Classroom Observation Study

Group Level- ABC Level 3 Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and

Design)

Curriculum Level- 3

Unit- 5 Combined Experimental Studies

Planning and Ethical Practice

Having been working within Stockport Colleges’ 3D/Sculpture Department

since 2001 as a part time Technical Assistant I found that when I approached

the course leader for obtaining informed consent he was more than happy

and extremely helpful in being willing to be observed whilst he gave the

delivery of his lesson to the class of students. As it states in Judith Bell, (1999,

p. 37) ‘Permission to carry out an investigation must always be sought

at an early stage.’

Whilst my mentor has been waiting I have been planning and preparing for

this observation for a considerable amount of time. In the week running up to

my observation we, my mentor and I, arranged over the phone for me to come

in and formally organise how and where I was to perform my observation.

As for the informed consent from the students, I agreed with the tutor that he

would at the start of the lesson give a concise introduction as to my presence

as a student teacher from Bolton University who is working on an observation

assignment. The tutor would also mention that I am an ex student who also

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studied on the Foundation course at Stockport College, which would in turn

help to make the students feel more comfortable and at ease with this

arrangement. The observation ran from the start of the class at 10.00am

through until 4.00pm, which was when the class formally ended.

When the time came for my observation I left my pre determined question

sheet in the office so that the students would not feel uneasy at my presence

sitting writing and taking notes, so I stood at the back of the class whilst the

tutor gave his delivery of his session content and every so often I went back

into the office to continue with my note taking.

As this was the first time, which I had been set a task of observing a tutor

whilst delivering a lesson to a class of pre degree foundation students, I found

it to be quite somewhat an educational yet quite a daunting experience. I

probably would have gone about preparing for my observations in a more

detailed and thorough manner, as is suggested when Blaxter quotes in Bell

(1999, p.39) ‘Ethical research involves getting the informed consent of

those you are going to interview, question, observe or take materials

from.’ I did get informed consent from the tutor whereas he had no problem

with the observational study. I also arranged for him to introduce me to the

class so the students were aware of my intentions. So I was keeping to the

criteria of typical ethical research. However the tutor did not mention to the

students my intentions, which left me in the daunting position of what I should

do. As states Sapsford and Evans in Bell (1999, p.40)

‘Where people are made the subjects of research without their

knowledge, and thus have no chance to safeguard their own

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 interests, it should be the special concern of the researcher to

look after these interests.’

I have made it my task to leave out any names, which may be noticed by

anyone else so as to safeguard the student’s privacy. In future if I am to

conduct a research study of a similar kind to this again I will write up a formal

agreement in the state of a letter were all those participating will be able to

sign a consent form as it is stated in Bell (1999, p.37) ‘…it is advisable to

make a formal, written approach to the individuals and organisations

concerned, outlining your plans.’ bringing this into consideration it would

overcome any confusion at a later date

Observation

What is the nature of the environment in which students can learn?

Below are the results of my observation to aid in the process to discovering

the nature of the environment in which the student can learn.

1. Describe the communications and the processes of interaction

At the start of the lesson the tutor stood in the main 3D/Sculpture studio near

the entrance and continued to give a standing delivery of the lesson content.

He was very clear and thorough in his verbal approach utilising a variety of

hand gestures and varied eye contact looking around the room at each

student, also his body language was very open. He then told the class to

follow him, which they did into the next room, where he showed them the

various workspaces available and also the wall spaces, which at some stage

the students could utilise to hang and show their work. The tutor went on to

point out to the students where the plaster room was situated and also the

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welding room, the students were very quiet whilst the tutor was talking. When

the tutor had finished showing the students the various rooms he continued to

ask the students to follow him again. This time they followed him through into

the ceramics studio where he invited the students to take a seat around a

large table that the tutor had prepared earlier with a number of handouts and

also the register. He gave the final part of his introduction from being seated

with the students around the table.

2. Identify and describe the teaching methods and strategies used by

the teacher

The teacher gave a group talk to all the students starting off in 3D/Sculpture.

He gave a verbal delivery and also utilised visual aids describing what task he

wanted the students to perform in the form of handouts with a clear outline

covering the aims and anticipated learning outcomes of the project. Another

visual aid that the tutor employed was that of an image of an artist, giving the

name and title of their work. He also gave out a third hand out which gave the

project brief with further examples of imagery. The final handout concerned

the health and safety aspects. The tutor rounded off the introduction and

asked the students to have a think about the project brief considering the

found object and to draw around the 3 dimensional object, which they had

brought in giving reference to the image on the hand out. He finally asked the

students if they had any questions. In all four handouts were distributed to

every student.

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3. Describe the students’ participation and involvement.

The students’ participation and involvement started at the beginning of the

day. On the wall there were 24 nametags, which the students took, off the wall

and placed in their designated workspace. When the students went back to

their workspace to continue with their work the technician took groups of four

students into the workshop for a workshop induction, where each student was

shown which machinery they could use and which machinery they could not

use. Each student participated practicing using each piece of machinery.

Whilst in the studio the rest of the students got on with the task of drawing and

mark making around the object of their choice.

4. Describe how equality of opportunity is promoted in the session

From an observational point of view It was not obvious who had any learning

difficulties in the group. It was mentioned whilst the tutor gave his talk around

the table about an essay which they had been set before the half term break,

that if any student had any problems which they needed to discuss, they

should not hesitate to mention what the nature of the problem is or feel

embarrassed to ask the tutor for help this would be kept in the strictest of

confidence. Further more whilst the technician gave the induction into the

workshop all the students taking part in the induction had equal opportunity to

take part in practicing on the tools. Also whilst the rest of the group got on with

the project the tutor went round each student giving guidance and one to one

help.

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5. Observation Analysis

From my observations I noticed that the tutors teaching strategy, in this group

of 25 students was that of the traditional teaching method which is known as

classroom teaching as it states in Reece and Walker (2003 p.107)

‘The conventional classroom size for post-16 education and

training is a group of between 10 and 20 students. With such

groups the approach often adopted is what is traditionally called

‘classroom teaching’ which consists of a mixture of teaching

methods.’

The tutor started his lesson off by giving a discussion which eventually lead

on to the students working individually as it mentions in Reece and walker

(2003 p.107)

The nature of such classroom teaching will vary considerably

from one teacher to another. It will often have a short lecture,

followed by question and answer, some small group discussion

and some individual work.

With the tutor also offering to help the students with any difficulties at the start

of the session he is not only offering his help as it states in Reece and Walker

(2003 p.112) ‘The teacher who wishes to assist in the process of intrinsic

learning must see himself as a helper, counsellor and a guide.’ He is

also offering the student something more: not just the teacher’s counselling

skills or the tutor’s guidance skills, a particular type of internally self-motivated

deep-rooted system of intrinsic learning. As it states in Petty (2004 p.69)

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‘Intrinsic reinforcement is a better motivator than extrinsic

reinforcement, partly because it works when the teacher is not there.’

Which I agree is a far better mode of motivation.

Conclusion

What is the nature of the environment in which students can learn?

The nature of the environment in which the students can learn is of a practical

vocational nature utilising workshop space, shared studio space, plaster

room, welding facilities and also a Ceramics studio where students can further

explore the medium of clay if they so wished. I would summarise that through

the vocational practices of the hands on methodology of learning by doing

within a practical context the students psychomotor skills have been catered

for and aided by having the relevant tools to aid in their educational growth.

As it states in Reece and Walker (2003 p.73) ‘Although we tend to

concentrate upon the physical part when we teach psychomotor skills,

there usually is, of course, a cognitive element and an affective aspect.’

The students affective attitudes are also engaged through learning by doing,

as they learn about the aesthetic quality of the sculptural forms which they

create as it states in Petty (2004 p.395) ‘This domain concerns itself with

attention, interest, awareness, aesthetic appreciation, aesthetic and

other attitudes, opinions, feelings or values.’

As stated in my observations the tutor utilised visual aids which would help to

aid the student in remembering facts, as it states in Reece and Walker (2003

p.65) ‘The easiest is remembering facts, relationships, laws etc,.’ With

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this in mind it helps to conclude that all the aspects of Blooms’ Taxonomy

have been implemented and that the tutors techniques of adopting the

traditional method of tutoring worked in a very relative and positive manner.