influence in any way instructions and interactions although in some cases
suggestions as to methods or materials were made to the teachers during or
after a lesson. In the event, participation put children and teachers very much
at ease and teachers in both schools saw the observer's presence as a bonus
rather than as an intrusion. As far as the children were concerned, to them the
observer was just 'another adult' in the classroom.
5.3.1 Recording of Information from Lesson Observations
Notes from lesson observations were to provide insights into classroom
procedures while also providing the context within which questionnaires and
interviews should be interpreted. Recording took place in the form Ofwritten
notes either during lessons if this could be done in an unobtrusive way or
immediately after lessons. Although an attempt was made to describe lessons
in the greatest possible detail, the thoroughness of the notes and the amount
gathered inevitably varied from lesson to lesson depending on the degree of
involvement in the activities of the classroom. Descriptions are of necessity
incomplete and total objectivity cannot be claimed. On the other hand,
descriptions and interpretations do include some events that were 'felt' such as
'sensation of impatience, urgency, relaxation, frustration, and so on' (Van Lier,
1988: 80).
The researcher decided against video or tape recordings of lessons for a
number of reasons. First, these were seen as putting undue pressures on
teachers who had volunteered to teach French and who were not necessarily
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