Table of ContentsIntroductionConclusionWorks CitedFor this article, I observed a 12-month-old child for an hour each week over a 6-week period using the Tavistock method of child observation. children. The first sighting took place on Thursday November 2, 2017 between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. For confidentiality reasons, I have chosen the pseudonym Baby Zee. Baby Zee lives with her two biological parents and three older siblings. She is the youngest of four children and the only girl in the family. His brothers are aged 5 to 8 years old. Baby Zee is of African descent but born in the United Kingdom. The ethnicity that Baby Zee's mother identified her as being British Black African. The language spoken at home is English and Twi (Ghanaian language). Both of baby Zee's parents are from Ghana, West Africa. I was introduced to Baby's Zee's family through a friend. Before arranging a face-to-face meeting, I spoke to his mother on the phone, drafted a consent form and a letter from the university. Which I emailed to both parents to explain the purposes of the observation, help them understand each other, and also inform them of their right to confidentiality. After a few days, Baby Zee's mother contacted me and agreed that the observations would take place every Thursday between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Baby Zee is a healthy child with no medical problems. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIntroductionFor this article, I will use Schon's Reflection-on-Action Model to critically analyze the knowledge gained and the impact on my future practice and the importance of observation. in social work practice. Reflection on action involves thinking about how the practice can be developed after the event. “We reflect on action, looking back on what we have done to discover how our knowledge in action may have contributed to an unexpected outcome.” To make sense of what was observed over the 6 week period, I will also focus on child development, exploring attachment, communication, emotional and cognitive development, play as well as personality. Throughout the essay, I refer to what has been observed to support or challenge psychoanalytic theories and concepts. Observation is the act of closely observing/monitoring something or someone. In social work practice, observation provides insight into important things that could easily be overlooked or hidden during assessments/conversations. Fawcett and Watson (2016) suggest that “we can learn a lot from our observations, but we must accept that what we see is only the tip of the iceberg.” Observation allowed us to discover the different ways in which children communicate. Before this, my hypotheses were that infants only begin to communicate when they start using words (verbal communication). But this turned out to be false. Example when first observing a child, through sounds such as cooing, facial expressions, eye contact and pointing, Baby Zee was able to communicate his needs and desires. Also throughout the observation period, I noticed that when Baby Zee did something wrong, her mother would shake her head. To symbolize “No” or “Stop”. Baby Zee would smile and stop even if she tried to repeat the same actions later. Baby Zee took the head shake as “no.” These early communication skillsprovide a solid foundation for language development and understanding social behavior. According to Vygotsky, “When a child plays, he is in constant dialogue either with himself or with others. I related this to Piaget's theory of cognitive development. At 12 months old, Baby Zee is currently at the sensorimotor stage. According to Piaget, a child's level of intellectual processing is simply Sudbery's organized pattern of behavior in response to a particular object or experience. Fawcett and Watson (2016) also suggest that observation provides an enriching opportunity to discover the subtle and fascinating ways in which people communicate verbally and non-verbally. During the first sighting, I arrived home at exactly 11am. Baby Zee and her mother met me downstairs where my mother introduced me to Baby Zee. The mother playfully asked baby Zee to wave and say hello. Baby Zee looked at me very strangely and didn't respond to her mother. She maintained direct eye contact with me as I followed them into their apartment. When observing the child, his mother often leaves the room, leaving us alone for a few minutes. Baby Zee looked at me for a few minutes, but continued to play independently with her toy. When my mother came into the room. Baby Zee looked very happy and excited to see her again. I related Baby Zee's actions to Ainsworth's strange situation/stranger anxiety. Ainsworth explained this as an indication of how easily and effectively an infant uses a caregiver as a secure base at home. Howe (2011) suggested that tethering systems are used to monitor the environment for dangers and threats and are reflected in the energy and behavior of the Baby Zee. Although Baby Zee's behavior changed when she left alone with me due to her deep attachment with her mother. She was still able to cope and continue to play independently. Howe (2011) also states that children feel more confident and secure knowing that a responsive attachment figure will be there when needed. But by the end of the 6 weeks of observation, Baby Zee had become familiar with me and often smiled and even tried to interact with me through play, which I resisted. Play is essential to child development. It plays an essential role in cognitive, social, emotional and physical well-being. On the 3rd and 4th observation, I was particularly interested in Baby Zee's way of playing. I noticed that she alternated between playing with a remote control (she pressed buttons as if she wanted to change the channel) and a miniature kitchen set up in the living room. She seemed very happy and confused as to what she was doing. She was making a lot of noise and laughing to herself. Bandura (1977 cited in Davenport 1992 p164) states that children will observe and imitate adults and turn what they observe into play. I then began to wonder if Baby Zee's method of play was because she had observed in her parents and older siblings. I noticed Baby Zee's mother interacting playfully with her. She took the remote, hid it under a blanket and asked where it was. Baby Zee will try to retrieve the remote control from under the blanket. This concerns the permanence of Piaget's objects. The idea that objects still exist, even when we cannot see them. I also noticed that her mother was feeding her all the time. She was making a praying hand gesture and I observed that Baby Zee was also imitating this gesture. I linked these two behaviors to Bandura's (1977) observational learning or social learning theory.Social learning theory focuses on learning that occurs in a social context. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory criticized Piaget for solely basing a child's cognitive development primarily on biology. But instead, parents and guardians play a crucial role in cognitive development. Vygotsky suggested that caregivers can help the child achieve higher cognitive levels by providing support and guidance. Second, according to social learning theory, just because Baby Zee imitated her mother's actions by praying does not mean she fully understands what she is doing. Her action is only reinforced by what she sees at any given moment. If she is removed from this environment, she does not have the cognitive capacity to retain this information to execute it without adult support. Finally, in observation 6, Baby Zee's father returned to work at home early. I saw Baby Zee's behavior change when she noticed her father. She quickly ran into his arms. I first noticed Baby Zee interacting with her father. I observed that her father was playful and affectionate towards her. Baby Zee also seemed very happy and started playing. This then led me to think that Baby See had a great attachment to bothering her parents. According to the Clarkes, this means babies not only need their mothers, but can become attached to multiple people. Children need responsive caregivers who can meet their needs. Learning achieved through observation and presentation. At first, the idea of ​​observing a complete stranger seemed intimidating because I felt like I was intruding. During observation, I often found myself reflecting and comparing my childhood. According to Hingley-Jones et al (2016, p.255) “countertransference invites students to develop their sensitivity to the emotional dynamics they encounter”. Second, I felt that my experience as a woman of African descent and my knowledge of the culture played an important role in this observation. It was obvious that I was projecting elements of my childhood and characteristics onto this child. Through this experience, I learned the importance of approaching an observation with a clear and open mind, without introducing my own personal beliefs or biases into my practice. I believe that observation and thinking skills are essential to the training and development of students. PCF Domain 6 also emphasizes the importance of students being able to think critically. As Fawcett and Watson (2016) indicate, students can learn through observation how anti-discrimination principles can be put into practice, how power structures and hierarchies work, and especially how children are relatively powerless in society. Observation also gives social workers the opportunity to notice if a child is experiencing harm or has concerns about their development. Butler (2015) also argues that in practice, observers react intuitively to physical harm, rightly intervening if something could cause immediate injury to a child, such as a baby trapping its fingers in a toy. Conclusion As I reflected on the different days of observation, I noticed that there were days when I felt unstimulated and nervous. Other days I felt very excited and couldn't wait to go the following week, anticipating how it would have progressed by then. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. 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