Critical reflection on the relative merits of the 4 tools
Observations
Being a Teacher Assistant I am often in a classroom working
with a group of pupils or giving one to one support. This also allows me to observe teaching in its
natural environment without the formal element; seeing the pupil that misbehaves,
when the teacher has had to adapt the lesson…which can happen for a variety of
reasons, e.g. the computers has crashed, the pupils haven’t understood the
lesson the day before…I have seen some poor teaching, as well as some good and
outstanding lessons. I have also been in the classroom when teachers are being observed
and how the planning of a lesson changes e.g. more time may have been given to
resources… of course a computer can still crash under a planned observation
too. . I have also been lucky enough to be in a class where an observation has
been part of an interview. More recently I have done a learning walk as
Governor, which has given a different perspective, although I have chosen not
to go into details in regards to the learning walk because of the ethics that
could be involved.
From my experience, lessons can improve under an observation
but sometimes they don’t, so the overall progress of a class needs to be taken
into consideration too. Being observed
is a part of a teacher’s life as well as being adaptable and flexible, and
being prepared for the computer to crash or the Head or another senior member
to walk in. I can sometimes get nervous when I am being observed, sometimes the
nerves work for me and sometimes they don’t,
the reflection element of this course has given me some control over
them.
Observation can be rich sources of
information of behaviour that yields information about interpersonal
information – including non-verbal response from participants that extend scope
of communication, as I have previously described in a previous blog and the data can be a mixture
of quantitative and qualitative. Observations can be time consuming and you
usually need permission from the Gatekeeper. However for my inquiry, I am using
myself as a participant and using an Observation grid and journal within the afterschool
club I run, so I will not have to arrange Observations although I may arrange
someone to observe occasionally. I will still have analysis of data; but I would
have this with all the tools used. Plus I have the Gate Keepers permission.
Survey/Questionnaire
I have used a questionnaire a few times before, created
graphs to display the results and have used different type’s averages to
analyse the results. I have also filled out a few questionnaires too. Being a
Governor you have to look at data a lot, and a recent parent survey I was sent
to look at, which had an 88% return, which is very positive. It gave me a few
different ways I could record and analyse a survey/questionnaire with a little
more depth.
I haven’t really considered a questionnaire in terms of qualitative
or quantitative types of data until now and that is something I have
learnt through reading Reader 6 and then doing some further research over the
internet. Questionnaires are mainly quantitative and are good for statistics,
but they can also be qualitative when you leave a space for the person to answer
with a reason or give further information. I also realised that I would need to
use a coding system for the qualitative element of the answers given. This also
needs to done whiles creating and designing the questionnaire. This maybe more
time consuming at first but in the long term it will save time.
Questionnaire may limit a researcher asking the ‘why?’
questions, may not show feeling and emotions and plus a researcher may get a
low response rate. Putting more effort
into the questions and design could increase a researcher return of
questionnaire, because a questionnaire could be considered as a piece of Direct
Mail too. Thinking of ways to engage the reader or participant could also increase
the return. This does play into my Art Specialism because I am building on a
HND in Graphic Design, which also included Advertising. I will also try and
keep a questionnaire anonymous although I am using a sampling method. Sending a
questionnaire is achievable and there is plenty of way to do so.
Because for this part of my inquiry I don’t necessary need
the emotions and more of a Professional Opinion I have decided to use a
questionnaire, I have an idea of what I want from the questionnaire and how it
relates to my inquiry, although I am still developing the questions. I have
changed them a few times now, but am getting a clearer vision to what I want to
achieve.
I have brainstorms some ideas and questions with friends and
family, and have researched questionnaires that have been used for the audience
I have in mind for my inquiry. I am aiming the questionnaire at the Head
Teachers within my borough. Below are couple of examples of Head Teacher
questionnaires.
I don’t intend to have too many questions like the above
questionnaires, but they have helped develop the odd the question. I aim to
keep my questionnaire to about 12 questions and they will relate more to my
inquiry. In addition I want the questionnaire to be a little more creative and
engaging, so I may imbed or quote some statistics and perhaps add an open puzzle,
or even the odd spot the difference because all Heads are interested in the Big
Picture. I will be focusing the questions at creativity within a structure,
cross-curricular learning, projects and extra-curricular activity.
A couple of the questions I am thinking of using, although
they still need work. Because I need to think how a Head might be able to
answer them.
Do pupil extra-curricular activities in the creative
field raise the general status of the pupil?
In the primary school statistics, since extra-curricular
activities have been implemented has the chain line been improved?
I am also thinking about questions in terms of the structure
of a lessons or day.
I think the questionnaire will give element of broadness as
well as adding some depth to my inquiry. I have to remember that although the
inquiry requires depth, I work in a primary school and not a secondary school.
The difference being a primary school is broader than a secondary school, in
terms of teaching. I also believe the questionnaire will not be bias and give a
more professional opinion.
Interview
My personal experience is more about me being interviewed or
when I have seen interviews on the TV. I have had few job interviews in my time
which are more formal. Often my answers improve on my second or third interview;
because I start to become more relaxed, have an idea of the questions being
asked beforehand, which enabled me to reflect and think more about the answers.
More recently I had a Panel interview to be Governor, which at first seems more
formal than a job interview and the questions could be more complex to answer.
However, I was given an idea of the sort of questions that maybe asked and I
was less nervous because my lively hood didn’t depend on getting a job,
although I was enthusiast about becoming a Governor. They could probe my responses as well as look
for non-verbal responses, looking for reasons why I wanted to become a
Governor. The panel interview was a good experience to have.
Focus Group
My personal experience is probably limited, apart from
perhaps using them informally through friends or work. My knowledge of them
comes more from watching the Apprentice on BBC, because Focus Groups are often
used for developing products. Sometimes
focus groups are good and sometimes, if the wrong people are in the focus group
and you rely on that information it can go terribly wrong, so some thought
needs go into the people in the Focus group and what you want to achieve. The seating
layout in Reader 6 reminds me of a Governor’s layout E.G the Researcher and Gate
keeper sitting next to each other, so I could image the skills for a Chair are
similar to the person running a research Focus Group.
I think Hannah Shepard’s pilot (http://hannahshepherdbapp.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/6b-critical-reflection-on-tools-of.html
) gives an idea how relaxed and more natural they could be compared to an
interview, although they are similar to an interview in terms of analysing. You
can create an atmosphere and I think ‘Hannah Shepard’ pilot demonstrates this.
Discussion could go of topic although questions could help control this.
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