Conducting classroom observations : analyzing classrooms dynamics and instructional time, using the Stallings 'classroom snapshot' observation system. User guide

Abstract

The “Stallings Classroom Snapshot” instrument, technically called the “Stanford Research Institute Classroom Observation System” was developed by Professor Jane Stallings for research on the efficiency and quality of basic education teachers in the United States in the 1970s. The Stallings instrument generates robust quantitative data on the interaction of teachers and students in the classroom, with a high degree of inter-rater reliability (0.8 or higher) among observers with relatively limited training, which makes it suitable for large scale samples in developing country settings. The instrument is language and curriculum-neutral, so results are directly comparable across different types of schools and country contexts, and a growing body of comparative country data from the US and developing countries is available.