Assessment 2- Communication Case Studies
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Jan 9, 2024
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Beth Slade, ID:104151313
Assignment 2: Communication case studies
Question 1.
The chosen case study is about Ajay. The ethical issue that has been presented in the case
study chosen is ‘social inequity’. The reason that this is a ‘
social inequity’ problem is that it is
clear that the other teachers and principal at his school are not giving Lee the same
opportunity as other students within his school. The principal has stated that “he is looking
for any opportunity to move these children on.”
Question 2.
The stakeholders in this case study are identified as the teacher (Ajay), the principal, the
student (Lee) and Lee’s mother and stepfather. Without intervention from the teacher, the
student will continue to spiral down, consume depressants (drugs and alcohol), become more
withdrawn and grades will drop. The change in living arrangements for Lee will add pressure
and uncertainty to the child’s life, therefore increasing the child’s inability to cope mentally.
Lee’s mother and stepfather appear to have utter disregard for their child’s mental and
physical well-being. By telling Lee that they are moving away and are not taking him, they
have again failed to support him emotionally. This has affected Lee, causing him to turn to
alcohol and may possibly lead to him starting to use other depressants (drugs).
The teacher at the school has been teaching Lee both academically and emotionally. Through
consistency, encouragement and achievement, the teacher has managed to increase
Lee’s
self-esteem and mental health. Ajay (Lee’s teacher) has advocated for Lee’s learning at
the school and has proven that it is worth taking time to work with disengaged children. Ajay
(Lee’s teacher) has empowered Lee by creating a sense of being and belonging at school.
As a result of the major changes for Lee at home, he has again chosen to use alcohol as a
coping mechanism. This has an impact on Lee’s learning at school, Lee’s self-esteem and
Lee’s behaviour. The ramifications aimed at this are that the teacher may receive negative
feedback from the principal in regard to Lee’s behaviour. Thus, the Principal is more likely
to reject the program that the teacher has set up because of the situation.
Question 3.
Ajay is writing with some concerns, some of which are spoken and some of which are
unspoken. The spoken messages include what it is like going through a tough time, the view
of the principal not being fond of children like Lee; the fact that Lee’s mother and stepfather
are moving away, and whether his mum and stepfather have thought about the impact on Lee.
The unspoken messages are that Ajay understands there are concerns in Lee’s homelife, Ajay
wants Lee’s mother to take this email seriously, senior members of staff are actively looking
at ways of excluding Lee; Lee’s mum and stepfather are leaving him behind, and has Lee’s
mum and stepfather considered how this move will have a negative impact on Lee?
The strength of this form of communication is that Ajay (Lee’s teacher) is clear about the
concerns that he has about Lee and Lee’s family situation. He identifies the stakeholders and
their views and the impact that these issues have on Lee. An email also provides the teacher
with a written document that can be referred back to for subsequent discussions.
The weakness of this form of communication is that Lee’s mother and stepfather may not receive the email, or they may ignore it. Email requires access to a computer and internet which they might not be able to access; also requires regular check-ins which they also might not cooperate with. The message may not reach the family until much later than intended, thus the issues with Lee may have already compounded. An initial phone call by Ajay to Lee’s mother and stepfather could have quickly highlighted the issues and led to immediate support and action for Lee and his situation.
Beth Slade, ID:104151313
Question 4.
The two skills that have been identified from the ‘Future Work Skills’ document that will
help Ajay resolve the issue would be ‘sense making and social intelligence’.
Question 5.
Social intelligence is the ability to understand, and act on, the feelings, thoughts and
behaviours of other people. By having a strong sense of social intelligence, Ajay would be
better able to navigate the differences between himself and the principal, as well as the
differences between himself and Lee’s mother and stepfather. A deep understanding of social
intelligence would help to establish a sense of trust and belonging between the stakeholders
and implement inclusive and positive connections to engage and support every individual
student in the classroom activities.
If Ajay has strong social intelligence skills, he is able to teach the students social, emotional
and physical well-being skills. This will assist the students such as Lee to cope with the
turmoil at home. This will, in turn, allow Lee to continue to be successful and happy with his
studies. The skills involved in social intelligence will furthermore help Ajay achieve an
understanding of practical approaches to managing challenging behaviour. These skills can
also be used to establish and maintain a respectful relationship with Lee’s mother and
stepfather in regard to Lee’s learning and wellbeing.
‘Sense-making’ is the process through which people interpret and give meaning to their
experiences. This would help Ajay to gather the perspectives of each stakeholder and use this
information to come up with a plan that supports Lee at home and at school. By collaborating
with the stakeholders, Ajay would have a consistent program for Lee that could continue no
matter where he lived.
Social intelligence and sense-making are skills which link closely to the teaching code of
ethics. The code of ethics outlines behaviours relating to children, the teaching profession, to
colleagues, to families and to the community. The scenario in which Ajay is involved relates
to each of these areas, and the interaction between these areas. By using social intelligence,
clear explanations can be given, and strategies can be linked and supported. Teaching sense-
making skills can help each of the stakeholders to understand their own perspectives and the
perspectives of others.
Question 6.
A solution to social inequity would be to rethink the school schedule and to give an
appropriate flexible time for the student (Lee) to be able to meet his academic needs. By
meeting Lee’s needs in a different way; this gives Lee a voice and a choice in his day. This
allows Lee to take ownership of his day and will help him prepare for life after school. This
also gives Lee more opportunities to participate in other extracurricular activities. Challenges
around transportation can also be avoided by having more flexible timetables. Teachers need
to be able to group students adaptively so that they don’t always have the same group of
children together. This would help with behaviour challenges, disorganisation and the ability
to engage all students in the class.
Regular communication with Lee’s mother, stepfather and other family members about Lee’s
engagement in school would improve the situation. This communication could be via a
regular phone call, followed up by an email or letter. By including the family in Ajay’s goals
for Lee, and giving Lee ownership of his learning, a supportive learning environment is then
created. This can then create long-term learning benefits for all stakeholders.
Beth Slade, ID:104151313
Question 7.
There are multiple strengths to the proposed solution above. The main point of strength for
this solution would be that Lee (student) may change his ways and start putting 100 percent
effort into not only his schooling but also at home. The flexible timetable idea would also
work better with Lee’s home life and transportation issues when his mother and stepfather
move away.
However, a potential limitation could be that the flexible time idea would not go as planned.
The flexible time plan would have to be approved by the principal and it has been stated that
the principal is not keen on the group of children in Ajay’s class. Another issue is that some
people think that allowing for program modifications is unfair to the rest of the school
population. This would be true if all families were the same, however, it is clear that there are
significant issues of abuse and instability in the family environment.
REFERENCE LIST Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
for https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards
Bitton, Y. Copyleaks Technologies LTD. https://copyleaks.com/blog/ethical-issues-in-education
Davies, A., Fidler, D., & Gorbis. D. (2011).
Future Work Skills 2020 (pp 8).
Palo Alto, CA:
Institute for the Future for University of Phoenix Research Institute
https://www.iftf.org/uploads/media/SR-1382A_UPRI_future_work_skills_sm.pdf
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