Evaluate the strengths and limitations of non-participant observations for the study of the ways in which classroom interactions reinforce traditional gender identities.

Practical Issues (P)

• “very difficult for researchers to avoid being noticed”

• gaining permission from schools & maintaining minimal disruption are major challenges

• teachers often act as gatekeepers and are reluctant to allow observation of their practice especially in the case of “male teachers colluding with male pupils” being investigated then this could damage teacher reputations

• observations also time consuming as researchers may need to spend weeks in clasrooms to gather sufficient data

• therefore, while possible on small scale, non-participant obs are impractical for large scale studies of gender formation

Ethical Issues

• Item A refers to “verbal abuse and other more subtle processes such as the male gaze” which raises ethical concerns when observing children

• Pupils are minors so informed consent needed from parents, pupils and school

• Researchers may witness harmful behaviour based on gender but face ethical dilemmas about intervening/maintaining confidentiality

• While ethical safeguards may limit researcher’s ability to observe, they protect vulnerable participants and ensure research is socially responsible

• Consequently, non participant observations are constrained by ethical considerations, preventing valuable data collection

Reliability

• Non-participant obs may lack reliability because interpretations of the “male gaze” or “putting down” girls are subjective

• Different researchers may categorise/interpret the same classroom differently, making replication difficult

• E.g. what one observer may see as teasing, another may see as gender reinforcement

• Structured observation schedules could improve reliability but would reduce depth and flexibility

• Therefore, reliability is often low in such qualitative, context-specific classroom studies

Validity

• Item A states “observing classroom behaviour…first hand enables researchers to see what…goes on” suggesting non-participant obs can provide highly valid data

• Researchers observe subtle aspects of classroom interaction that shapes gender identities -boys dominating discussion & girls praised for neatness

• In this context, teachers & pupils may be unaware of how their everyday behaviours reinforce traditional gender norms

• However, Item A acknowledges that “it is very difficult for the observer to avoid being noticed” meaning pupils & teachers may modify their actions under observation (Hawthorne Effect)

Theoretical Considerations

• Item A mentions “the potential for greater insight through direct experience of classroom interaction” which aligns with interpretivist approaches

• Interpretivists favour non-participant observation because it reveals the meanings teachers and pupils attach to gendered interactions

• E.g. it shows how teachers unintentionally reinforce masculinity through “laddish” behaviour

• Positivists, however, criticise it for its lack of objectivity, reliability, and generalisability