Final answer:
A teacher observing students interacting with text is collecting qualitative data that provides insight into behaviors, attitudes, and interactions with reading material. This qualitative data is analyzed through observations of discussions, questions, and other forms of student engagement in relation to the text.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a teacher is observing students interact with text, they are primarily dealing with qualitative data. This type of data encompasses non-numeric insights such as students' behaviors, attitudes, and interactions with the material. Qualitative data is often collected through methods like in-depth interviews, focus groups, and content analysis, providing a more complex picture of students' engagement and understanding beyond what numerical data alone can offer.
To effectively analyze this qualitative data, the teacher may look at how students are discussing the text, the types of questions they raise, their responses to reading prompts, and other forms of active engagement. This allows for a nuanced understanding of students' learning processes and outcomes, which is essential in educational contexts where subjective experiences and interpretations are significant.