Observing Children (B.El.Ed. 2nd Year)

 Student Contact Hours: 80
Maximum Marks: 75

The practicum course on observing children provides opportunities for undertaking systematic observations of children in various naturalistic and semi-structured settings. Through specific Assignments, students come in contact with children, construct scientific ways of understanding them, while also getting a chance to test universal developmental concepts.

PR 2.3 OBSERVING CHILDREN

Objectives

• TO acquire an understanding of children's development within given socio-cultural, political, economic, familial and personal contexts.

• To establish links between developmental constructs and principles, and psyche—social Of growing children.

• TO develop skills in observing and interviewing children, recording and reflective analysis.

Assignments

Students are expected to undertake three assignments over the academic year. Each assignment is designed to give very specific opportunities of generating knowledge from the field, testing given theories and developing skills Of interviewing children.

Assignment I : Children at Play

Objectives

• To understand the nature Of children's play at different age-levels.

• To gain insight into the various dimensions of children's play, such as comprehension of rules, rule-making, development of social roles and skills, relationship between language and play, issues Of gender.

Task and Time Frame

Students are required to observe a minimum Of 46 children in each Of the following age- groups : 3-5 years and 6-8 years.

Children can be observed in naturalistic settings such as a play-ground or park in the neigbourhood. Observations at each given time would be for about one hour, adding up to a total of 10 hours for each age-group. The hours of observation may spread over a period of 5-6 weeks.

Record Keeping

Students are required to keep detailed records Of their observations. Students must learn to discuss the difference between raw data and the observations and interpretations thereof. It is expected that discussions amongst peer group and with faculty supervisors during the time allotted for this, would enable students to evolve frameworks of analysing the observational data. Supervisors will facilitate the process of analysis and interpretation and help establish links with theory.

READINGS

1. Bettelheim, Bruno. The Importance Of Play, The Atlantic Monthly, March, 1987.

2. Erikson, Eric, H. Play and Development, W Norton: New York, 1972.

3. Garvey, C. Play, Harvard University Press: Cambridge 1990.

4. Vygotsky, Lev, S. in Society, Harvard University Press: Cambridge, 1980 Chap 7: The Role Of Play.

Assignment II : A Day in the Life Of a Child

Objectives

• TO examine the development of children within varying socio-economic contexts.

• TO understand the impact Of dynamic social influences arising out Of varied backgrounds — upon children and their education.

Task and Time Frame

Students are required to undertake observations Of individual children and their families in three diverse settings : a neighbourhood child, a child from a 'basti' and a child from an affluent home. The neighbourhood child essentially refers to a child from a middle class socio-economic background. This category must not overlap with any of the other categories. Each of the three settings will require a distinct methodological approach. However, a common guideline which can serve both as an observational schedule and an interview schedule, can be used. Such a guideline would use the following as a framework for gathering data : Family; Physical Space; Material Resources; Health and Nutrition; School Related Factors; Human Support Structures; Family Interactions.

The neighbourhood child

Students will be expected to Observe a child within the home once on a school day and once on a holiday. Observations should begin from the time a child awakes in the morning and continue till she retires for the day. Observations may include talking to parents only to fill in gaps. Observations may be conducted unobtrusively and without any attempt to intrude into the privacy of the family. The neigbhourhood is chosen specifically because it may allow easy access and transparency in the research process.

The child from a basti

The method to know a basti child may require, apart from observations, semi-structured interviews with parents and the community, including teachers. Interviews with basti children can be arranged through non-governmental organisations working in slum and resettlement colonies. An advantage in working through NGOs is the necessary orientation that the students can receive in conducting observations and interviews with sensitivity and responsibility.

Child from affluent home

Using the guidelines mentioned above, individual children from affluent homes may be interviewed. The interviews could be arranged through schools which specifically cater to the affluent sections of society. Individual children could be interviewed within the school.

Record Keeping

Students are required to keep detailed records of the data collected through observations and interviews. Based on the discussions with the peer group and with faculty members, students will evolve a framework of analysis, drawing upon socio-psychological principles.

Assignment 3 : Problem-Solving and Moral Dilemmas

Objectives

• To Study the nature Of children's process Of conceptualisation in the context Of a specific

problem-solving task.

• To investigate and understand the nature and development Of moral reasoning among

• TO enhance skills Of interviewing young children in order to understand their

development and their world.

Task and Time Frame

Problem-Solving Task: The Hanoi Tower — A Piagetian Task

Students will administer the task individually to at least three children in the age-groups

Of 5-6 years, 8-9 years and 11-12 years. Detailed guidelines explaning the procedure of

conducting the task, recording responses and analysis, will be provided by the supervisor.

Record Keeping

Students will be required to record the initial instructions given to the child any additional

instructions given during the execution of the task, the questions asked, and the responses

Of individual children. Students will then analyse the observations with respect to the level

Of "cognizance" the children have attained. The framework given by Piaget can be used.

READINGS

Piaget. J. The Grasp Of Consciousness, Routledge and Kegan Paul: London, 1977, The Hanoi Tower

pp. 287 - 299

Moral Dilemmas : Piagetian and Kohlberg

Students Will identify four children, two each in the age-group Of 5-6 years and 8-10 years respectively, and present the moral dilemmas to the children one at a time, in an interesting story-telling manner. Students will then ask the children a number Of questions in order to get a thorough insight into the child's understanding Of morality and ethics. Detailed guidelines explaining the procedure of conducting the task, recording responses and analysis will be provided by the supervisors.

Record Keeping

Students will be required to maintain a record Of basic information such as the child's name, accurate age, sex and socio-economic status. The entire interview protocol would be recorded verbatim, indicating the questions asked and the responses given (verbal or through gestures) both Of the interviewer and the child. Students will be expected to analyse the responses Of children in terms Of Piaget's theoretical framework Of moral judgement and the stages Of moral development as given by Kohlberg.

READINGS

1 Berk, Laura. Child Deælopment, Prentice Hall : New Delhi, 1996.

2 Gilligan, Carol. In a Different Voice : Women's Conception of Self and Morality, Harvard

Educational Review, 47 (4), 1977, pp 481-517.

3 Piaget, J. The Moral Judgement of the Child, Routledge and Kegan Paul: London, 1932.

Chapter 2 Adult Constraint and Moral Realism.

Supervisory Support :

The practicum should be conducted in small groups not exceeding eight in number. Each

group will be facilitated by a faculty member, who will :

•  introduce the assignments 

• help establish a methodology for each assignment 

• invite discussions on observed data 

• facilitate developing a framework Of analysis 

• promote reflective learning in small groups and facilitate systematic report writing

Assessment

Students learning through this practicum will be internally assessed by their respective

supervisors using the following basis and criteria

Assignment I : Children at Play

Basis-Criteria

• Observations-Required number of hours & Ability to focus on key elements

Class Participation-Involvement in discussions & Framework of analysis, links with theory and coherent use of observations.

Assignment II: A Day in the Life of a Child

Basis -Criteria 

• Observations- Required number of hours, information gathered

• Class Participation- Involvement in discussions

   Report- Framework Of analysis, Children's profiles & Comparative analysis

Assignment Ill : Problem Solving and Moral Dilemmas

Basis- Criteria 

• Execution Of the task- Presentation Of the task, Questions asked, Creative inputs & Clarity in presenting dilemmas
• Report- Record of details, Framework Of analysis, Links with theoretical constructs & Use Of observations to Substantiate arguments

Overall classroom participation, regularity and punctuality may also be considered as an

additional criteria for assessment.

Source: B.El.Ed Handbook 

READING MATERIAL

Here, are first page of each reading material available in the Link below.

DRIVE LINK:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1GCoLgAqWry71OJ02Ju4ATz2rUvgBUdG7

THANK YOU!

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