Case Study on Shared Decision-Making - Paper Example

Planning will be done on how to go about the decision-making process. The principal will have to involve both parents and teachers in the decision-making process. The principal should come up with group training sessions that will ensure that all individuals involved in making decisions develop trust amongst themselves. Development of trust among the decision makers will play a major role in ensuring an amicable decision is made. Gathering of information about the issue being discussed will be done. The decision makers will mention advantages associated with the pursuit of academic goals in the school. The decision makers will have to mention advantages associated with the pursuit of extracurricular activities in school (Kalaiyarasan, 2012).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Analysis of pros and cons about the issue being discussed will be done. Advantages of pursuing academic goals will be compared with advantages of pursuing extracurricular activities. There will be weighing of advantages associated with the pursuit of academic goals with advantages associated with the pursuit of extracurricular activities. It will have to be established if the advantages of excusing students from the last period by the coaching staff outweigh the disadvantages. Excusing students from their last period, a request by the coaching staff, has the potential of improving the extracurricular performance of the school. On the other hand, excusing students from their last period is likely to have a negative toll on their academic performance, more so on science and math subjects. Math and science subjects require commitment and seriousness from students. Math and science teachers also require more time to impart relevant concepts and ideas in the students (Kattington, 2010).

Fact-finding will be used in the shared decision-making process. It will be established whether excusing students from their last period has an effect on the students academic performance. Teachers, parents, and students will give proposals on what they feel is the best way of dealing with the issue at hand. Coordination of the decision-making process will be done in tandem with the schools vision of improvement of academic performance. The decision made will have to take cognizance of interests of parents, students, teachers and the school at large. Neutral facilitators will be used in the decision-making process. Neutral facilitators will be used to ensure that the consensus process is kept intact. Neutral facilitators will be used to remind individuals who are involved in the decision-making process in case they derail from the decision-making process. There will be a development of an effective communication plan that will play a major role in ensuring that the decision that will be arrived at its understood and accepted by all stakeholders (Taylor & Voluntary Service Overseas, 2003).

The matter is for shared decision making. Shared decision making is appropriate in handling the matter because it will ensure that a consensus arrives after deliberations from all relevant stakeholders. Shared decision making will ensure that no stakeholder comes up later to claim that his or her opinion was not factored in the decision-making process. Shared decision making will ensure that students achievement in academics is improved. The shared decision-making process is based on the idea that individuals are better decision makers when they work together with all relevant stakeholders. The decision-making process also gives schools an opportunity to explore ways in which they can restructure the delivery of their services to meet needs of parents, students, and teachers. There is a need to come up with decisions that may be emotionally disturbing but will ensure that the school addresses the issue at hand ((Kalaiyarasan, 2012).

Developing curriculum

The significance of the content is the criterion I feel is important in curriculum development. The significance of content will ensure that the subject matter that will be selected is one that is important towards the development of appropriate skills, learning activities, processes, and attitudes in the students. Subject matter should be meaningful and of interest to learners. Significance of content will ensure that three domains of a students learning are taken care of. The three domains of learning of learning are an affective domain, cognitive domain, and psychomotor skills. Significant content in curriculum development also takes cognizance of learners cultural aspects. Given that in most schools, learners come from different racial and cultural backgrounds; it is crucial that curriculum development should be sensitive to the learners backgrounds. Significant content will play a major role in ensuring that the curriculum that will be developed gives an appropriate balance to a learner acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills. Significant content in curriculum development will ensure that a learner develops into a holistic individual about knowledge and skills. The key question asked during a selection of content in curriculum development should be about knowledge, ideas, and concepts that have a likelihood of ensuring that learners achieve their intended learning outcomes. The relevance of a subject matter will have to be ascertained before being integrated into curriculum development. The content should take into account the environment in which the curriculum will be applied, needs of learners and principles of teaching that will be used in the teaching process. Suffice is to say that significance of content is the best criterion that will ensure selection of subject matter that will ensure that the overall goal of the curriculum is achieved (Kattington, 2010).

Curriculum implementation can be improved in school by students, teachers, schools and communities playing different roles. Students should be more engaging in their study; they should go beyond textbook learning. Students should study complex topics that are relevant in the real world. Project-based learning is another way in which curriculum implementation can be improved courtesy of efforts from students. Integrated studies whereby learning traverses traditional disciplines is another way in which curriculum implementation can be improved. Cooperative learning whereby learners learn from each other and with each other is another way in which curriculum implementation can be improved. Holistic and comprehensive assessment of learners will ensure that detailed assessment of learners strengths and weaknesses is achieved. Teachers should be involved in emotionally and intellectually guiding learners through the latters learning process. Teachers should be involved in honing and nurturing learners talents, gifts, and interests. Teachers should be involved in mentoring learners. Emotional guidance of learners is important because it will play a major role in ensuring that they cope with emotional challenges and problems. Schools should adopt current technologies to ensure that the students become technologically savvy. Technology can improve all aspects of the learning process. Parents should be supportive of their children as they engage in learning. Parents should also instill values in their children that will ensure the children see value in their learning.

Teachers and students can be involved in curriculum making. Given that teachers are the ones who are majorly involved in curriculum implementation, they know best, needs of learners, needs of learning institutions and needs of parents. Therefore, teachers should be involved in curriculum development because of their invaluable knowledge about needs of all stakeholders in any given learning system. Teachers should make suggestions on aspects that they deem important and which should be integrated into making of a curriculum. Needs and concerns of students should be integrated into curriculum making. Students should be given an opportunity to voice their views on issues they feel should be taken cognizance of in curriculum making.

References

Kalaiyarasan, G. (2012). Curriculum development. New Delhi: APH Pub. Corp.

Kattington, L. E. (2010). Handbook of curriculum development. New York: Nova Science

Taylor, P., & Voluntary Service Overseas. (2003). How to design a training course: A guide to participatory curriculum development. London: Continuum.