Meaning of the observation data involves two levels: ‘literal’ and ‘deep’ (Scott 1990:58). The first meaning can be derived from the level of language proficiency of student teachers. Learner observation tasks are recommended to write in the target language. The reasons of it have been explained in Chapter 3.2. It is rather complicated for student teachers to make notes in foreign language. But student teachers must possess the intermediate level of the language proficiency, so descriptive language of behaviour and manner of doing should not reveal great problems for them. Thus, a supervisor should take into account the language literacy of pre-service teachers. The deeper meaning is more difficult to assess. Here a supervisor should analyse the content of the text, and coherence between the aspects of observation and comments to them.
To sum everything up I can suggest that a supervisor should assess the tasks from different angles. Nothing can be taken for granted. The layout of the tasks, the amount of the comments and their appropriateness, method and additional sources for data collection should be considered. To ensure objectivity of assessment tasks can be assessed by two supervisors.
Computer assessment of ad-hoc observation needs further investigation and research. I should not deny practical problems in implementation of software packages in assessment of observation tasks: poor material and financial resources of institutions in developing countries. Moreover, most supervisors are computer illiterate and it requires much training for them to become competent users of software packages. But in future it is highly recommended to include computer packages in the evaluation process as it can assist and complement ‘manual’ approach and present valid data analysis and assessment.
Appendix 1
Classroom climate
Before the lesson:
1. Arrange to observe a lesson. Make sure you are seated in a position where you are able to observe students’ physical and emotional behaviour when the teacher attends to individuals.
2. Make familiar with the sample chart. Be aware that you will probably have to modify it.
During the lesson:
1. Make a grid of learners’ seating arrangement. Note on your diagram whether the students are male (M) or female (F).
e.g.
| S1οM | S2ο M | S7ο F | S8ο M |
| S3ο M(Phil)L | S4ο F | S9ο M | S10ο F |
| S5ο F | S6ο M | S11ο F(Angela)I | S12ο F |
2. Notice and put the symbols according to student’s physical or emotional behaviour every time the teacher attends to him/her. You may like to add others as you observe.
3. Try to record some field notes on student’s response to the teacher’s attending strategies.
4. Notice any changes in seating arrangement during the lesson.
5. Try to put symbols of physical behaviour when students attend to each other working in pairs or in a group at the beginning and the end of the task fulfillment.
¤ - eye contact with the teacher
I - hand raising
J - smiling
K - no emotions
L - boring
{ - daydreaming
² - doing another task different from the lesson objectives
-- physically bothering other students
m - other
After the lesson:
Comment on:
1. the seating arrangement, classroom discipline and social climate;
2. balance between teacher’s attendance to the students’ at the back and at the first desks;
3. balance between teacher’s attendance to female and male learners;
4. gender-related differences in physical behaviour;
5. comfort and attending to the task by the students at the first and the back desks;
6. the type and the amount of speech production by students at the first and the back desks;
7. any changes in students’ behaviour after seating arrangement was altered (if happened)
Reflect
What is the relationship between seating arrangement and social climate at the lesson? Does seating arrangement influence on classroom management?
How female and male learners’ behaviour is different?
What is the relationship between learners’ physical behaviour of different gender and their attitude to each other, the teacher and learning in general?
What is the relationship between location of students, and the type and amount of utterances they produce?
What is the relationship between seating arrangement and the nature of the learning process? (teacher-centred or learner-centred)
Appendix 2
Learner motivation
Before the lesson:
1. Arrange to observe a class.
2. Make yourself familiar with the chart below. Consider the evidences/signs of physical and language beahaviour that indicates students’ willingness and interest to the learning process. For example,
- asks the teacher when uncertain;
- attends the task at once;
- attends the task after the teacher’s reprimands;
- does not obey teacher’s instruction;
- enjoys working on difficult task;
- volunteers to participate in a competition (game);
- complains about the difficulty of the task;
- work(s) independently on the task for a long time;
- is glad with a teacher’s reward;
- is upset with the teacher’s feedback;
- presents additional material for home work;
- pleas teacher to get a good mark;
- other
You may wish to add some other signs.
3. Choose a range of six students of different gender and language level to comment on their motivation for learning.
During the lesson:
1. Consider these students’ behaviour in class and describe the learning activity in which this behaviour occurs. The far right column is for any other comments, such as the manner or emotional behaviour, whether the motivation is descried as instrumental, or integrative.
| Student’s name | Signs of high/ low motivation | Learning activity | Comment |
| Mark | a) e.g. Finishes the task firstb) | Filling the gap in grammar exercise | The desire to get a good mark, as he enquires about the grade he can get, instrumental |
| Peter | a) e.g. volunteers the answerb) | Comprehension check after first listening | Is fully involved into the lesson, integrative. |
After the lesson:
1. Consider the data you have collected. Comment on the linkage between the columns 2 and 3.
2. Which learning activities enhance integrative motivation and which of them promote instrumental one?
3. Which type of motivation prevails with female and male pupils.
Reflection
How important is that the teacher should know different motivations of her students for learning the language?
How important is the role of feedback and rewards. What activities should be praised?
How do students judge their own learning abilities? Do they over- or under-estimate their capabilities? What is the degree they value their efforts to the learning activity.
How does students’ motivation influence on the task performance?
In what way might this data effects you when you plan a lesson with this group of learners?
Appendix 3
Learner as doer
Before the lesson
1. Arrange to observe language and learning behaviour of students at a lesson. Describe the manner of doing and materials they use. For example, students might
a. respond in a low voice but accurately;
b. speak fast but with errors;
c. produce long utterances without haste and emotions;
d. think for long time before giving the answer
e. highlight some passages with fountain pen or marker;
f. volunteer to go to the blackboard;
g. give the answer first to the comprehension question after first listening;
h. finish fill-in the gap exercise on the blackboard first;
i. face his partner during the pair-, group work;
j. use colloquial expressions in the cues;
k. volunteer to dramatize the dialogue
2. Think of the learner’s affective (extroversion, introversion), cognitive (Field-dependent, Field-independent), and sensory (auditory, visual, kinaesthetic) preferences in accomplishing learning activities.
3. Make yourself familiar with the chart below.
During the lesson
1. Observe the lesson from the point of view of what and how the learners actually do.
2. Make notes in the chart below.
- outline the learning activity;
- describe the action and the manner of doing;
- comment on learners’ preferences, for example, whether the learner is good at working independently, or in cooperation with the partner, receiving or producing the language.
| Learning activity | Learner’s name | What & how learner does | Comment on learner’s preferences |
| e.g. presentation of the dialogue | Philip | dramatizes a dialogue with emphatic intonation | Enjoys and good at acting, prefers to produce language. FI, kinaesthetic |
After the lesson
1. Together with the classroom teacher group students according to their learning preferences.
2. Considering the data you have collected which activities in the lesson do you consider the most valuable for the learners? Explain your thoughts.
Reflect
What is the congruency between learners’ behaviour, preferences and learning activities?
To what extent the teacher should cater for learning preferences in planning a lesson? In what way learning activities can develop students’ learning styles?
Which approaches, materials, or techniques are you going to employ which suit student’s natural learning styles and can develop other skills in future planning of the lesson?
Appendix 4
Learner level
Before the lesson:
1. Arrange to observe a class.
2. Meet with the teacher and find out the learner’s language level. Have the student’s grade as a key. You might have made your assumptions about their level during previous observations.
3. Make yourself familiar with the chart below.
During the lesson
1. Look for overt evidence of the students’ level. Consider language competence (vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation), communicative competence (fluency of speech production, initiation, adequate response). Try to make records of students’ speech production.
2. In the far right column, record the strategies used by the teacher to adjust learner level. For example,
- varying speed of speech;
- varying complexity of language;
- varying length of wait time;
- calling on stronger students’ for ‘model’ answers;
- other
| Student | Level/grade | Learning activities | Signs of level | Teacher’s strategies |
| Angela | 3 | vocabulary work; matching pictures and words | 3 mismatches among 6 total words | appeal to another student as a model |
| Farid | 4 | Text reading | speed of the reading is fast but mispronounced two words | repeats with raising intonation, asks to correct;reminds the rule of reading of –ph combination |
After the lesson
1. Share your findings with the teacher. Talk about any students whose level appears to be different from that designed before.
2. Consider the data you have collected. Is there the linkage between students’ level and the level of difficulty of tasks?
3. Was the level of difficulty of learning activities appropriate to the level of students?
4. What were the overt language problems during the lesson?
Reflect
To what extent the task should be challenging for students?
How can you construct the instructions of the tasks in accordance with the level of competence of your students?
Is there any connection between seating arrangement, learners’ motivation, learning styles and learner levels?
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