ERIC Number: EJ1099419
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0155-2147
EISSN: N/A
Two Conversations at Once: Making Sense of Classroom Observations
Henderson, Robyn
English in Australia, v50 n3 p45-49 2015
Classroom observations are sometimes a challenging form of data collection. Not only are interpretations of those observations subject to the researcher's theoretical lens, but communication between the researcher and the teacher is often delayed until well after the observed events. This article reports research that focused on the pedagogical decision-making of a teacher in an English classroom, with the aim of understanding how the teacher catered for "new" students. Initially, video-stimulated recall was identified as a possible way of assisting a review of classroom practices and considering reflections "on action". However, the teacher instigated an "in action" method of data collection by conducting two conversations at once in her classroom. One conversation was her teaching, comprising interactions with the students in her class; the other conversation was a "voice-over", to alert the researcher to what she was doing and why. This teacher-developed strategy helped to make visible the teacher's thinking and justifications for particular classroom practices.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Classroom Observation Techniques, Data Collection, Decision Making, English Teachers, Teacher Student Relationship, Reflective Teaching, Classroom Communication, Video Technology, Recall (Psychology), Educational Strategies, Research Methodology, Discourse Analysis, Educational Practices, Student Adjustment, Research Design
Australian Association for the Teaching of English. English House, 416 Magill Road, Kensington Gardens, SA 5068 Australia. Tel: +61-8-8332-2845; Fax: +61-8-8333-0394; e-mail: aate@aate.org.au; Web site: http://www.aate.org.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A