Classroom Observation

Classroom observation is a field research method in which a trained observer systematically watches, documents, and analyzes teaching and learning events as they occur in a real classroom setting. It can be structured (using a predefined coding instrument such as Flanders Interaction Analysis or CLASS), semi-structured, or open-ended (ethnographic notes), and is used across educational research, teacher professional development, school evaluation, and curriculum studies to generate ecologically valid evidence about instructional practice.