The Diagnostic Process
I.
Selecting Data Collection Methods for the Diagnosis of Teacher
Performance
The D.E.P.T.H. Process for Selecting Data Collection Methods
The D.E.P.T.H. process is an acronym that has been created to help the clinical
educator easily recall the items of importance when working with the developing
teacher. These five categories of emphasis are not sequential steps that one must
follow, but rather, are areas of concern to which the clinical educator must pay attention
as he/she plans and conducts a pre-observation conference. Most often, these areas of
concern will prove important when the clinical educator and the developing teacher
select the method for data collection. The letters in D.E.P.T.H. mean the following:
D
The DEVELOPING teacher
E
The Classroom ENVIRONMENT
P
The PROFESSIONAL ISSUE
T
The TRUST
H
The HELPER
The Developing Teacher
Prior to the pre-observation conference, take a few minutes to reflect upon the
developing teacher’s current status. Ask yourself a number of questions about him or
her. These might include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How aware is he/she of the successes or problems he/she is facing in
this classroom?
How eager is the teacher to work with you? To learn?
What observation techniques does the teacher know? Are the data
important to the teacher?
Do you have the skills to collect observation data on the areas for which
the teacher will be likely to request help?
The Classroom Environment
The environment of the classroom--its physical, behavioral, and emotional climate--will
influence the data collection techniques that are of use at any given time. Video
equipment cannot be used in noisy, out-of-control classrooms. A class in which visitors
are frequently involved will make the use of complicated observation tools difficult. A
crowded classroom in which the observer will have difficulty moving about or sitting in a
particular location may rule out the use of a particular technique.
The Nature of the Teacher’s Professional Issue
In the process of diagnosing the classroom performance of a teacher, the clinical
educator must determine the nature and level of the teacher’s professional issues and
concerns. Clinical educators are likely to find one or more of the following seven types
of professional issues:
1. Lack of knowledge of subject matter.
2. Lack of awareness that a problem exists.
3. Inability to solve a known problem.
4. Inability to see or use a variety of alternatives.
5. Getting stuck in a rut.
6. Constantly revising goals and aims.
7. Employee difficulties not associated with classroom performance.
The basic question that needs to be answered at this time is, “Are data likely to be
helpful?” The issue the teacher is confronting at the moment may be one that needs
considerable discussion, not data. The concern could be over a conflict in goals, not
classroom behavior. Furthermore, data that would help a teacher to become aware of
classroom behavior may not help helping that teacher solve a problem.
The Level of Trust
An experienced clinical educator can quickly ascertain a variety of needed
improvements in the classroom behavior of a developing teacher. Often, however, it is
inappropriate for the clinical educator to expose the entire laundry list of improvement
needs at one time. The relationship that exists between the two must be analyzed and
known by the clinical educator. The strength of that relationship, the trust level, will
restrict, constrain, or facilitate the sharing of data and conclusions from collected data.
Research indicates that, when the level of trust is low, i.e., the relationship is weak or
new, the clinical educator should provide:
1. only the data that the teacher requests;
2. data that is student or activity centered, rather than teacher focused;
3. data that is immediately useful;
4. data that is positive; and
5. data that has a basis in a third party’s requirement (e.g., the GTAP or district
approved observation system).
The Helping Role
The clinical educator (CE) must also look at him/herself to determine what are the data
collection methods which he/she has expertise in and is capable of using at this time.
The CE also must examine the traditional roles that other clinical educators have played
in this school and county. A radical departure from the established norm must occur
gradually with full explanations to those involved.
The clinical educator must also examine the roles that he/she has played with this
developing teacher (DT) in the past. If one has played an EXPERT role for four years
and suddenly shows up in a COUNSELOR role, the transition may be difficult.
The roles we play are a function of our own personality, our expertise, the situation, the
developing teacher’s skills, and the DT’S personality. All must be reviewed in the
process of determining the helpful role for a given problem
II.
Informal Data Collection Methods
Accurate diagnosis is based on information, and any number of methods of informal
data collection are available for diagnosis of teacher performance.
For our purposes, informal data collection methods will be classified into the following
categories:
Verbatim
•
Total Verbatim records what is actually said (electronically or by
scripting).
•
Selective Verbatim organizes the verbal information into
behavioral categories.
Anecdotal
•
Time/event sampling via shadowing, selective verbatim and physical
movement or class traffic.
•
Specimen description of products by and/or for students.
•
Diary description of products intended for teachers’ use.
Interactive
•
Verbal flow of student and/or teacher interaction.
•
At task.
Diagnosis of Teacher Performance Using Verbatim Data
Verbatim data collection can be accomplished by electronic means or by the observer
scripting what is actually said in the classroom or by scripting the language of
students/teacher in a specified category.
Electronic data are those data which are collected by electronic methods such as
video and audio taping. The usefulness of these kinds of data is that the developing
teacher sees and hears, through the eyes of the camera and the ear of the tape
recorder, exactly what the observer and students in the classroom see and hear.
Electronic data allow teachers to see and hear many things about their teaching
performance of which they were not consciously aware. Electronic data allow the
information to be studied carefully--played back, frozen, etc. The developing teacher
and the clinical educator view the data from the same vantage point, thus facilitating
discussion and joint diagnosis of performance.
Scripting involves observers recording to the extent possible, everything a teacher said
during a portion of a lesson. This method is usually used in combination with audio
taping teacher talk. Scripting is very useful in conferences between the observer and
the developing teacher as very specific examples from the observation can be given.
Selective Verbatim techniques have the observer record what is actually said within a
specific category of concern which a teacher has selected. For example, if a teacher is
concerned about his/her questioning techniques, the observer would record the actual
questions asked.
Diagnosis of Teacher Performance Using Anecdotal Data
One of the many informal methods for observing and recording behavior of teachers is
anecdotal records. Anecdotal records are narrative descriptions of everything that
happens in a classroom. They usually will reveal new insights and can suggest
interpretations and explanations. The observer’s attention is focused on the teacher as
a unique individual.
General characteristics of anecdotal records:
•
they are the result of a direct observation (which rules out anything based on
rumors);
•
they are the prompt and specific description of a particular event;
•
they supply the content of behavior; identify setting and situation so
that the observer is aware of the preceding situation that affected
behavior; and they include statements by teachers and pupils;
•
•
they keep inference and/or interpretations separate from the objective
description; and,
they are concerned with either typical or unusual behavior for the individual; the
observer reports whatever appears noteworthy.
There are a number of ways to collect anecdotal information about a classroom:
Diary description includes the analysis of such things as lesson plans, logs, and
portfolios. These are all things the teacher does for his/her own use.
Specimen description is the analysis of things the teacher does for the student or
the analysis of work done by the students themselves. These include items such
as tests, homework, projects, or reports.
“Shadowing,” “Physical Movement,” and “Script Taping,” are all examples of time
and event sampling.
Diagnosing Teacher Performance Using Interactive Data
Interactive data are information about the verbal and nonverbal interactions of the
students and teacher in the classroom. Recording language and behavior, as the
teacher interacts with students and the students interact with the teacher and with each
other, provides a written picture of classroom happenings. This “snapshot” of a
particular time frame is helpful in giving systematic feedback to teachers and in
assisting them to recognize their language behaviors. Two methods of collecting this
useful interactive data are “Verbal Flow” and “At Task” observations.
Verbal Flow
Since we humans become who we are partly through the image of ourselves that we
see reflected in others, it is imperative that teachers be aware of the way they respond
both verbally and physically to the students in their classrooms. A verbal flow chart is
one way of determining how classroom procedures inhibit, encourage or allow students
to participate in classroom interactions.
This chart simply reflects the involvement of students in classroom discussion. The form
for the chart is a representation of the students’ seating pattern. Any characteristics that
might differentiate one group of students from another are recorded. Arrows are used to
indicate the nature of the classroom discussion/interaction initiated by a student or the
teacher, as well as to indicate response to questions and directives. Additional
subscripts and symbols can be used to reflect other categories and responses made by
individual students.
At Task
The intent of the “At Task” observation is to provide data for the teacher that specify
whether or not individual students during a classroom activity were engaged in the task
or tasks which the teacher indicated were appropriate. It is obvious that before this
technique can be used, the observer must be acquainted with what the teacher expects
of the students during a given classroom period. An observer must prepare
himself/herself for an “At Task” observation by becoming thoroughly familiar with what
the teacher expects of the students, i.e., what the teacher regards as at task behavior
during the classroom lesson.
An observer uses “At Task” as a technique for gathering data when the teacher is
concerned about individual behavior, about student attentiveness, about task
orientation, and other related items.
Categories will differ from observation to observation. The observer will systematically
start with the same student every time he makes the round of the class. He will follow
the same sequence in order to preserve the time sampling nature of the technique. The
observer will make as many observations of individual students as the time given for the
lesson or the observation will permit. This information can be presented directly to the
teacher as it is recorded on the form, or it can be summarized.
III.
Analysis of Teacher Performance Data
The S.T.E.P. Process for Analyzing and Synthesizing Data
The “S.T.E.P.” process is a mnemonic device designed to help you remember the steps
a clinical educator needs to go through to analyze and synthesize the data gathered
from an observation. These are the steps involved in thinking about the data that have
been collected and in organizing the information to present to the developing teacher in
the most helpful and meaningful manner. The letters in S.T.E.P. stand for:
S
SELECT the data.
T
THINK about likely teacher reactions.
E
ENUMERATE acceptable solutions
P
PLAN the conference.
SELECT
A well done observation usually results in the collection of a large amount of data. If you
presented a developing teacher with all the information collected in an observation, the
results might be overwhelming and confusing, rather than helpful. Therefore, you need
to carefully SELECT just the data which will be most useful for diagnosis in the
particular situation.
THINK
THINK through likely teacher reactions and be prepared to guide discussion in the
most productive manner. Will the person to whom you are reporting the data be
pleased? Distressed? Eager? Will the teacher cooperate in making the conference
professional and meaningful or will the person block effective communication?
THINKING about these questions and other possible reactions will prepare you for
the conference. You will have in mind the verbal and nonverbal tools needed to
guide the conference in a productive direction and to arrive at a useful diagnosis of
the teacher’s performance.
ENUMERATE
After preparing yourself for the teacher’s reactions to the data presented, continue the
planning/diagnosis process by thinking through possible solutions to the problem or the
next steps needed in moving toward a solution. ENUMERATE acceptable targets or
solutions.
PLAN
The last step in the S.T.E.P. process is to PLAN the conference. Do the obvious--set a
time convenient for both parties; find a comfortable place where you will not be
interrupted and no one will overhear your conversation; allow adequate time for the
conference; etc. Then, do the additional PLANNING needed. Review the first four steps;
collect and organize the notes or other evidence needed to effectively present the
selected data; and have clearly in mind an outline of the direction that you want the
conference to take.