Plain English Meaning
Watching someone do a task carefully enough to start understanding how it works, before trying it yourself.
Full Definition
In the psychomotor domain of aviation instruction, observation is the first and lowest level of skill learning, in which a learner watches a more experienced person perform a task and begins to form a mental picture of how it is done. The learner notes the steps, sequence, timing, and outcome of the activity but has not yet attempted to perform the skill themselves.
Context Anchor
Used in flight training when an instructor demonstrates a maneuver, checklist action, or cockpit procedure before the student performs it.