through children’s normal daily activities, their use of language, social interactions with others and work samples that demonstrate learning.

Focus System Tools Environment

Fundamentals of Observations

Fundamentals of Observations… Con’tFocus

What do you want to know? Whom/what do you want to

observe? What aspects of behavior

do you want to know about? What is your purpose?

SystemsWhat will you do?How will you record

information?How detailed will you be?How long will you record?

Fundamentals of Observations… Con’t

ToolsWhat will you need for your

observation?How will you record what you

want to know?

Fundamentals of Observations… Con’t

EnvironmentWhere will you watch?What restraints are inherent in the setting

Fundamentals of Observations… Con’t

SummaryObservation

We observe to learn about the whole child. These four concepts work in tandem to provide the most complete

understanding of an individual child and the child within the group: Scripted or required observation Intuitive observation Planned observation Spontaneous observation

The environment affects how, when, where, and what we observe. We plan with prompts to elicit actions to observe and document. We observe to provide information for assessment.

What is the end result?Understanding of the whole child

Assessment and EvaluationCommunication with parents and caregivers

Activities

Developmental checklist Ethical procedure

Methods of Observation Naturalistic Observation

Observe and record behaviors at time of occurrence in natural setting

Uses trained, objective observers Behavioral description system requiring little

inference Minimally intrusive School is highly conducive to this type of

observation

Methods of Observation Participant and Non Participant

observation . In participant observation, the degree of the

participation is largely affected by the nature of the study and it also depends on the type of the situation and also on its demands.

But in the non participant type of observation, no participation of the observer in the activities of the group takes place and also there occurs no relationship between the researcher and the group.

Methods of Observation Analogue Observation

Designed to simulate the conditions of the natural environment

Requires a highly structured and controlled setting in which behaviors of concern are likely observed.

Indirect measurement procedure Examples – parent child role play interactions Generalization issues - / high degree of inference Allows for greater control of environment Requires structure of observational setting to

closely resemble natural environment

Methods of Observation Self Monitoring

Target child is trained in observing and recording their own behavior

Advantages – low cost and efficiency, can tap into covert private thoughts and its lack of intrusiveness

Disadvantages – reliability / validity, difficult to train child

Need to provide sufficient training, use formal observation forms, require minimal energy for self monitoring procedures, conduct reliability checks and reinforce subject.

Methods of Observation Subjective and Objective Observation

All the observations consist of the two main components, the subject and the object.

The subject refers to the observer whereas the object refers to the activity or any type of operation that is being observed.

Subjective observation involves the observation of the one’s own immediate experience whereas the observations involving observer as an entity apart from the thing being observed, are referred to as the objective observation. Objective observation is also called as the retrospection.

Practice: Structured/unstructured observationsImagine you are sitting in a room where ten

youth are sitting at computers learning about Web 2.0 applications.1) If you want to assess to what extent students are interested and learning, what specifically would you look (listen) for? 2) If you aren’t sure what specifically indicates student interest or learning and you want to see what is going on during the demonstration, how would you proceed?

Example – Observing participation in an after school program Who you will observe:

youth attending the program What you will observe:

Age, gender Length of time student stays in the program Involvement in activities: which activities

Level of involvement Interactions with other youth; with staff

When you will observe: all hours the program is open for one week each month during 2007

Types of Observations• Narratives-The most valuable, but also the most

difficult.– Running records: keeping track of everything that

happens in a specified time period– Anecdotal records: a brief description or “word picture”

• Time Sampling -The measuring of a behavior over time. A quantitative method where you count the number of times a behavior occurs at uniform time intervals

• Event Sampling -where the observer records a specific behavior only when it occurs. Often used for recording less frequent behavior

Topics: Midterm

The role of observation in SPED Participation in SPED settingThe need for field experience.

Types of Observations

• Teacher-Designed Instruments– Checklists– Rating Scales– Shadow studies

• Standardized tests– Screening tests– Developmental tests Intelligence tests– Readiness tests

Steps in planning for observation Determine who/what will be observed.

Determine aspects that will be observed (characteristics, attributes, behaviors, etc.).

Determine where and when observations will be made.

Develop the observation guide Pilot test the observation guide Train the observers and have them practice. Conduct the observations Analyze and interpret the collected information. Write up and use your findings.

Who does the observations?

You – program staff Participants - Youth Parents Teachers Volunteers Other stakeholders Colleagues

Who/what can you observe People (individuals, groups,

communities) Characteristics Interactions Behaviors Reactions

Physical settings Environmental features Products/physical artifacts

Use sampling strategies as you do for other methods of data collection

How to rHow to record your observationsons

It is not good enough to just observe, you need to record your observations. You might use:

Observation guide Recording sheet Checklist Field note Picture Combination of the above

Process :Training –preparation/orientation may be necessary

To learn what to look for To learn how to record observations To practice To ensure that observations across sites are

consistent: observers use the same methods, rate an observation in same way

Summary

What have you learned in this lecture?

Homework

Visit a basic education classroom. Use the guide questions in the classroom

observation handout Due November 17

Guide questions

What did you do first?

What is behavior?

What should be observed?

Behavior Academic Performance Skills

Behavior-Conduct

BEHAVIOR refers to actions usually measured by commonly accepted standards: 

His behavior at the party was childish. 

CONDUCT refers to actions viewed collectively/especially as measured by an ideal standard: 

Conduct is judged according to principles of ethics. 

Deportment-Comforment

DEPORTMENT is behavior  related to a code 

or to an arbitrary

 standard: Deportment is guided by rules of etiquette.

 The teacher gave Susan a m

ark of B in deportment.

COMPORTMENT is

 behavior as viewed from the standpoint of 

one's management of one's  own actions: 

His comportment was marked by a quiet assurance.

Checking in…What do you think? Answer YES or NO to each of the following1.Observation involves “seeing” and “listening” 2.People may behave differently when they know they are being observed so it is better not to tell them3.Structured observations provide more accurate and useful information4.As long as you see it, it doesn’t matter if you record what you saw5.You, as someone who “knows” the program and the participants, are best suited to conduct the observations6.The same principles of sampling apply to observation as to other forms of data collection Check your answers at the end

Checking back in…Answers1. Observation involves “seeing” and “listening” YES

2. People may behave differently when they know they are being observed so it is better not to tell them NO – they often DO behave differently but that is not a reason not to tell them they are being observed.

3. Structured observations provide more accurate and useful information NO – unstructured observation also can be very useful

4. As long as you see it, it doesn’t matter if you record what you saw NO – you must record your observations to have evidence of it existing

5. You, as someone who “knows” the program and the participants, are best suited to conduct the observations NO – various people might be well suited, though training may be necessary

6. The same principles of sampling apply to observation as to other forms of data collection YES