RESEARCH METHOD COHEN ok

STRUCTURED OBSERVATION 399
Box 18.1
Astructuredobservationschedule
Student to student / / / /
Student to students / /
Student to teacher / / / /
Students to teacher / / / / /
Teacher to student / /
Teacher to students / / /
Student to self
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Task in hand
√ √ √ √ √
Previous task
Future task
√ √ √ √
Non-task
Chapter 18
/ = participants in the conversation
√ = nature of the conversation
Each column represents a thirty-second time
interval, i.e. the movement from left to right
represents the chronology of the sequence,
and the researcher has to enter data in the
appropriate cell of the matrix every thirty
seconds (see below: instantaneous sampling).
Because there are so many categories that
have to be scanned at speed (every thirty
seconds), the researcher will need to practise
completing the schedule until he or she
becomes proficient and consistent in entering
data (i.e. that the observed behaviours, settings
etc. are entered into the same categories
consistently), achieving reliability. This can
be done either through practising with video
material or through practising in a live
situation with participants who will not
subsequently be included in the research. If
there is to be more than one researcher then it
may be necessary to provide training sessions
so that the team of researchers proficiently,
efficiently and consistently enter the same sort
of data in the same categories, i.e. that there is
inter-rater reliability.
The researcher will need to decide what entry
is to be made in the appropriate category,
for example: a tick ( √ ), a forward slash (/),
a backward slash (\), a numeral (1, 2, 3
etc.), a letter (a, b, c etc.), a tally mark (|).
Whatever code or set of codes is used, it must
be understood by all the researchers (if there
is a team) and must be simple and quick to
enter (i.e. symbols rather than words). Bearing
in mind that every thirty seconds one or more
entries must be made in each column, the
researcher will need to become proficient in
fast and accurate data entry of the appropriate
codes. 1
The need to pilot a structured observation
schedule, as in the example, cannot be
overemphasized. Categories must be mutually
exclusive and must be comprehensive. The
researcher, then, will need to decide
the foci of the observation (e.g. people as well
as events)
the frequency of the observations (e.g. every
thirty seconds, every minute, every two
minutes)
the length of the observation period (e.g. one
hour, twenty minutes)
what counts as evidence (e.g. how a behaviour
is defined and operationalized)
the nature of the entry (the coding system).
The criterion of ‘fitness for purpose’ is used for
making decisions on these four matters. Structured
observation will take much time in preparation
but the analysis of the data should be rapid as the
categories for analysis will have been built into the