Effective Classroom Practice

ECP Classroom Observation Protocol

 Effective Classroom Practice

The ECP Classroom Observation Protocol

This protocol is a model for classroom observation. One observational protocol will generate
data entry.

1. Guidelines to the Model

The Narrative Field notes - The Observation

The actual observation is the principal part of the system designed to describe classroom
practice.
Keep in mind that the observer’s data collection must:
 Be specific
 Be accurate
 Be descriptive
 Label the instructional strategies with the code provided

.
2. Procedures for Observers
2.1 General data gathering and entry tips:

 To make the data entry work, you must first assign the unique teacher identification code
to the field note sheets and digital recording devices. It is imperative that this number is
used on all 3 data collection sources.

 In the time pre-classroom observation (before the observed class begins), the quantitative
details (Section A) should be completed, if possible, or at any time before or after the
classroom observation.

 During the classroom observation, narrative field notes should be maintained using the
guidelines in Section B.

 After the observation session and before the post-observation interview, a period of a
minimum of 30 minutes is required to complete the ISTOF schedule and manually include
codes for each of these items to the field notes.

 When the interviews have been completed, the field notes must be typed up in word, for
importation into NVivo.
 Effective Classroom Practice
 The evidence for the ratings in the ISTOF schedule and the 5 other categories should then
be coded from the field notes. See the coding instructions below.

 Once the field notes have been typed, and a hard copy coded as per the instruction below,
they should be forwarded to [name of project lead] for entry into NVivo 7.

 As soon as possible after the interviews and observations, the digital recordings should be
backed up to a pc/laptop and sent for archiving to [name of project lead] or the Project
Administrator.

2.2 Roles and responsibilities

 It is the responsibility of each observer/researcher to

 Type up each set of field notes after the classroom observation
 To print a copy of the field notes and to code the ISTOF items in the margins, and the
rating in the main body of the text

 It is the responsibility of [name of project lead] /Elaine to

 Electronically send the field notes
 Input the evidence for the ISTOF items into the nodes in NVivo 7.
 Code the 5 categories to the nodes in NVivo 7.

 It is the responsibility of the to Project Administrator to:

 Archive the digital sound files from all interviews and observations
 Archive the electronic copies of the field notes
 Input the ratings from the ISTOF schedules to SPSS
 Archive the hard copies of the completed ISTOF schedules

2.3 Coding the field notes in the field.

1. Lesson opening
How does the teacher open class?
2. Interactions and relationships
What interaction or relationship does the teacher establish with the students?
3. Engagement

Are students engaged?

 Effective Classroom Practice
At what level and in what ways?

Is the engagement sustained?

Is the engagement linked to the learning objectives of the lesson?

4. Lesson Closure

How does the teacher close class?

What evidence shows that students clearly understand the content and context for what is
learned by the end of class?

5. Teaching persona
Please code incidents that illustrate
 The teachers’ tone of voice, interactions with students, language, behaviour, gestures
 Teachers’ communication skills – including wait time after questions and nature of the
assignments or learning activities
 The flow and transition of the lesson
 The range of instructional strategies – comment on differentiation

Field note
11.15am
WGI. Teacher gives directions for the next activity that they
are going to do in the class, and directs them to take out a
sheet of paper, and to write their name, and the two lesson
objectives on the top. Teacher tells the students again what
the objectives are and shows them again where they are
written on the board……

WT. SGD. TIS.

Heading 1
Classroom Setting
Introduction
Main body
Closure
 Effective Classroom Practice

Heading 2
Time every 5 minutes
The lesson times should be included within the body of the text, on a separate line

Then continue with the field notes.

 Effective Classroom Practice
Classroom Observation

Section A: Attributes

Teacher Code: Observer:

Gender: Male or Female
Date: Time:
Year: Length of observation:
Subject observed: Topic:
No of students: Composition of student group: # Boys # Girls
Lesson plan collected: Yes No

Materials Present Used Materials Present Used

Printed reading materials Videos, films, music
Computer or computer technology Demonstration models
Overhead projector Hands-on materials or
equipment
Black/White board Worksheets
Interactive whiteboard Writing materials (copy etc.)
 Effective Classroom Practice
Section B:
Guidelines for the Narrative Field notes

1. Describe the classroom setting

This should include:

The size and ‘feel’ of the room, including what is on the walls

State of repair of classroom facilities

Appropriateness and flexibility of the furniture

Availability of running water, electrical sockets, storage space

Availability of equipment and supplied (including calculators, computers, books etc.)

2. Be descriptive in taking field notes.

Describe what happened in this lesson, including enough rich detail that readers have a sense of
having been there.

Framework for narrative:

To gain a ‘sense’ of someone else’s classroom, gather information as follows:

 A synopsis of the structure, organisation and flow of the lesson: note lesson timing.
- Introduction, lesson opening
- Main body
 stimuli/resources used
 clarity of explanations
 examples used
- Closure
 Effective Classroom Practice

Within this description of the structure and flow note should be made of the following:

 Nature of the lesson activities – what is everyone doing? Use codes provided

Note: include use of humour, visuals, small group work, writing exercises, guided class
discussion, quizzes, clear lecture, blackboard listings as a focal point, etc.

 Role of the teacher and pupils – and any other adult in the room e.g. teacher’s assistant
- Try to record incidents of one-to-one interactions and what is going on with the
remainder of the class while this is happening
- Who is talking in the room, and is it task oriented?

 Quotes from teacher in connection with: Indicators of teacher efficacy

- What teacher does to get students to believe they can do well in schoolwork
- What strategies teacher uses to deal with challenging behaviour
- What teacher does to help students’ value learning
- What strategies teacher uses to encourage student learning
- What teacher does to motivate students who show low interest in schoolwork

 Comments on teachers’ persona and enthusiasm in the classroom, and how s/he speaks to
the students.

 Note on the nature of the classroom interaction and classroom climate (discipline issues, if
any).

 Notes on the planned lesson. How has the teacher prepared for this learning occasion?
What tools are used, how, and does the teacher apply them effectively?
How does the teacher know if the class is going "as planned"?
Are there clues to how the teacher maintains this trajectory, or adjusts course when
unexpected events happen?
 Effective Classroom Practice

Instructional strategy/activity codes observed during the class

These codes may help you take fast notes and after the class observed use them to
complete your field notes as indicated by the sample below the table.

Whole group instruction WGI Differentiated instruction DI

Small group instruction SGI Structured note taking SNT
Individual learning and instruction ILI Hands on activity/materials HOA
Paired learning and instruction PLI Project based learning PBL
Work stations in use WS Integrated technology instruction – teacher ITT
Cooperative/collaborative learning CoOp Integrated technology use - student ITS
Co-teaching CoT Systematic individual instruction SII
Team teaching TT Lecture/Presentation LP
Class discussion CD Lecture/Presentation with discussion LPD
Small group discussion SGD Student presentation SP
Role play RP Reading tasks RT
Writing/problem tasks WT Teacher demonstration TD
Teacher questioning TQ Teacher uses scaffolding techniques TST
Assessment activity AA Teacher uses variety of question types TQT
Teacher summarises and categorises TSC Teacher interacting with student TIS
Experimentation or data collection EDC Homework – completion or correction HW

For example:

Classroom Setting
The classroom is equipped with a whiteboard (WB), an interactive white board (IAWB),
projector and the teacher has a laptop. The tables are in four groups with two rows of table
across the front.
There are brightly coloured displays on all the classroom walls. These incorporate
commercially produced posters, newspaper articles and front pages, groups of words such as
adjectives, story beginnings etc and a large proportion of student work. The displays are in a
very good condition. There is a permanent display of rules, national curriculum levels and
exemplar answers.

11am
Students come into the classroom after their morning break. While children enter the room, the
teacher distributes a handout.
Teacher instructs students to prepare for the lesson by telling them that they will need pencils,
rulers etc.
 Effective Classroom Practice
Teacher calls on student (Liam) to correct his behaviour, and to explicitly tell him to hurry up.
Despite all the classroom noise and pupil movement, the teacher makes efforts to ensure that
the noise and activity is in relation to preparing to begin the class in as timely a way as
possible……….
Introduction

11.05am
WGI. Teacher draws attention back to the class by calling on named students to face forward
and to listen.
This is followed by another instruction for students to put down the paper and look at her.
When class is quiet and facing forward, the teacher draws their attention to the white board
where the two objectives of the lesson are written. Teacher then tells the students what the two
objectives of the lesson are, and informs them that she will explain what they mean and relates
them back to a previous class by saying
T: “This is like the …… activities that we have done”……………..

Main Body

11.15am
WGI. Teacher gives directions for the next activity that they are going to do in the class, and
directs them to take out a sheet of paper, and to write their name, and the two lesson objectives
on the top. Teacher tells the students again what the objectives are and shows them again where
they are written on the board……
WT. SGD. TIS.

Closure

11.55am
TQ. WGI. Teacher asks the students if they have achieved the first objective of the lesson –
how to prove a theory.

T: “Do you think we have done enough examples to prove the theory? ………….Can we say
squares work? ………… Have we done enough examples on rectangles? …..... Does that
work? …………. OK, let’s think about what we have done. Pencils down, look this way”.….