Creative Zero

How Our Perspective Has Changed

Through the interview with the Centre Principal, we gathered her perspectives regarding the centre’s needs. She highlighted that the needs were lack of manpower, teachers’ lack of skills in delivery and classroom management, teachers’ beliefs as well as parents’ expectations. She also mentioned that if she had to choose to tackle only one problem, she would tackle the lack of manpower.

 

We also conducted a survey to find out the teachers’ perspectives on the centre’s needs. With further research, we have concluded that the main need of the centre is the lack of skilled teachers. This is due to two factors. Firstly, the misaligned beliefs of teachers and the school’s approach. Secondly, the teachers’ lack of skills, which in turn leads to their lack of knowledge on Guided Inquiry.

 

Thus, we have decided to focus our action plan on the lack of knowledge on guided inquiry. We want to arm the teachers with the relevant knowledge and skills on guided inquiry.

Although there is a misalignment with beliefs, beliefs itself can be easily altered by experience and other external factors. Hence, we would rather equip them with skills that will enable them action to carry out.

 

Learning Points of the Process

We learnt that it is important to consider everyone’s perspective in relation to the centre’s needs. There is no right or wrong perspective as both the principal and the teachers have their valid points. Since the Principal oversees the centre, she might have an upper management perspective and see different needs for the school. For example she might believe that there is a lack of manpower and thus, having two teachers instead of one in each class would help to facilitate lessons. However, from the teachers’ point of view, they might believe that the main need is the lack of teachers’ knowledge, as stated in the questionnaire.

 

Teachers are the ones on the ground, teaching children and implementing the lessons. They are the ones interacting the most with the children and they will most probably encounter different needs as observed from the Principal.

Since schools need to work as a whole, everyone’s perspectives has to be taken into consideration in order to derive the most pressing need for the Centre.