Classroom Observation Paper

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Methodological Dimension
Qualitative. The most prominent evaluation method in the literature on CRP in early education was qualitative methods including interviews, observations, and case studies (i.e., analysis of a small number of teachers’ journal and notes, in-depth interviews). The purpose of conducting these methods was mostly to evaluate teachers’ preparedness and self-efficacy, learning environments (e.g., classroom environment and teacher practices), and child development.
Teacher Evaluation. Some scholars conducted case studies to gain in-depth insights on teaching practices and teachers’ readiness. Brown & Lee (2012) conducted a case study of three preschool teachers who were recruited based on the recommendations by district …show more content…

Observation methodology was widely used to evaluate the learning environment. (Durden et al., 2015) observed classrooms to measure how culturally responsive the learning environment is and how well students respond to CRP. During the observations, the authors examined teacher-child, peer-peer interactions, and nonverbal communications that represent culturally relevant teaching and learning. The observation was based on the Anti-Bias Checklist (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010) and the principles of CRP (Ladson-Billings, 1994). The checklist is not available online, however, the Teaching Research Institute at the Western Oregon University (2015) offers an anti-bias classroom observation checklist for environmental evaluation that has been adapted from the Derman-Sparks’ and Edwards’ …show more content…

Although this checklist does not focus solely on cultural diversity, the questions provide a framework that researchers and educators need to focus on when evaluating culturally responsive classroom environment.
In addition to the classroom observation, a cultural event, called “Family nights,” was observed by the researchers to examine how teachers interact with children and their families. The overall observational field notes were analyzed to first identify teachers’ beliefs on CRP and their culturally relevant practices. Then, the authors developed patterns to create a connection between CRP and children’s sociocultural development. To date, most of the qualitative studies were teacher-oriented, even though the goal of CRP is to improve children’s sociocultural and learning

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