There are two types of observation, covert and overt. The difference between them is that covert observation is when the people being observed do not know they’re being watched or studied, and overt observation is when they have been told and given consent to be observed by the researcher.
Observation can also be done in two ways. This is called participant and non-participant observation. In participant observation the observer joins a group and observes their activities, while at the same time taking care to observe what is going on. Often that means writing notes and reflections later on.
In Non Participant observation, the sociologist simply observes the activities, but doesn’t take part in them. For example OFSTED; he or she is watching the lesson you are in, but they aren’t teaching, and they aren’t acting as a student. Everyone knows why they are there and often wish they weren’t observing them.
A strength of participant observation is validity. It gives us an authentic understanding of the world views of social actors. This understanding is particularly important when researching issues such as classroom interaction and labeling in schools. The power difference between young people and adults is a major barrier to uncovering the real attitudes and behavior of pupils. They may present a false image when being observed by an adult researcher, thus undermining validity. Nevertheless, observation is more likely than most methods to overcome this problem, because it gives the researcher the opportunity to gain acceptance by pupils.
A limitation is the Hawthorne effect. This is when people know they are being observed and act differently than they normally would in that situation. It is very difficult to carry out covert observation of educational settings, especially classrooms. This is because there are few cover roles the researcher can adopt and