Activity 2.

1 As a school principal being concerned about the performance of one group of my Grade 3/Standard 3 students on their mid-term assessment. I would use Ethnographic /Observational Research Design to understand why the students have performed as they have this design uses direct observation to give a complete snapshot of a case or situation that is being studied. It is useful when not much is known about a phenomenon. This research design generally depends on information gathered on/from a few subjects. No experiment is conducted. The researcher does not attempt to alter the situation or subject being observed during the data collection phase and things are observed as they are, with no interference from the researchers. Hence, teachers can observe students reaction to particular topics in a curriculum in order to determine which topics are of most interest to students, or which they find more engaging. There are different types of observational methods. The two most common are participant and non-participant observation. All social research, say Hammersley and Atkinson, takes the form of participant observation: It involves participating in the social world, in

whatever role, and reflecting on the products of that participation. Irrespective of the method employed, it is not fundamentally different from other forms of practical everyday activity, though of course it is closer in character to some that to others. As participants in the social world we are still able, at least in anticipation or retrospect, to observe our activities 'from outside' as objects in the world (1983: 16-17; 2004. As Mac an Ghaill (1994) has argued, the participant observer collects data by participating in the daily life of those he or she is studying. The approach is close to everyday interaction, involving conversations to discover participants' interpretations of situations they are

involved in (Becker 1958, p. 652). The aim of participant observation is to produce a 'thick description' of social interaction within natural settings. At the same time informants are encouraged to use their own language and everyday concepts to describe what is going on in their lives. In non-participant observation, the researcher; observes from a distance without participating in the activities. Naturalistic observation is a form of non- participant observation. The researcher takes care to see that he exerts minimal impact on the situation being observed. Non-participant observation may further be classified as structured or unstructured. The aim of unstructured observation is to observe and record behaviour in a holistic way without the use of a pre-determined guide. Structured observation, on the other hand, refers to a technique in which an observer observes events using a guide that has been planned in advance. In order to achieve my goal I would use participant and unstructured observation. I think this design is best since observation is a technique that involves directly observing behaviour with the purpose of describing it. To observe means to examine an object, or an individual, or group of people, or an event with all of the senses. Recording of observations may take many forms, from simple and casual to exact and sophisticated. For example, I may observe these students in class and then complete a checklist on whether or not key behaviours occurred. Or I can write notes on everything that happens in my presence. Either way I believe seeing is believing.

References Smith, Mark K. (1997) 'Participant observation and informal education', the encyclopaedia of informal education