Qualitative Observation Method Research Articles

Fiction, facts and a summer's fairy tale – mixed messages at the World Cup 2006

The FIFA World Championships 2006 in Germany have been praised for their positive atmosphere and described as a ‘fairy tale’. Yet, more than 9000 persons were arrested. This paper presents an analysis of police tactics and deployments and their relation to the frequency of incidents and the group relations between fans and between fans and police. Data collection was carried out within three host cities in North Rhine-Westphalia in relation to 10 games of the tournament, drawing on a combination of structured and qualitative observational methods. The outcomes are mixed. Group relations were mostly positive, indicated by positive interaction between fan groups; however, frequency of incidents and arrests suggest that the tournament was not as peaceful as the media coverage may have implied. Deeper analyses suggest that legitimate group relations and positive fan behaviour were associated with differentiated policing, carried out in relation to the situational context and the actual risk present.

Using qualitative observational methods in rehabilitation research: Part two

Background Qualitative observational methods are an effective means of detailing social processes and phenomena that constitute the day-to-day reality of practice in rehabilitation units. Of vital importance in this approach is the need to record and analyse fieldnotes in sufficient detail, to ensure the researchers' explanations of particular processes or events are an accurate and credible representation of those phenomena. Content In this second article, the process of participant observation is discussed, and the approaches to recording fieldnotes and working with qualitative observational data are described with illustrative examples. These examples also serve to highlight three principles that researchers should pay attention to when developing fieldnote records. Conclusions Participant observation allows the researcher to gain access to and develop understanding of what the social and occupational world feels and looks like to those who work in rehabilitation. For observational data to be comprehensive and address the research questions posed, the context and organization of social settings as well as phenomena of particular interest should be captured as fully as possible. A considered and rigorous approach to recording and analysing fieldnotes will ensure this is achieved.

Using qualitative observational methods in rehabilitation research: Part two

Background Qualitative observational methods are an effective means of detailing social processes and phenomena that constitute the day-to-day reality of practice in rehabilitation units. Of vital importance in this approach is the need to record and analyse fieldnotes in sufficient detail, to ensure the researchers' explanations of particular processes or events are an accurate and credible representation of those phenomena. Content In this second article, the process of participant observation is discussed, and the approaches to recording fieldnotes and working with qualitative observational data are described with illustrative examples. These examples also serve to highlight three principles that researchers should pay attention to when developing fieldnote records. Conclusions Participant observation allows the researcher to gain access to and develop understanding of what the social and occupational world feels and looks like to those who work in rehabilitation. For observational data to be comprehensive and address the research questions posed, the context and organization of social settings as well as phenomena of particular interest should be captured as fully as possible. A considered and rigorous approach to recording and analysing fieldnotes will ensure this is achieved.

Using qualitative observational methods in rehabilitation research: Part one

Background Research in rehabilitation practice commonly aims to evaluate the effectiveness of complex interventions, and qualitative research—often as part of a mixed methods approach—is being increasingly employed to address important research questions in rehabilitation. Such questions often focus on the activities, experiences and perceptions of patients, carers and practitioners, as well as on the outcomes of rehabilitation. Qualitative observational methods can provide detailed accounts of social processes, which are often hidden or taken for granted, but which constitute the day-to-day reality of rehabilitation practice. Content This two-part article examines the characteristics of systematic qualitative observational methods in the context of rehabilitation research. The first article will introduce this methodology, discuss its merits, philosophical and methodological influences, and then illustrate how qualitative observational research should be planned and conducted. The next article will discuss participant observation, and explore the approaches to recording fieldnotes and working with qualitative observational data. Conclusions Increasingly researchers and practitioners are recognizing that reliance on traditional quantitative approaches alone cannot fully account for the all of the individual, social and organizational factors which may have a bearing on the outcomes of rehabilitation interventions. Qualitative observation is an approach available to researchers to understand the impact of these complex factors.

Exploring pedagogical strategies to integrate a holistic approach to education into ESL classes

Holistic education is a popular trend in the midst of various educational reforms, yet little systematic research has been done to consider its application in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) for Asian Chinese learners. According to the New Zealand Ministry of Education, holistic education is defined as an approach to teaching to include the physical, social, emotional, cultural, and cognitive dimensions of a person’s growth. Education reform in Taiwan has adopted a Western constructivist approach. However, in Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC), open teacher–student and student–student interactions are not as common as they are in the social constructivist model found in the Anglo-Saxon culture. CHC values social harmony, teachers’ authority, and silence to avoid confrontation. Without understanding the affective and social environment in the Western context, holistic education is unlikely to be successfully implemented in Taiwan. The purpose of this research is to understand the contextualization of the holistic environment and pedagogical strategies that nurture student–teacher and student–student interactions in a holistic approach to EFL. This study utilized qualitative research methods of observation and in-depth interviews of New Zealand English teachers and observed the pedagogical practices in New Zealand English classes. This research provided effective pedagogical strategies for implementing the social and affective support of a holistic educational approach for Asian EFL students.

A Practice Centred Approach to Understanding Social Learning and Knowledge Creation in a “Community of Practice”

Communities of Practice (CoPs) in organisation science are often described as ‘the shop floor of human capital’ where learning and knowledge creation which underpins innovation evolves. Adopting the Bristol area geocaching community as a case study, this paper draws on the ‘practice turn’ in contemporary social theory to study the everyday interaction of the community members in their situated practice. Taking the geocaching community and their practice as a collective unit of analysis, the study employed the qualitative methods of ethnographic interviewing, participant observation and content analysis of archival internet forum logs of members to extend our understanding of the performative processes of social learning and knowledge creations in CoPs. A conceptual framework showing how the interactions among actors and their artefacts and reflexivity in practice could lead to learning and knowledge creation that stimulates innovation in a CoP is presented as a modest attempt to improve our understanding of the dynamics of a CoP renewal and sustainability.

Student Experiences of Carrying out a Practical Science Investigation Under Direction

This paper reports on the reality of classroom‐based inquiry learning in science, from the perspectives of high school students and their teachers, under a national curriculum attempting to encourage authentic scientific inquiry (as practiced by scientists). A multiple case study approach was taken, utilising qualitative research methods of unobtrusive observation, semi‐structured interviews and document analysis. The findings showed purposeful and focused learning occurring, but students were acquiring a narrow view of scientific inquiry where the thinking was characteristically rote and low‐level. The nature of this learning was strongly influenced by curriculum decisions made by classroom teachers and science departments in response to the assessment requirements of a high stakes national qualification. As a consequence of these decisions, students experienced structured teaching programmes in which they were exposed to programme content that limited the range of methods that scientists use to fair testing and to pedagogies that were substantially didactic in nature. In addition, the use of planning templates and exemplar assessment schedules tended to reduce student learning about experimental design to an exercise in “following the rules” as they engaged in closed rather than open investigations. Thus, the resulting student learning was mechanistic and superficial rather than creative and critical, counter to the aims of the national curriculum policy that is intent on promoting students’ knowledge and capabilities in authentic scientific inquiry.

The impact of team processes on psychiatric case management

This paper is a report of a study to identify the structures and interactions within community mental health teams that facilitate or impede effective teamwork and psychiatric case management. Effective case management requires close collaboration between case managers or care co-ordinators and other members of the multidisciplinary mental health team, yet there has been little research into this relationship. A multiple case study of seven United Kingdom community mental health teams was conducted between 1999 and 2001, using qualitative methods of participant observation, semi-structured interviews and document review. Factors were identified that impacted on the ability of care co-ordinators to act effectively: 'structure and procedures'; 'disrespect and withdrawal'; 'humour and undermining'; 'safety and disclosure'. Care co-ordination was enhanced when team structures and policies were in place and where team interactions were respectful. Where members felt disrespected or undermined, communication, information sharing and collaboration were impaired, with a negative impact on the care provided to service users. Teams require clear operating procedures alongside interprofessional trust and respect to ensure that there is open, safe and reflective participation. Further research is required to identify how best to bring about collaborative, effective teamwork in mental healthcare.

Safe access/egress systems for emergency ambulances

Objective: To comparatively evaluate the three most widely used ambulance stretcher loading systems; easi-loader, ramp/winch and tail lift to identify a preferred system based on safety and usability evidence. Methods:...

The Role of Spouses and Extended Family Members as Primary Caretakers of Children During a Parent's Drug Addiction

This qualitative study explores the experiences of five men and one woman who were parents, substance dependent, and receiving treatment at a year-long drug treatment program. The qualitative research methods of observation and in-depth interviewing were used to collect and analyze information about their experiences. This paper discusses themes related to the role of spouses and extended family members who assumed primary responsibility for children during a parent's drug addiction. Participants reported how, when they were unable to care for their children, these responsibilities fell to other family members, giving rise to many conflicts. Initially they were grateful for the support, especially while the participants were actively using drugs, because this provided them with more opportunities to continue their addictive lifestyle. Eventually, power struggles emerged when the participants were in recovery and attempted to reenter their children's lives as parental figures.

Who influences policy? Analysing actor influence on the UK sustainable development strategy

Sustainable development is a multiactor concept, but who really has influence in the policy arena? A framework of influence has been devised to aid the identification and understanding of such influence, incorporating theories of power and discourse. This framework has been applied to the review of the UK sustainable development strategy, using the qualitative methods of observation, interview and discourse analysis. Through the use of the framework it is demonstrated that tacit influence is playing a significant role in policy development even in a situation where a detailed formal consultation process had been completed.

Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity in the Teaching and Learning of Writing

This article employs the concept of intersubjectivity to analyze developments in and discrepancies between students’ understandings of criteria for effective writing and the criteria of their teacher. It reports on a study that employed qualitative methods of interview and classroom observation in conjunction with analysis of students’ writing and the teacher’s feedback on their writing to explore the struggles of students learning the “genre of power” (Lemke, 1988, p. 89) of the literary analysis essay. The greatest challenges for the students in this study occurred for those whose goals and expectations related to this high-stakes genre of writing were not based on the same taken-for-granted assumptions about context and purpose as were their teacher’s. The article concludes by discussing teachers’ professional responsibility to negotiate shared goals for literacy with their students.

Test the artefact—Develop the organization: The implementation of an electronic medication plan

Objective and methods The paper aims to develop further insights into the process of implementation of IT in health care by describing findings from a study of a trial implementation of a newly developed electronic medication plan (EMP) in three hospitals in a county in Denmark. A sociotechnical perspective is applied to data acquired by the qualitative methods of participant observation and semi-structured open-ended interviews. Conclusions The achievement of fit between IT technology and work processes in health care involves the establishment of new organizational structures that cut across the existing divisionalized hospital organization and a detailed alignment of artefact, functionality and work process. This process can be furthered by supporting ‘communities of practice’, i.e. informal groups of engaged clinicians. A sociotechnical perspective is beneficial to the analysis of such processes.

The physical environment of the person with Alzheimer's disease.

A conceptual structure based on a set of 11 universal human needs is used as the basis for organizing a view of research methods appropriate to designing environments for people with dementia. The advantages and disadvantages of four general approaches are discussed: consumer surveys, direct behavior observation, expert judgments, and experimental designs. All are found wanting, though clearly worth pursuing. Systematic qualitative observational methods are suggested as a mode for generating and organizing user-friendly data for designing environments for people with dementia.

The physical environment of the person with Alzheimer's disease

A conceptual structure based on a set of 11 universal human needs is used as the basis for organizing a view of research methods appropriate to designing environments for people with dementia. The advantages and disadvantages of four general approaches are discussed: consumer surveys, direct behavior observation, expert judgments, and experimental designs. All are found wanting, though clearly worth pursuing. Systematic qualitative observational methods are suggested as a mode for generating and organizing user-friendly data for designing environments for people with dementia.

Involvement of Portuguese-Speaking Parents in the Education of Their Special-Needs Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of Portuguese-speaking families in the education of their special-needs children. The qualitative methods of participant observation and ethnographic interviewing were used to explore the following research questions: How do these parents want to be involved in their children's education, and what are their feelings about parent involvement? Participants were parent(s) from each of nine families who were foreign born, Portuguese-speaking, and had at least one child in special education. Findings were analyzed within two major categories: (a) the special-needs children in their families, and (b) the families' experiences with their children's education. The focus in this article concerns findings that emerged from data discussed under the following thematic statements: We have to ask for what we want and fight for our children, and lacking proficiency in English makes it more difficult for us to procure the services to which our children are entitled.

A Case Study of Community Collaboration

ABSTRACT The Georgia Policy Council for Children and Families has adopted a framework for local governance and system reform. Ten counties are currently implementing the framework. This case study describes the implementation in Dawson County, Georgia. We assessed congruence between the Georgia Policy Council's framework and initiation in Dawson County. We used qualitative research methods of interviewing, document review, and observation to produce a rich description of both the collaborative and initiation processes. Although the terminology in the framework and within the community differed, we found the framework and the initiation process to be highly congruent.

Trending of equipment inoperability for commercial aircraft

Abstract The Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS) is a Web-based analytical tool, or rather a database system, that is being fielded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It is intended to provide the FAA’s Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs) with the means to evaluate and control appropriate surveillance levels for aircraft operators. The SPAS enables qualitative trend analysis to be performed at the national, regional, and district levels. This will permit the system to be more sensitive to particular areas of concern for a given region. For example, inspectors particularly desire a tool to help them recognize problems which are occurring in the fleet. Especially desirable is a tool that could do so automatically by searching for trends and alerting the relevant inspectors. The Service Difficulty Reporting (SDR) system, one of the SPAS databases, provides FAA inspectors with information related to aircraft equipment inoperability, such as in-service difficulties, malfunctions, and defects. The SDR data provide information for planning, directing, controlling, and evaluating certain assigned safety and maintenance programs. This paper presents previous SDR trending results for DC-9 operators with heterogeneous fleets, but now uses data from two specific operators with homogenous fleets consisting entirely of 737 aircraft. This new research is an extension of the previous SDR forecasting research, but now provides more meaningful information, as the DC-9 aircraft data were composed of numerous operators with mixed fleets and differing operating and maintenance policies. Multiple regression and neural network models are the principal two forecasting methods examined. A population modeling concept, or data grouping strategy, appears to be an effective technique for trending SDRs for operators of either heterogeneous and homogeneous fleets. The forecasting methods presented in this paper offer technical enhancements for SDR trending compared to the current qualitative method of visual observation of graphical plots.

Third grade students' ideas about the lunar phases

Received 25 January 1997; revised 12 January 1998; accepted 17 March 1998 Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine third-grade students' ideas about the lunar phas- es prior to and following an instructional period designed to promote students' conceptual change. Four third-grade students enrolled in an elementary school near a large midwestern university participated in this study. Qualitative methods of interviewing and observation were used to identify students' concep- tions of the lunar phases. Analytical induction was used to analyze data collected in the forms of researcher notes and transcriptions of audio- and videotaped interviews and lessons. The results of this study indi- cated that students held individual views that were scientifically accurate; however, they also held con- ceptions that were scientifically inaccurate. In addition, the results demonstrate that students are capable of making conceptual changes; however, they also continued to hold views that were inconsistent with the scientific perspective. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 159-177, 1999

Lessons and Dilemmas Derived from the Literacy Instruction of Two Latina/o Teachers

We examine the practice of two Latina/o teachers and then develop three issues with potential for improving the literacy instruction of Latina/o students. First, we contrast the approaches of infusion and reform. The concept of infusion was used to describe one of the teachers who integrated newer conceptualizations of literacy instruction into her repertoire of teaching methods, whereas the second teacher's instructional approach was more aligned with reform efforts, most notably the adoption of cognitively oriented methods. We also examine Latina/o cultural influences on these teachers' instruction. We used the qualitative methods of observation, interviews, and document analysis, We concluded that infusion resulted in a balanced approach to literacy learning, that more extensive reform efforts allowed for strong rapport with students and served as the basis for engaging in culturally relevant activities, and that the teachers' Latina/o identity influenced their instructional approaches in multiple ways that have ramifications for European-American teachers of Latina/o students.