60 and the rationale for its use.
3.2.4.2 Classroom observationslesson video recordings
Observation is the most direct way of obtaining data. Gillham 2000, p. 46 states that observation “is not what people have written on the topic. It is not what they
say they do. It is what they actually do”. Therefore, the primary goal of observation in a case study is to bring the researcher toward a fuller, richer understanding of the case in
question Stake, 2006. Furthermore, Merriam 1998, p. 89 supports that “observation is the best technique to use when an activity, event, or situation can be observed
firsthand, when a fresh perspective is desired, or when participants are not able or willing to discuss the topic under study.” In other words, observations clarify what the
participants say in the interviews and facilitate the researcher to obtain a broader perspective of the topic under study.
Bell 1999 suggests that researchers should decide what they are going to observe. Specifically, Merriam 1988, p. 89 explains that the most important factor
determining what is to be observed relates in the first place to the purpose of the study; that is, the conceptual framework, the problem, or questions of interest. Observations in
this study were focused on the teaching actions of the three case study teachers including the methods they used, the way they talked to or interact with the students,
how they managed the class, and how they managed themselves as teachers. These elements were selected for observation because they reveal the teacher’s habitus.
Indeed, habitus is embodied and enacted in practice manifested from an individual’s physical conduct, competence and stance, as well as ways of speaking, vocabulary and
accent Thomson Holdsworth, 2003. Two observations were conducted for each participant in this study: 1 classroom observation and 2 observation of the video
recorded lesson which are also watched by the participants. Classroom observations were performed on three separate occasions for each participant: before, during, and
after their engagement in a series of teacher self-evaluation activities. In addition, the observations of the video recorded lessons before and after the participants engaged in
the self-evaluation activity were performed several times. These observations were conducted to have a better understanding of what is happening in the context under
study to help answer the research questions. Sample lesson observation notes are
61 presented in Appendix N. The use of documentation as an instrument for data collection
in this study is discussed in the next subsection.
3.2.4.3 Documentation
Kategori