Observation:

As a data-gathering device, direct observation may make an important contribution to

descriptive research. Certain types of information can best be obtained through direct
examination by you. For example, characteristics of a school building: materials of construction,
number of rooms for various purposes, size of rooms, amount of furniture and equipment,
presence or absence of certain facilities and other relevant aspects. Their adequacy can be
determined by comparing these facilities with reasonable standards previously determined by
expert judgment and research. But when the study of human subject in action is involved, data-
gathering through observation becomes much more complex. Here you must know "what to look
for?" and "how to look for.?" You must be able to distinguish between the significant aspects of
the situation and factors that have little or even no importance to the investigation. This requires
the selection of the situations where observational techniques are useful. Observation is
concerned with the overt behavior of persons under conditions of normal living. Many important
aspects of human observation are concerned with the overt behavior of persons under conditions
of normal living. Many important aspects of human behavior cannot be profitably observed
under the artificially arranged laboratory conditions. The method of descriptive research seeks to
describe behavior under natural conditions. Observation as a research technique must be directed
by a specific purpose; systematic, carefully focused and thoroughly recorded. Like other research
procedures, it must be subjected to the usual checks for accuracy, validity and reliability. The
observer must know just what to observe and what to look for. Both reliability and validity of
observation are improved when observations are made at frequent intervals by the same
observer. Observations may be direct or indirect, scheduled or unscheduled, and known or
unknown. A more normal view of activity may be observed from unknown, unscheduled,
indirect observations such as through a one-way-vision glass. People are known to have
committed minor crimes in order to get a true picture of prison conditions.

Methods of Recording Observations:

To aid in the recording of information gained through observation, a number of devices
have come to be extensively used. These instruments help the researcher focus his attention on
specific phenomena, make objective and accurate observations, and systematize the collection of
data.

1. Check-list:
The check-list is the simplest of the devices, consisting of a prepared list of items. The
presence or absence of the items may be indicated by checking "Yes or No" or the type and
number of items may be indicated by inserting the appropriate word or number. This simple
'laundry list" type of device systematizes and facilitates the recording of observations, and helps
to assure the consideration of important aspects of the object or act observed. Suppose you want
to use observation for gathering data to study project implementation. Before you actually visit
the project office, you must have a complete list of things that you want to observe. For this
purpose you prepare a check-list, some of whose items may
be the following:
Is a copy of the approval of P.CA available? YES NO
Has a time schedule been prepared to start various major activities? YES NO
Have responsibilities for each major activity been assigned? YES NO
Has detailed drawing of the building been prepared? YES NO
Has the building plan been approved? YES NO
The data collected through observations made at the project office would be as exhaustive and
complete as the check-list.

2. Rating scale:
A rating scale is used for qualitative description of a limited number of aspects of a thing
or of traits of a person. In this device the aspects of the thing or the traits of a person are rated on
a five or a seven point scale from the highest to the lowest. In describing the quality of
construction of a building; the following categories may be used:
Excellent Good Average below Avenge Poor In rating a project manager's knowledge of project
details, one uses the following categories:
Thorough Good Fair Below Average Sketchy
One of the problems in using a rating scale is that different observers may interpret the quality to
be rated differently. If a rating scale uses brief behavioral statements, it would be possible for
different raters to use it with greater objectivity. To continue with the rating of project managers
in respect to their knowledge of projects, it would be more objective to use the following
categories to describe this quality:

Knows all Knows some Knows some Knows only the Knows no
details of each details of each details of a major details of any
major major few components but major
components components components no details components

In addition to the difficulty of defining the traits to be rated, rating scales have several
limitations. The tendency to rate higher on all traits, a person having pleasing personality
militates against the objectivity of rating scales. To counter the 'halo' effect it has been suggested
that the number of traits or characteristics to be rated should be kept at a minimum. Another
problem is the tendency of raters to put a much larger number of persons in above average
groups.

3. Score card:
The score card, similar in some respects to both the cheek-list and the rating scale,
usually provides for the appraisal of a relatively large number of aspects. In addition, the
presence of each characteristic or aspect, or the rating assigned to each, has a predetermined
point value. Thus the score card rating may yield a total weighted score that can be used in the
evaluation of the object observed. Score rates are frequently used in evaluating communities,
building sites, schools or textbooks. It is sometimes used in arriving at an overall evaluation of a
school. Score cards have been designed to help in estimating the socioeconomic status of a
family. Such aspects as type of neighborhood, home, number of rooms, ownership, number of
books in the library and number and types of periodicals subscribed are all considered significant
and have appropriate point values assigned. The limitations of the score card are similar to those
of the rating scale. In addition to the difficulty of choosing, identifying and quantifying the
significant aspects of the factor to be observed, there is the suspicion that the whole at a rating
may be greater than the sum of its parts.

4. Scaled specimen:
 Data requirement for Use of Observation
Observation gathering
Appropriate Device
YES NO

i)Management approach of secondary school headmasters. YES NO Check List

ii) Extra-curricular activities in rural secondary schools. YES NO
iii) Effectiveness of teacher in-service course given at centre schools. YES NO
iv) Communication skills of secondary school science teachers. YES NO
v) Selection for Presidential award for best teachers. YES NO
vi) Content analysis of social studies books of Punjab Textbook Board. YES NO
vii) Leadership qualities of managers of poorly managed and well-managed projects.
YES NO
viii) Quality of speeches made in a school debate. YES NO
ix) How well do school administrators conduct school staff meetings? YES NO
x) Do teacher-parent meetings attain the desired goal? YES NO
The scaled specimen, although not frequently encountered, provides an effective method
for evaluating certain standards of performance. Throndike's handwriting scales provide a
number of graded samples to which one may compare the handwriting to be evaluated.
Various intelligence-test scoring manuals provide scaled specimens for determining the mental
age of children as revealed by their drawings.

Value of Observational Techniques:

Following are some of the merits of observational techniques in the collection of data:
a. Observational techniques supply information which supplements the information obtained by
other methods.
b. Observation supplies information which cannot be gathered by other available techniques.
c. Observation provides a sample of individual's real behavior.
d. Observations are selective.
e. Observation promotes the growth of person doing the observation