Observational Research on Adolescent Behavior - Development of a Research Question and Theoretical F

Introduction/Review of the Literature

1) Develop a research question and hypothesis individually. Your question and hypothesis should be based on a topic of interest (e.g., adolescent male behavior). Team members will then introduce themselves in the Group Discussion forum, located in Unit 3, to share their individual question and hypothesis with each other. The team will decide on one question and hypothesis in which to focus the team’s activities.

2) As a team, you will develop a theoretical framework in which to focus your observations. Teams can do this by linking together aspects of different theories they have read about or perhaps you like the work of one theorist such as, Bronfenbrenner or Piaget. It is crucial that your research question and hypothesis are grounded in theory!

3) As a team, you will select an instructor-approved setting in which to observe an adolescent, a group of adolescents, or adolescents with their families. Depending on the context (family, peers, academic), teams may select a public setting (e.g., public park, playground, toy store, game room), a setting for which you have permission to enter (classroom or child care center), or a familiar setting with adolescents you personally know (home or work). Although all members of the team will conduct thier observations in the same setting, each member will conduct the observation individually. For instance, team members might ALL want to observe adolescents at the movie theatre before a show so each team member will do the observation at a local movie theater. One group member can simply email me the group’s research question, hypothesis, theoretical framework, and observational setting to the instructor for approval.

4) Each team member will conduct an observation in the selected natural setting and take annotated notes. Your observations should take place for the same length of time in the same setting wherever you live, if possible (e.g., 2 hours in the park; 2 hours at the movie theatre on a Saturday night). Please review the literature on annotated notes for observational purposes. Include all notes from the team in your appendix.

5) As a team you will collaborate as you compare your research findings and compose your paper. Your team paper should not exceed 11 typed pages (standard conventions – Times

New Roman, 12-point font, 1 inch margins, using APA format). The cover page and reference page count as additional pages. Your team paper must follow the following format: a) Introduction/ Review of the Literature (1.5-2pgs): Use empirical articles and book chapters to introduce and discuss your topic. Example: Vygotsky emphasized the importance of guided inquiry, which encourages collaboration with others in order to construct shared meanings… Discuss your topic by relying on research articles, and research and observation. (Must use citations!) At the end of your review, state the purpose of your paper, your research question(s), and hypothesis (or hypotheses). Example: The purpose of this paper is to.

b) General Site Observation (1-1.5pg): Describe the setting(s) in which you conducted your observations (e.g., duration of observations; number of adolescents/families; adolescent/family characteristics such as perceived age, nationality/race, and gender; major activities occurring; who was involved, etc.). Only include relevant details that may be related to your paper. This section should be brief; you can save some of the details for later. (1) Example: Observations were made in middle schools where we observed students working together on assignments. We made sure we observed male and female pairs, the functioning of mixed sex pairs is of interest to the current study. Students were between the ages of 11 and 13 years and differed in terms of race and ethnicity. The pairs were as follows: Male Black, Female Latin (or Hispanic; U.S.); Male White and Female White (Norway);

c) Narrative (4pgs): Describe what occurred during your observation. What did the adolescent(s) or families do? Did you interact with the individuals you observed? Note: Your narratives should be very detailed!

d) Analysis and Conclusion (3pgs):

(1) Example: Wells (2000) discussed that to truly “motivate genuine inquiry, the question must be taken over and owned by the student” (p. 65). This was accomplished when students were asked to generate hypotheses about plants…         

Analysis. Analyze your observations as a team by utilizing unit readings and videos, along with 2 or more outside sources.

Pay close attention to the interactions and social dynamics that ensue and connect them with ideas covered in class. Describe processes that may account for what you have observed. Provide support for your claims based on information from class readings, articles, and videos. Use your theoretical framework to guide your discussion and support your claims. Did you observe something that confirms, supports, or contradicts certain concepts related to your theoretical framework? How might you pursue researching these questions in depth?