Mudrik Anatoly

Involved observation as a research method in social psychology of education

Abstract

This article gives a defi nition of the method of involved observation as one of the means of qualitative study of social phenomena in human-oriented branches of knowledge (ethology, sociology, psychology, pedagogy); off ers a brief outline of the history of development and employing the method of involved observation in the USA and in Russia in the last century; proposes a diff erentiation of the method in terms of contemplative involved observation and participating involved observation; describes features of the position of the involved observer in a team of an educational institution; lists specifi c techniques that can be employed in the process of involved observation, namely sociological (questionnaire, interview), psychological (sociometry, ranking, tests), pedagogical (talks, independent characterisation, natural experiment); mentions typical cases of employing the method of involved observation (identifying ways of further research, the study of mechanisms underlying social-psychological and social-pedagogical processes, etc.); demonstrates limitations and dangers typical of the process of employing the method of involved observation (the subjectivity of the observer, stereotypes in dealing with phenomena observed, etc.).

Keywords

participant observation, participating observation, position of involved observer, psycho-pedagogical research, the study of social phenomena

References

1. Jel'konin D. B., red. Vozrastnye i individual'nye osobennosti mladshih podrostkov. Moscow, 1967.
2. Lazurskij A. F., red. Estestvennyj jeksperiment i ego shkol'noe primenenie. Praga, 1918.
3. Selivanova N. L., Mudrik A. V., Novikova L. I., red. Pedagogika vospitanij a: izbrannye pedagogicheskie trudy. Moscow, 2010.

Information about the author

Mudrik Anatoly

Academic Degree: Doctor of Sciences* in Education;
Place of work: Moscow State Pedagogical University; 6 Malii Sukharevskii pereulok, 127051, Moscow, Russian Federation;
Post: Professor;
ORCID: 0000-0003-0410-9487;
Email: amudrik@yandex.ru.

*According to ISCED 2011, a post-doctoral degree called Doctor of Sciences (D.Sc.) is given to reflect second advanced research qualifications or higher doctorates.

Acknowledgments

The article is written in 2017 within the framework of the project № 17-06-00796 supported by RFBR Foundation.