Issue-based Investigation: Action planning for improvement - Case Study Example

ironment is the only other social institution that most children spend a significant portion of their day-to-day lives in, the need for teachers to step in and intervene where their parents have failed is evident. Not only does child abuse interfere with the learning processes that children go through in the school environment, but it also puts the school at a position of urgent concern due to the legalities involved in handling abuse cases. Because of this, it is quite indispensable to realize the part that teachers and principals need to play in helping to resolve this issue.

The case of Elizabeth Campbell (2003), presents a more cryptic dilemma relating to the decisions that teachers face unwillingly in light of this problem. There were institutional and legal policies that over rid each other in this case. The personal interests in seeing to her student’s welfare were curtailed by the school’s policy, which required the child parents’ involvement in any decision made about their child. Since the student’s parents were known be physically abusive, it became clear that the school’s own policies would deter Elizabeth’s intentions of protecting her student from his own parents.

This problem characterized the long-standing problem that parents always lack a mutual understanding with teachers of what is best for their children (Hargreaves, 2000). The ethical and professional aspects that arose brought a conflict of resolutions regarding the best way of addressing the matter. This paper thus seeks to establish a better method of addressing such issues relating to child abuse in the classroom scope using the platform of participatory action research. Furthermore, we shall also clearly outline the extent to which a teacher can be involved in reporting such cases.

Writers such as Cranston Ehrich, Kimber (n.d.), Freakley, and Burgh (2000), have done a valuable amount of research work to cover the topic of ethical dilemmas as pertains to the school