Developing a Classroom Observation Instrument based on Iranian EFL Teachers’ Attitude

To observe teachers, different instruments have been developed. The problem with the instruments developed yet is that these instruments are based on particular assumptions of researchers about the classroom and teachers’ preferences have been neglected. In order to help bring teachers’ attitudes as important criteria to the field of classroom observation, the researchers, in the present study, developed a new observation instrument totally based on teachers’ attitudes.      To inquire about teachers’ attitudes, a two-phase study was conducted: a qualitative and a quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase an interview survey was conducted with ۲۰ EFL teachers. A content analysis of the transcribed data yielded ۳۵ most frequent items related to the features teachers liked to be included in classroom observation instrument. These items formed the statements in a likert-type questionnaire which was administered in the quantitative phase of the study. In order to check teachers’ ideas at large and to check the construct validity of the resulting instrument a questionnaire survey was conducted on ۱۶۱ EFL teachers in the quantitative phase of the study. A factor analysis of the data yielded ۱۰ factors with ۳۳ items meaningfully loading on the specified factors. The results of the analyses indicated that the resulting observation instrument based on teachers' attitudes could be considered reasonably valid and reliable.

Keywords:

Attitude , observation , Observation Instrument