I am using both field note-taking and observation as part of an ethnographic qualitative and quantitative research methodology. According to Kramer and Adams (2018), by leading the workshop and occasionally participating alongside students, I take on the role of an ethnographer—gaining an insider’s perspective and sharing similar experiences by immersing myself in the research field. I will construct an account of my students based on my active and attentive participation, observations of group discussions and interactions, student presentation observarion and analysis of group documents and artefacts.
Referring to Ciesielska et al. (2018) on types of observers, I will adopt the role of a partial participant. While I designed the workshop and will facilitate the tasks through interaction with students, I will not participate in the tasks themselves. The only exception will be during the lecture and class discussion, where I will be fully participating. However, data from this segment will be recorded through field notes written immediately after the session.
There will be 2 days where I will conduct my Observations, which are documented in the ARP Schedule (ARP Schedule | My PgCertificate):
1- Final In-Class Project Presentation (08/12/2025): Objective is to gather quantitative data
2- Final Soft Skills Workshop (09/12/2025): Objective is to gather mainly qualitative data and some quantitative data.
Please refer to the 2 uploaded templates below that I will be using on the day (please use Control + mouse wheel to zoom out and read them).
Regarding the Final Workshop, observation will take place across five key moments during the workshop and will be conducted as direct observation, meaning I will be present and witnessing the events as they unfold:
1- Introductory Questionnaire
2- 30-minute Group Task
3- Post-Collaboration Reflection Questionnaire
4- Miracle Question Task
5- Final Questionnaire
As Ciesielska et al. (2018) advise, observers should “describe rather than make judgments” and “avoid quick and unjustified generalizations and stereotypical typifications.” Furthermore, due to the postmodern approach in social sciences, the observer is never entirely neutral and always indirectly influences the research context.
To address this, I will use a split-page note-taking method, placing raw, descriptive observations on the left side and reflective or interpretive notes on the right. This will help me distinguish between what I observe and how I interpret it, promoting reflexivity and transparency.
My observations will include both structured elements, using checklists and predefined categories, and unstructured elements, allowing for open-ended note-taking to capture unexpected or emergent behaviours. I will use a consistent template across all activities; however, for the group task, I have added an additional table with tick boxes to evaluate the use of collaborative soft skills more systematically.
References:
Kramer, M. and Adams, T. 2017. Ethnography. In: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods. , Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. pp. 458-461 Available at: <https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483381411.n169> [Accessed 5 Nov 2025].
Ciesielska, M., Boström, K.W. & Öhlander, M. (2018) Observation methods. In: Ciesielska, M. & Jemielniak, D. (eds.) Qualitative Methodologies in Organization Studies: Volume II: Methods and Possibilities. Cham: Springer, pp. 33–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65442-3_2
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