NAMNA YA KUANDIKA NA EXAMPLES OF FIELD REPORT
Field reports require the researcher to combine theory and analysis learned in the classroom with methods of observation and practice applied outside of the classroom.
The purpose of field reports is to describe an observed person, place, or event and to analyze that observation data in order to identify and categorize common themes in relation to the research problem(s) underpinning the study.
The data is often in the form of notes taken during the observation but it can also include any form of data gathering, such as, photography, illustrations, or audio recordings.
This is Approach Writing a Field Report
How to Begin
Field reports are most often assigned in the applied social sciences [e.g., social work, anthropology, gerontology, criminal justice, education, law, the health care professions] where it is important to build a bridge of relevancy between the theoretical concepts learned in the classroom and the practice of actually doing the work you are being taught to do.
Field reports are also common in certain science and technology disciplines [e.g., geology] but these reports are organized differently and for different purposes than what is described below.
Example of a field report
Undergraduate students in different countries such as Tanzania use to do a field study to practice what they have learned in theory or practice to get experience working here, a field report sample can be used to create your own field report that can be sent to supervisors as you would in your studies.
Field reports are most often assigned in the applied social sciences [e.g., social work, anthropology, gerontology, criminal justice, education, law, the health care professions] where it is important to build a bridge of relevancy between the theoretical concepts learned in the classroom and the practice of actually doing the work you are being taught to do.
Field reports are also common in certain science and technology disciplines
This is field report sample has include the following important parts:-
i. Cover page
ii. Table of contents
iii. Primanary pages
iv. Background of organisation
v. Activies/task/duties performed by Student
vi. Work Environment
vii. Problem faced
viii. Solutions to problem
ix. Expectations and results of attachment
x. Result of the Attachment
xi. New Things Learned
xii. Gaps in Teaching Theory and Practices
xiii. Relevance of Attachment
xiv. Conclusions
xv. Recommendations
Structure and Writing Style
How you choose to format your field report is determined by the research problem, the theoretical perspective that is driving your analysis, the observations that you make, and/or specific guidelines established by your professor.
Since field reports do not have a standard format, it is worthwhile to determine from your professor what the preferred organization should be before you begin to write.
Note that field reports should be written in the past tense. With this in mind, most field reports in the social sciences include the following elements:
I. Introduction
The introduction should describe the specific objective and important theories or concepts underpinning your field study.
The introduction should also describe the nature of the organization or setting where you are conducting the observation, what type of observations you have conducted, what your focus was, when you observed, and the methods you used for collecting the data. You should also include a review of pertinent literature.
II. Description of Activities
Your readers only knowledge and understanding of what happened will come from the description section of your report because they have not been witness to the situation, people, or events that you are writing about.
Given this, it is crucial that you provide sufficient details to place the analysis that will follow into proper context; don’t make the mistake of providing a description without context. The description section of a field report is similar to a well written piece of journalism.
Therefore, a helpful approach to systematically describing the varying aspects of an observed situation is to answer the “Five W’s of Investigative Reporting.”
These are:
1. What
Describe what you observed. Note the temporal, physical, and social boundaries you imposed to limit the observations you made. What were your general impressions of the situation you were observing.
For example, as a student teacher, what is your impression of the application of iPads as a learning device in a history class; as a cultural anthropologist, what is your impression of women participating in a Native American religious ritual?
2. Where
Provide background information about the setting of your observation and, if necessary, note important material objects that are present that help contextualize the observation e.g., arrangement of computers in relation to student engagement with the teacher
3. When
Record factual data about the day and the beginning and ending time of each observation. Note that it may also be necessary to include background information or key events which impact upon the situation you were observing e.g., observing the ability of teachers to re-engage students after coming back from an unannounced fire drill
4. Who
Note the participants in the situation in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, and/or any other variables relevant to your study.
Record who is doing what and saying what, as well as, who is not doing or saying what. If relevant, be sure to record who was missing from the observation.
5. Why
Why were you doing this? Describe the reasons for selecting particular situations to observe. Note why something happened. Also note why you may have included or excluded certain information.
III. Interpretation and Analysis
Always place the analysis and interpretations of your field observations within the larger context of the theories and issues you described in the introduction.
Part of your responsibility in analyzing the data is to determine which observations are worthy of comment and interpretation, and which observations are more general in nature. It is your theoretical framework that allows you to make these decisions.
You need to demonstrate to the reader that you are looking at the situation through the eyes of an informed viewer, not as a lay person.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when analyzing your observations:
1. What is the meaning of what you have observed?
2. Why do you think what you observed happened? What evidence do you have for your reasoning?
3. What events or behaviors were typical or widespread? If appropriate, what was unusual or out of ordinary? How were they distributed among categories of people?
3. Do you see any connections or patterns in what you observed?
4. Why did the people you observed proceed with an action in the way that they did? What are the implications of this?
5. Did the stated or implicit objectives of what you were observing match what was achieved?
6. What were the relative merits of the behaviors you observed?
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the observations you recorded?
Do you see connections between what you observed and the findings of similar studies identified from your review of the literature?
How do your observations fit into the larger context of professional practice? In what ways have your observations possibly changed your perceptions of professional practice?
Have you learned anything from what you do.
Very good post.Really looking forward to read more. Much obliged.