Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

ecame more comfortable with the research process and the requirements ofan effective
journal writing style, I was able to pen my thoughts and ideas as they occurred to me. I
used a system ofwriting up points I wanted to describe into a notebook I had especially
for this purpose. I would then capture and save this onto my computer in a more
comprehensive fashion. While I did not pay attention to any kind ofclose editing, issues
oflanguage and spelling automatically showed up and were corrected at that point. The
writing, to a large extent, became more relaxed and spontaneous as the research process
unfolded. This final research report contains several extracts from my journal, and each
extract appears in its original form.
4.5.3 About observation
The task ofthe educational researcher is very often to explain the means by which an
orderly social world is established and maintained in terms ofits shared meanings.
Observation studies are superior to experiments and surveys when data are collected on
non-verbal behaviour (Cohen and Manion 1994). The qualitative researcher is able to
discern ongoing behaviour as it occurs and is able to make appropriate notes about its
salient features. Observations generally take place over an extended time, which allows
the researcher to develop more intimate and informal relationships with those they are
observing. This research study necessitated a close relationship between the participants
(teachers in the TEMS project) and myself (as researcher).
Although this research study did not adopt a systematic observation orientation, I will,
however, briefly outline the nature ofearly classroom observation research and explain
its inappropriateness for this research study. In the late 1960s systematic observation was
the dominant method ofresearch on classrooms. Systematic observation involved the
observation oflarge samples ofteachers and pupils. Observers systematically coded
activities that took place at regular intervals (for example every three seconds or every
twenty five seconds) according to a coding scheme. The most popular coding system of
this kind was developed by Ned Flanders. He developed the FIAC (Flanders Interaction
Analysis Categories) which was designed to measure variations in the level ofcontrol of
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