Case Scenario:
This paper will provide strategy to help the students to achieve their goal with participation and feedback. The situation entails the challenge of addressing the issue of failure of the initial course among students. While the intervention of changing the textbooks, instructional design and assessment framework has been altered, it is notable that the problem has not been effectively addressed. Additionally, there is also the problem of pushback from the teachers and students. In view of these challenges, there is the dire need to identify the best leadership approach that can be used to address the situation effectively. The goal is to increase the motivational level to help student achieve.
Self-Assessment Results Summary:
Personal assessment in quadrant S2, I found myself to be a person who believes in communication, working within group, envision change and setting goals. As for S1 quadrant, it falls within lack of motivation. In my opinion, motivation is needed to motivate and stimulate student's mind in order to obtain feedback concerning the program. It is immensely important that the different alternatives and options for addressing the problem are identified and serves as a platform for overcoming potential pushbacks. As to S3, it supports the positive and negative concerning the leadership style and S4 is the option of either delegating or taking charge of the various responsibilities. Therefore, I fall within S2 and S3 assessment. My goal is to raise the student's level to high willingness along with high ability respectively (Wis, 2007) when students do not perform in line with expectations. The key is to explain the task to the student and make clarification of what is needed to be done. During the communication process, I have acquired great listening skills, which requires communication between staff and students. This helps to evaluate the specific reasons behind their poor performance in the course. In situational leadership, it is always essential to ensure that the problem at hand is continuously monitored. If I follow S4, this approach cannot be attained if the leader delegates the various responsibilities.
The preferred leadership style chosen is S3, participating and supporting style because it places more emphasis on allowing the student to direct their learning needs. It supports the learning process while providing feedback to increase the learner's confidence and motivation with praise and feedback for the tasks completed. Yes, I agree with my assessment due to the fact that leaders need to adapt to each learner's approach using this style. Those who lack confidence or motivation can gain the necessary confidence to succeed by the teacher using focused reinforcement to ensure learning is retained and long-term behavioral transformation is realized. The case study outlined in the introductory section, the problem at hand entails the issue of failure in the initial course among a high percentage of students. This is an alarming situation that needs to be addressed. In situational leadership, communication is one of the most essential inputs (DuBrin, 2012). Communication systems can immensely undermine the overall effectiveness of the different interventions that have been implemented to address the problem. In knowing that I am between S2 and S3 I will use my leadership style for this situation. The change is needed to support the learning process while providing feedback to increase the learner's confidence and motivation.
Applying leadership:
The change implemented is to propose a plan to qualified teachers. In the aforementioned situation, one of the most essential aspects of communication pertains to the identification of all stakeholders. It is more or less impractical to address a problem effectively if the different stakeholders are not engaged (DuBrin, 2012). This is due to the fact that the input of every stakeholder can make a big difference as far as the end-results are concerned. In the case of teachers, it is massively pertinent that they are familiarized with their specific roles and responsibilities towards the issue identified. First, the task must be broken down and explain to staff how to help students go through the necessary steps to achieve their goals and some habit change in terms of their study skills. This includes the use of books, school library, daily planner and school agenda. This provides the necessary skills of coaching to support course achievement. This entails both the students and the teachers should be motivated in terms of appreciating the fact that the distinctive interventions will play an instrumental role towards ensuring that the issue of poor performance is addressed. This is vital towards enhancing the overall effectiveness of situational leadership as far as the problem is concerned.
Diversity should be employed in the department more-so as pertains to the initial course. It is essential for the teachers to employ an individualized approach when they are formulating an instructional plan for the course. In essence, the individualized approach will play a big part towards ensuring that the distinctive weaknesses and shortcomings of each student are addressed (Kraemer, 2011). While communicating with the teachers, it is also essential for them to understand that they are cognizant of the significance of alternatives as far as the initial course is concerned.
Participating and supporting is effective in quadrants S2 and S3 as the student learner is required to take the initiative for their own learning within the classroom, which is why the teacher must assist the student instead of directing their learning process. Students in the classroom are obviously motivated to learn but unable to complete the tasks for undetermined reasons, which must first be determined by the teacher. Individual students may have similar problems with similar issues with the lesson methodology, which requires for the teacher to gather information from these competent students on why they believe they are not able to pass the course. By identifying the problems holding student's back, the teacher can allow the students to direct their own learning and the teacher can adapt their lesson methodology accordingly. In Quadrant's S1 and S4 would not be respond effectively to participating and supporting would not assist students in S4 who are highly successful in the classroom, and already have passed the course. These students should be used to assist other students if they are willing to do so. Quadrant 1 involves beginning learners, which should not be an issue in the classroom. These students would not respond effectively to participating and supporting because they need intense supervision and direction.
Summary of benefit challenge:
Quintessentially, students must take the leadership role in their education while effectively managing the level of direction received from the instructor. This approach to leadership within the classroom is placated upon determining the developmental level of the student and their educational maturity. Students with the highest maturity, ability, willingness, and motivation to complete a task can receive less intense participation and support from teachers, which allows those who are less mature, enthusiastic beginners, disillusioned learners, or capable but cautious students to receive more participation and support. It is also important to accentuate the fact that there is the dire need to motivate the various stakeholders. In situational leadership, the projected results might not be attained if the stakeholders are not adequately motivated. This will greatly enhance the overall outcomes of the distinctive situational leadership strategies adopted for the challenge. Situational leadership is critical when leading people in different situations. Leaders using situational style of leadership must understand they are operating and at the same time understand the needs and the level of employee development. While a situational leadership style requires leaders with great amount of agility, they also need to have knowledge on how to differentiate different abilities/ talents of their employees/ subordinates so that they can assign tasks that suit them. Northouse argues (2013) that "situational leadership is a straightforward approach and easily applied small workgroups or schools." This is vital towards enhancing the overall effectiveness of situational leadership as far as the problem is concerned.
Conclusion:
After reading notes and writing this paper on situational leadership, I realized that I have been applying its principles in all my work and within my workplace even before I had known it. Parents can also use situational leadership because it allows them to balance nurturing and disciplining while at that same taking to account the level of acceptance and children's ability. Its principles of can also be used by principals to guide the relationship between administration and staff. The analysis has focused on the best ways of commenting in order to ensure that the problem of poor performance among most students in the initial course is addressed. The distinctive communication strategies outlined in the analysis are inherently connected to the goals of situational leadership. Both the teachers and students will benefit immensely from this approach.
References:
DuBrin, A. (2012). Principles of Leadership. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning
Northhouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership Theory and Practice 6th Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Wis, R. (2007). The conductor as leader: Principles of leadership. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, Inc