Research Journal Assignment #7c: Field Research Plan

There are few different ideas I have had for my field research. The first idea that came into my mind was to simply observe a classroom setting and report what naturalistic observations I found and how the teacher applied either Piaget or Vygotsky's theories in the classroom. I could do this kind of observation anytime a school would allow me to and this might be a simple way to gather research. If I were to pursue this kind of field research I would most likely conduct it at the local elementary school so the proximity would be a benefit of this kind of research. Although conducting a simple observation would be a simple way of gathering information it might not be the most useful because the chances that the class might be doing something that might not have either theory applied is a good possibility.

Another option I have considered is simply interviewing the head of the Human Development department at Metro and getting his opinion on the two theories and when he has found them useful and which one he is more likely to use in his teaching. This would be a simply interview to conduct but might be more difficult to set up than the observation at the elementary school. I already know who I would interview but setting up a time that we could both meet might be tough, so if I was to interview him I might actually do it through email or on the phone. Although that eliminates the face to face interaction and possibility of clarification it definitely adds an element of convenience to the research. In conclusion, I'm still unsure about which of the two ideas I will chose but either way I know I will be doing the research sooner rather than later so as to help formulate my conclusion in my paper.