The author discusses the role that ethnography can play in understanding interaction processes in physical education classrooms, with the aim being improvement of instructional techniques. The characteristics of ethnography are described as: (1) dealing solely with action-watching and analyzing the things people say and do; (2) dealing with action directly--through the use of human instrumentation, with one's own eyes and ears, and/or through the use of technical hardware, with video-tapes or audio-tapes; and (3) dealing with a particular place within a particular context. Several illustrative examples of using ethnographic methods to improve university instruction are given. (MJB)