Research Method RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
38 p. 212. Moreover, Creswell also states that observation is the process of gathering
open-ended firsthand information by observing people and places at a research site. Observation requires good listening skills and careful attention to visual
detail. Hammersley and Atkinson 1995 state that observation also requires management of issues such as the potential deception by people being observed
and the initial awkwardness of being an outsider without initial personal support in a setting as cited in Creswell, 2012, p. 214.
Observation also has the advantages and also the disadvantages. The advantages of observation are an opportunity to record the information, study the
actual behavior, and study the individuals who have difficulty in verbalizing their idea. Meanwhile, the disadvantages of observation are the researcher may have
difficulty in developing the information, individuals and the researcher will also be limited to those sites, and situations where the researcher can gain access. In
this research, the researcher used participant observation. Based on Fraenkel, Wallen, and Hyun 2012, researcher actually participates in the situation or
setting which is being observed. The researcher should interact as natural as possible. Participant can be overt or covert. Overt observation means that the
researcher is easily identified and the subjects know that they are being observed. While covert observation means that the researcher disguises the identity and acts
just like other participants. The researcher implemented the covert observation in this research in order to produce more valid observations of what really happens.
It also offers opportunity to see experiences from the views of participants. According to Creswell 2012, there are ten general processes in doing
39 the observation. First is selecting a site to be observed that can help in
understanding the central phenomenon. Second is put into the site slowly by looking around. Third is identifying who or what to observe and when and how
long to observe. Fourth is determining the respondents. Fifth is initialling the researcher
‟s role as an observer. Sixth is conducting multiple observations. Seventh is getting time to obtain the best understanding of the site and the
individuals. Eight is designing some means for recording notes during an observation. Ninth is considering what information the researcher will record
during an observation. The last is recording descriptive fieldnotes events, activities, and people and reflective fieldnotes personal thoughts.