What is the purpose and significance of
classroom observations?
Course: Test Development and Evaluation
Course code 6462
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
ANSWER
Classroom Observations: Purpose and Significance
Through the process of
observation, teachers can collect data regarding the progress of students in
a number of authentic ways. Observation can lead a teacher towards a perfect
relationship between teacher and student. With the use of observation tools, we can
assess the current progress of students and speculate about his/her future
progress. The most appropriate way to asses children is to observe them while
they are involved in the activity. This process finely identifies the indicators of
a child’s development which may be his/her likes and dislikes or strengths and
weaknesses. Classroom observation makes assessment more comprehensive and to
the point according to curriculum framework, pedagogical planning, and learning
experiences. It connects the process of assessment to a specific context like
gathering data from a variety of situations. The assessment becomes more authentic with the help of
classroom observation as it provides a true and real picture to the teacher. The
purposes of classroom observation are:
·
To assess the child’s current state of learning.
·
To assess the appropriateness of the given set of
instructions.
·
To plan the lesson properly
·
To provide external information (to parents,
other staff members, etc)
·
To assess the level of communication among
students and students or students and teachers.
·
To assess behavior, physical development, social
interaction, conversation, etc.
·
To assess the teacher’s performance, activities, and
interaction with students.
·
To provide an adequate environment to aid the
complete academic
·
development of the students and to fulfill the
requirement of each student.
·
To take appropriate measures in case the student
is not performing according to his/her
age requirements.
·
To maintain positive relations with students.
·
To monitor curriculum, activities, and outcomes
and make improvements
accordingly.
Planning and Preparing for Observation
Planning acts as the backbone of
every process. Planning provides an authentic set of information that may serve as the best
answer to the question of accountability. When a well-planned observation is
being carried out it provides an authentic source of recorded data. This recorded data
can be used to prove the correctness of
our derived results in front of any accountability forum, which may be parents
or managers of educational facilities.
The teacher always comes to a judgment after the process of assessment. A well-planned
observation process provides very useful
information that can be revisited or reanalyzed to verify the outcomes of the assessment process. Observational evidence
could be in different forms.
A demonstrable outcome is the
basic requirement of any form of evidence. This becomes more important when the
observation is incidental and its results are recorded instead of recording the
observation. A predefined set of objectives for learning outcomes can further help the teacher
with the progress of the student through
the process of his communication. The most important aspect of planning is
learning about the structure, language, and concept of the framework of learning outcomes. A vital principle of planning
observation is the true and actual understanding of the objective or purpose of
the observation for which the process will be planned. The appropriateness of the observation method depends upon the student’s age and I.Q level. The process
should be meaningful so that the desired objective could be achieved. The
ethical aspects must be kept in mind while planning. The key points to
remember are: Why does there be a need for observation? What to observe? How to
observe? How to assure the accuracy and authenticity
of obtained information? The planning of observation goes through the following steps:
· Decide the need and objectives
· Consider ethical issues
·
Select the appropriate method of observation
·
Implementation of the method
·
Ways of deriving results
·
Reflection on outcomes
·
While preparing for observation,
the recording method should be kept in mind for both planned and incidental
observation. A teacher must have a clear understating of accurate record-keeping
methods or types of observation records. It could be a direct record, observation
sheet, or any other form. With the preparation of the observation sheet, we can have
a systematic judgment that will add value to the teacher’s observation. The observation sheet must include a list of desired outcomes and the categories of student’s activities and
performance. Learning outcomes on the observation
sheet must be elaborated clearly along with their judgment criteria. If learning outcomes are well defined with the
help of their indicators and characteristics then the observation comes out in
a well-elaborated form. In order to conduct classroom observation a teacher
must prepare the following items to obtain maximum benefits. A teacher must have to
prepare
Artifacts
A teacher’s observation has the
primary objective of observing different activities and performances of the
students. In some cases, the production of an artifact can be termed as a result
of that performance or activity and in other cases, there is no artifact produced
and all the attention goes to the activity or process itself. The term artifact
refers to anything that is constructed by a student for example a worksheet, an
essay, a diagram, a painting, a composition, or a webpage that can be said as a
product. In the teacher’s observation, the subject is not the artifact but the
subject is way in which the artifact has been produced which is called the
process.
Direct record
The direct record refers to any
physical evidence which may be an audio or video recording or photography. In this case, the
event or activity must be like a speech, physical presentation, group activity, or any practical task. This recording does not mean recording the whole event itself but in
the best form, it elaborates some features or characteristics of that specific
event that may be recalled in the future. In this case, we cannot cover the observation of the whole event for example the feeling of
that event or the passion of students and the audience cannot be recorded. The technical aspects may also affect the quality
of observation as we may face problems
with recording devices etc. Therefore it is implied that this type of record becomes the partial representation of
the activity but it is thought better despite having no record.
Written record
A written record can be produced
in the form of an observation sheet which may be a log book or a diary. Observation sheets
can be detailed or brief at some time. They may contain only a checklist of
learning outcomes or a detailed on-the-spot observation of the event which
contains minute details etc. In between these two types, a combination of both can be produced. A
logbook may record important incidents or comments from an event so that they
may be accurately recalled.
These entries should be made in real time with a clear indication of students' names and the date of the event. A sequence of this type
of record may be called a running record.
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