Non-Participant Observation

Question 1

What are the specific advantages and disadvantages of non-po?

Answer 1

:) avoids the problem of going native
:) more objective than PO
:( can’t truly gain verstehen if the researcher doesn’t join in
:( Not liked by interpretivists

Question 2

What did Ronald King do?

Answer 2

Sat at the back of the class in a primary school - had no input in lessons and had to refuse when asked for help 
- Eventually hid in a wendy house at the back of the classroom

Question 3

What is a bad and good point about King’s study?

Answer 3

:) avoids hawthorne effect - apart from the teacher

:( deception of children

Question 4

What did Flanders do?

Answer 4

• Identified ten categories of behaviour that showed teacher-student interaction
• Was recorded as qualitative data
• Interactions e.g. praising

Question 5

What is a good and bad point about Flanders’s study?

Answer 5

:( No understanding of why they are interacting this way

:) liked by positivists as quantitative