Observation

UNIT 4
METHODS AND
APPROACHES OF STUDYING
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
A) OBSERVATION MATHOD
OBSERVATION
◼ Observation of human behaviour is a

much-used data collection technique.
◼ “It is the perception of an individual behaviour
under natural conditions by other individual.”
◼ “It involve the systematic recording of
observable phenomena or behaviour in natural
setting.”
◼ It can be undertaken in different ways.
TYPES OF OBSERVATION
◼Participant Observation
◼Non-participant Observation
PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
◼ Its purpose is to learn the perspectives held by

participants of the study.
◼ In qualitative observation there are multiple
perspectives within any given setting.
◼ The observer needs to know what these varied
perspectives are and in understanding the relationship
among them.
◼ Participant observation always takes place in
community settings, in locations believed to have some
relevance to the purpose of observation.
◼ The observer takes part in the situation he or she
observes.
◼ For example, a observer poses as an employed teacher
of a school and observes school procedures ‘from
within’.
◼ According to Fetterman, participant observation
"combines participation in the lives of the people being
studied with maintenance of a professional distance
that allows adequate observation and recording of
data".
◼ The method is distinct because the observer
approaches participants in their own environment
(natural setting) rather than having the participants
come to the observer.
◼ The observer engaged in participant observation tries
to understand and analyse the life for an “insider” while
remaining, inevitably, an “outsider.”
◼ While in these community settings, a observer makes
careful, objective notes about what he sees and records all
accounts and observations as field notes in a field
notebook.
◼ Informal conversation and interaction with members of the
study population are also important components of the
method and should be recorded in the field notes in detail.
◼ The data obtained through participant observation serve
as a check against participants’ subjective reporting of
what they believe and do.
◼ Participant observation is also useful for gaining an
understanding of the
◼ (i) physical, social, cultural and economic contexts in which
study participants live,
◼ (ii) the relationships among and between people, contexts,
ideas, norms and events and
◼ (iii) people’s behaviours and activities in terms of what they do,
how frequently, and with whom. In addition, the method enables
researchers to develop a familiarity with the cultural milieu that
will prove invaluable throughout the project.
◼ Observing and participating are integral to understanding of the
human experience.
NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
◼ Non-participant or direct observation is one where data

are collected by observing behaviour without
interacting with the participants.
◼ The observer watches the situation and the subjects of
his or her study, with or without their knowledge, openly
or concealed, but does not participate or take an active
part in the situation under scrutiny.
◼ Non-participant observation is observation with
limited interaction with the people one observes.
◼ This data collection strategy results in a detailed
recording of the communication and provides the
researcher with access to the nuances of talk (e.g.
intonation) as well as body language (eg. facial
expression, eye gaze).
◼ Even a great observer cannot record these aspects in
detail.
◼ Non-participant observation may provide limited insight
into the meaning of the social context in which
education takes place.
◼ Non-participant observation is used most routinely by
psychologists studying children and animals.
USES OF OBSERVATION
◼ There are a variety of reasons for using observation as a

data collection technique. Some of these reasons
include the following :
◼ When the nature of the observation question to be
answered is focused on answering a ‘how’ or ‘what’ type
of question.
◼ When the topic is comparatively unexplored and little is
known to explain the behaviour of people in a particular
setting.
◼ When understanding the meaning of a setting in a
detailed way is important.
◼ When it is important to study a phenomenon in its natural
setting.
◼ When self-report data (asking people what they do) is
likely to be different from actual behaviour (what
people actually do). One example of this seen in the
difference between self-reported versus observed data
on teacher performance.
◼ When implementing an intervention in a natural
setting, observation may be used in conjunction with other
quantitative data collection techniques.
BENEFITS OF OBSERVATION
▪Immersion and prolonged involvement in a setting can

lead to the development of rapport and foster free and
open communication with participants.
▪It provides direct information about behaviour of
individuals and groups.
▪Observation fosters an in depth and rich understanding
of a phenomenon, situation and/or setting and the
behaviour of the participants in that setting.
▪Observation is an essential part of gaining an
understanding of naturalistic settings and its
participants ' ways of seeing.
▪Observation can provide the foundation for
theory and hypothesis development.
▪It provides good opportunities for identifying
unanticipated outcomes.
▪It allows for insight into contexts,
relationships and behaviour.
▪It can provide information previously
unknown to researcher that is crucial for
further research design, data collection and
interpretation of other data.

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UNIT 4

◼ Observation of human behaviour is a

◼ Its purpose is to learn the perspectives held by

◼ Non-participant or direct observation is one where data

◼ There are a variety of reasons for using observation as a

▪Immersion and prolonged involvement in a setting can

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