Teaching Qualitative Observation Skills Through Popular Film to Complement Fieldwork Experiences

• In Event: Roundtable Session 48
  In Roundtable Session: Professors of Educational Research SIG Roundtable: Multidisciplinary Research Approaches and Perspectives

Abstract

Learning how to observe is an objective of qualitative research courses as one of the major ways to document naturalistic interactions, yet little reporting on the development of these skills exists. This paper addresses this gap by describing the results of two teaching activities designed to promote observation: Student experiences are discussed while they learn observation skills in a qualitative research courses through watching film, and practicing observation skills by logging 30 hours in the field. The observation practiced through watching the film multiple times honed observation in the opposite way that the fieldwork logs did: humanistic interactions and the quality of communication were privileged over physical details whereas fieldwork experiences first focused on physical details over interactions and communication.

Authors

• Kristine Lewis Grant, Drexel University

• Jen Katz-Buonincontro, Drexel University