Assignment 2: Case Study Analysis
Assignment Overview:
Case studies depict real life scenarios or problems that help people consider multiple ways of looking at a problem or issue. They can also help align theory with practice. This assignment requires you to identify strategies to promote the rights, interests and needs of children—relevant to the scenario. You have opportunities to critically reflect on and evaluate practice from multiple perspectives.
Scenario:
Fei Hong’s is 4 years old and is about to become an older brother. He has recently moved to Melbourne from South China. He speaks Cantonese (the local dialect of South China) and Mandarin (the official language of China), but little English. The family live a rented 3-bedroom unit, in an affluent suburb of Melbourne with his Mum, Dad and maternal grandparents.
Fei Hong’s parents were highly paid professionals in China, in Australia they are retraining to have the ‘right’ qualifications and work experience to achieve upward social mobility. They have had to take up low-skilled jobs for now and often work long hours. The family has high expectations of Fei Hong and one of the reasons that they chose to live in the area is that there are ‘good’ schools that Fei Hong will attend.
Fei Hong attends a local private kindergarten. Often the grandparents drop off and pick up Fei Hong. The grandparents are always early to pick Fei Hong up and always carry his bag.
Fei Hong is one of the youngest children in the kindergarten group. He is tall and solid. When participating in whole class indoor activities Fei Hong makes minimal contributions and only responds when directly questioned. Fei Hong often refuses to complete structured learning tasks, and he avoids tasks that he does not want to do by throwing tantrums.
He appears to enjoy the freedom of outside play and spends most of his time running around with a small group of children playing ‘cops and robbers’. Fei Hong tends to resolve disputes with his fists. His behaviours, of course, get him into trouble. Fei Hong is unable to respond when asked by the teacher ‘What could you do instead of hitting?’ When questioned he avoids eye contact and appears to ignore the teacher.
Towards the end of term 1, Fei Hong’s physical outbursts are almost a daily occurrence. Other children start looking at Fei Hong as the troublemaker and begin teasing him. Parents have expressed their concerns and have requested that their children be kept away from Fei Hong.
In a staff meeting discussing student wellbeing, the following comments were made by various teachers:
- Fei Hong’s parents, particularly his mother, should work less and spend more time with Fei Hong.
- Fei Hong’s grandparents spoil him, which is quite common in Chinese culture. They need to stop carrying his bag in for him every day.
- His behaviour is due to ‘the only child syndrome’.
- Fei Hong is naughty; he refuses to listen and do what he is told!
- Fei Hong is just ‘being a boy!’ and other teachers need to be strict with him so he will learn.
One teacher raises the possibility that the kindergarten is predominantly white middle class. Fei Hong might not feel as if he is fitting in. To move forward, most teachers think this should not be an excuse for Fei Hong not to follow the rules. Otherwise, it will set a bad precedent for other children.
The teachers believe if he is going to fit into school, he must start learning to speak English and the Australian values. It is unrealistic to ask the teachers to learn to speak Cantonese or Mandarin.
Please note: This is not a case about individual behaviours, although they are relevant. The purpose is more than ‘correcting’ certain individual thinking. The focus is how certain attitudes and actions are socially and culturally constructed. You need to engage with the readings in this unit to analyse the case scenario.
Based on the scenario, you’re expected to:
- Analyse the situation, applying the concepts of diversity, difference and principles of social justice
- Identify and challenge biases and stereotypes in the scenario and discuss these in relation to relevant literature, including theoretical perspectives and readings covered in Weeks 1–8
- Develop and justify strategies in supporting children and their families in relation to advocacy for equity (please note that these are mainly teaching strategies you would use in the classroom and strategies to work with families and parents in the immediate setting)
- Write a case study using the structure and template provided.
Structure
Your team analysis should be 1200 words in total and should include the following components:
1. Introduction and analysis(around 400 words using discussion):
- Analysis of the scenario and discuss your advocacy approach.
2. Strategies(around 600 words using the provided table):
- Provide four strategies where each includes:
- advocacy/social justice issues addressed from the scenario
- a succinct description of your strategy
- how the strategies respond to the scenario and support children’s wellbeing, while considering families and how other social factors may impact
- any supporting images or resources.