This essay, based on field observation and interviews centered in California, examines the aims and activities of both school ethnographers and school administrators, concluding that the methods and resources of the former could greatly benefit the latter. (DM)

The document discusses limitations of the current practice of educational ethnography and suggests that ethnographers could best help teachers through more participation and less observation. Ethnography is the process of describing reality from the point of view of the participant through direct observation of social behavior. Some weaknesses…