STUDENT NAME XABA NOMSA

LECTURER’S NAME Prof S SCHOEMAN

SUBMISSION DATE 15 AUGUST 2019

UNIQUE NUMBER 816434

MODULE CODE EDPHOD8

STUDENT NUMBER 46773371

ASSIGNMENT 01 – SECOND SEMESTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HEADING PAGE

1. Section 1: Ronald’s Background ................................…………...…….................2

1.1. Ronald’s stage of psychological development ....................………………....2

1.2. Possible effects of child abuse...........................................................……......3

1.3. Possible effects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on Ronald........................ 4

2. Section 2 : Guidance for Ronald ...........................................................................5

2.1. Guidance, Counselling and support for learning problems ..........................5

2.2. Effects of trauma on Ronald’s life ....................................................................6

2.3. The difference between parent involvement and parent counselling ...........7

2.4. Personal learning intervention for Ronald .......................................................8

3. REFERENCES......................................................................................................13

1
 1

1. SECTION 1: BACKGROUND

1.1. Ronald’s stage of psychological development according to Erickson’s stages

of psychological development:
o According to Erickson’s stages of psychological development Ronald is in Stage 5 -
known as a stage of Identity versus role confusion.

o In this stage, according to Erickson the youngster must attain identity formation in career
aspirations and ambitions, gender roles in terms of what males ought to do and what
females ought to do, politics in terms of viewpoints and religious conviction

o Ronald’s age is 15 years old and in adolescence, his role model ought to be his father
since he is a boy child. However, the father is an abuser and is feared by the family.

o This is a very delicate stage and Ronald is undoubtedly confused and decides to
approach his teacher.

o Ronald is suffering substantial confusion and unrest in a form of physical abuse as a

child at home. This causes disturbance in his psychological development. He is finding
it difficult to cope with his ongoing abuse that is happening to him

o Ronald’s life at this stage seems to be having a role model that he himself fears
apparently due to the abuse that has been going on.

o Probably because the father is a breadwinner and the mother is not working and tries by
all means to protect the father. The fact that Ronald went to the teacher and no advise
received form his peers , shows that he does not have any peer relationships, most
probably because of feelings of blaming himself for his father abusing him and he is
probably suffer from inferiority as a result of the emphasis by his mother that he is a very
clumsy child, he probably believes it now and that impacts on his self-confidence, sense
of identity formation in this stage.

o Having peers as an adolescent is of significant importance because there are

organisations like child line of which his peers would have advised him to call. However,
Ronald looks like a very isolated child and cannot share with the peers because he does
not mingle with them.

o The stage of adolescence comes with physical body changes to a child which could be
the reason that Ronald is so overwhelmed because he experiencing many things at
once in his life. He does not even have time to deal with the physical changes to his
body since there is physical abuse happening.

o Ronald chose to turn to me as his subject teacher that he trusts because of being
desperate and helpless, this is because the father who was supposed to take care of him
along with his mother who is supposed nurture and support plus protect him they are
2
 both failing him and he is now unable to cope with the ongoing feeling of misery. As an
educator I need to fulfil my pastoral duty and I have a duty to care when a learner has
made it known to me that he is suffering abuse at home and have decided to make it
known so that we can look at Ronald’s issue and come up 2 with problem-solving and
intervention hence I compile this report.

1.2. Possible effects of child abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical
neglect, on Ronald

1.2.1. Child abuse

Physical, emotional, sexual abuse by parents, guardian or any responsible adult who has a
duty to care for the wellbeing of the child. Neglecting, depriving a child food, clothing and a
warm and loving home care , neglecting a child’s medical needs or treatment , not giving a
child education or not taking a child to school as a parent, guardian or a person who is legally
liable to do so is also child abuse. As mentioned before, child abuse come in many forms
as a result I will look at the kind or type of abuse Ronald has been through later on.

1.2.2. Emotional abuse

It is injury to intellectual or psychological capacity of the child, evidenced by an observable
substantial impairment of ability to function within normal range of performance and
behaviour injury to the psychological capacity of the child, eg. rejecting, isolating,
terrorising, ignoring, corrupting.

1.2.3. Emotional neglect

It is a subtle or blatant omission or commission experienced by the child, which causes the
child to experience handicapping stress. It is when meaningful adult is unable to provide the
child with the necessary nurturance, stimulation, encouragement and protection at various
stages of development. As a result, it inhibits optimal functioning, indifference towards a
child. It is further described as a deliberate lack of nurturing, stimulation, encouragement or
protection

1.2.4. Physical neglect

It is failure to protect a child from exposure to danger, such as cold, starvation, carry out
important aspects of care, resulting in significant impairment of child’s health or
development; examples such as absence of safe environment, malnutrition, inappropriate
diet, inadequate clothing, medical care, poor hygiene, constant lack of supervision, exposes
child to hazardous situations.

1.2.5. Physical abuse 3

It is abuse directed at a child physically, for instance, beating, kicking etc.

Ronald is experiencing effects of physical abuse. It looks like his father is the one who is
abusing him. He keeps on saying that he hurt himself yet there are old bruises in his upper
3
body that were revealed when the Doctor forced him to remove his shirt. There is also some
little signs of physical neglect because his mother took him to the Doctor only after three
days when she noticed that Ronald was still limping. The mother does not protect Ronald
because she keeps on saying that Ronald is a very clumsy child. Ronald’s mother justifies
the father’s abuse and make it look as if Ronald is the one to blame when she says “his
father always gets upset with him for his clumsiness”.- this also is a sign that his mother is
unable to protect Ronald. There are also signs of emotional abuse because the
environment or a home in which they live seems like an environment of fear. Emotionally
Ronald is being abused by always being called a clumsy child. Ronald does not have any
peers where he could relate his story to and find advise like phoning the childline, this is due
to the fact that the words he receives from his mother makes him feel worthless and
inadequate. His mother is emotionally neglecting by covering for his father’s abusive
behaviour. His mother failed to perform her duties of nurturing Ronald but rather neglects
him emotionally. Although Ronald’s mother does not do this deliberately
4 but rather because
of her fear for Ronald’s father she is unable to support him.

1.3. Possible effects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on Ronald’s behaviour

According to Maslow, the primary needs which are psychological needs, safety needs,
belongingness and love needs, and esteem needs must be satisfied first otherwise the
important cognitive growth will not be possible.

1.3.1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs are as follows:

Deficiency needs
Physiological needs (food, etc.)
Safety needs
Belongingness and love needs
Esteem needs
Growth needs
Need to understand
Aesthetic needs
Self-actualisation

o Although the Doctor did not complain about Ronald being skinny or malnourished,
although Ronald has home where he is accommodated and sleeps. His primary needs
are not being met and the primary needs should be met before he can function effectively
on cognitive level.

o The home he lives in is an environment of fear and he probably needs to be always

mindful of what he does since the beating can happen even for a small thing.

o The fact that his mother is not helping him by ensuring that he has support and by also
protecting him and encouraging him to talk about his ongoing abuse – he is not receiving
any love which makes his need for love not to be fulfilled. And love is a basic need.

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o Due to everything that is happening to him currently, Ronald is may be trying to figure
out his belongingness at his home. And because of the way he is being treated and
neglected at his home he now doubts his mother loves him.

o Before Ronald could reach his need to understand and eventually reach self-
actualisation and have self-esteem, his primary and basic needs need to be met.

o All that is happening to Ronald makes his psychological development to be disrupted.

o According to Maslows hierarchy of needs Ronald has certain deficiency needs since the
primary and basic needs have not been satisfied.

o Ronald probably by now believe the things that his mother is saying to him, that he is a
clumsy child. And the fact that his father gets upset with him for just being a child he is
probably have no self-confidence and desperately needs intervention for him to get rid
5
of all that has been put into his mind so that he can grow up to be a better individual
tomorrow.

2. SECTION 2: GUIDANCE FOR RONALD

2.1. Guidance
Guidance is help, assistance, support or advice in terms of how to deal with challenges
connected to education or personal relations. It is advice from someone aimed at assisting
in time of difficulty.

Counselling
It is a facilitative process during which the counsellor or a teacher is working within
framework of special relationship, uses specific skills to help young people to help
themselves more effectively. It is a common-sense advice; extension of teacher-learner,
parent-child relationship, where the nature of a problem is determined and solutions
suggested based on the counsellor’s own life experience. A counsellor uses specific skills
to help young people to help themselves more effectively.

Support for learning problems

o Learning problems involve limitations of the central nervous system. It also involves a
number of disorders that affect the retention and understanding of information, thinking
and reasoning. Learners with barriers to learning or learning problems ought to receive
extra guidance from the teachers.

o Problems experienced by certain and specific group of learners, indication of limitations

in development and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, comprehension and
mathematical abilities, express inconsistency between certain potential and actual level
of functioning. These are limitations intrinsic to a learner, related to functioning of central
nervous system.

o May also be due to other forms of disability for instance deafness and mental barriers
5
o Unfavourable environmental factors may also be a direct cause of learning barrier or
6
disability for instance child abuse, emotional neglect, ineffective education, general
deprivation, and so on.

As an educator who has a duty to care and who has a pastoral caring role to fulfil, I can only
provide guidance to Ronald, and leave counselling to those suitably
7 qualified. This result in
a fact that I am not a qualified educational psychologist.

2.2. The phenomenon of child trauma, and the effects of trauma on Ronald’s life
It is often not simple to differentiate between stress, crisis and trauma, it is essential for an
educator teaching in South African public school to understand these terms as being on a
continuum or a range of less severe and extremely severe. For example, a child may feel
stressed about getting an anaesthetic injection at the dentist.

Lewis (1999:5) is of opinion that the way a child experiences stress depends not only on
the event itself, but also on the child’s personality and ability to cope with the event. The
child’s perception of a specific stressful situation in his or her life is unique which may cause
a child feel unable to cope with emotional and physical demands of that particular situation.

Whereas with crisis it is common knowledge that it is often a tuning point in a person’s life
and does not have to be a negative experience. However, if it is resolved constructively, a
crisis can be an opportunity for emotional growth. For example, a child may experience crisis
in instances where he or she is moved to another school, or when his or her parents buy 8 a
house in another town. When a person is in crisis, they may experience inability to cope.

However, a traumatic experience differs from stress and crisis. Trauma is an unpleasant
psychological or physical experience, which may have ongoing unfavorable impact on a
person’s personality and character. Child trauma is based on the child’s objective
experience of an incident, and each child’s perception of the trauma is unique. Ronald is
confronted with a traumatic event because of being abused over a long-lasting period and
physical abuse still continues to happen this is evident when the doctor mentions that there
are several spots on Ronald’s arms and back, the Doctor also mentions that the there are
lots of bruises on his upper body some are older than others.

The fact that Ronald saw it necessary to be left behind and tell his teacher about this ordeal,
shows that he is unable to cope with what is happening to him. This also shows that he is
overwhelmed.

Since trauma may consist of a single, unexpected event, or trauma may involve multiple
incidents over a period of time. Ronald has been traumatised by long-standing physical
abuse. Because adolescents who have been traumatised feel more like a “thing” than a
human being and can therefore experience profound helplessness, Ronald is in the same
situation currently. And as a result of him feeling helpless he tells his teacher about his
misery.
6
The misery or the situation he is currently in has pushed to consider his own vulnerability,
he is probably asking himself if all parents are like his, and if all children in the world are
going through the same. He is maybe asking himself questions on whether all mothers are
like his. Moreover, Ronald is not sure on whether to count on his mother in terms of support.
It also looks like Ronald is uncertain and not sure of what might happen next, maybe a worse
situation than the bruises and the broken ankle. Trauma causes intense emotional wounding
and disturbs the normal functioning of human being. Ronald is frightened and the
individuality and humanity has been stripped away by the traumatic events in his life.
Ronald’s general trust of other human beings has bee destroyed by the fact that he cannot
even trust his own father and to make matters worse he cannot trust his own mother because
she is also covering up for the bad deeds of his father. He is probably feeling more like an
object. Here the victim becomes silent or withdrawn or compulsively talkative and active.
However, in either case the normal functioning is in a state of disintegration 9and unable to
behave or think in a rational manner.

The effects of trauma cause a child to go through several stages of development in

the victim’s response to trauma

Stage 1: Initial shock and denial: Ronald was probably shocked by the whole abuse that
was happening to him at first. He probably denied that he was actually suffering the abuse
at the hands of his father.

Stage 2: Fear and anxiety: He probably felt fearful of his father yet experienced the anxiety
of when will the situation end. Another anxiety could be his wish to see his mother protect
him form the whole unbearable situation he found himself in. He found himself vulnerable.

Stage 3: Apathy and anger, often accompanied by feelings of depression or need to

retaliate: As the physical abuse went on, it is possible that Ronald had feelings of
depression and a need to retaliate. However, because he is just a 15 year old and the could
not retaliate but resorted to anger rather. At this stage he probably asked himself in the world
is orderly and meaningful.

Stage 4: Resolution: Ronald reached this stage and acted by being left behind in his class
so that he could get help and intervention from his teacher. He probably took some time and
10
asked himself if there are still good and strong people around before deciding to ask for help
from his teacher.

2.3 The difference between parent involvement and parent counselling

Parental involvement:
Most South Africans feel that is of utmost importance for the parents to be involved in
schools and that parental involvement plays a big role in the development of South African
schools.

7
Parental involvement ought to be beyond the election of school’s governing body and
participation in parent-teacher meetings. Parents can make many constructive contributions
to schools, including the following:

o Parents should assist in meeting the diverse needs of learners by being involved in
education programmes

o Parents can get involved in teaching a specific skill, topics or areas of information
because parents have a wide range of knowledge, skills and expertise that might be
shared with learners.

o Fundraising

o Involvement in sport, cultural and other extra-mural activities

o Maintenance of equipment and facilities

Constructive involvement of parents holds great benefits for learners, parents themselves
plus mutual relationships

Parental counselling:
o Parents are often parents naturally concerned and anxious about their child’s ability
to cope.

o Teachers need to make time to sit with parents and make it known to them (the
parents) what their child strong points are and what are the challenges their child is
faced with in terms of his or her capabilities in school work.

o This has to be done with an open mind and no one should be made to feel as if they
are at fault. The suggestions of parents are also welcomed.

o By doing so, the parents would feel that they are equal partnership with the teachers.

o The meeting with the parent should look at what works for
11 the child rather than what
does not work. This will ensure that they cooperate.

2.4. Personal learning intervention programme for Ronald

▪ Important guidelines to take into account are:

Identification: Here the educator needs to identify the learner who is experiencing
difficulties in learning. This is done through observations and a detailed description needs
be made describing the nature of barrier or difficulty and the teacher needs to make the
school-based support team aware of the situation of the learner. Proper needs analysis of
the learner need to be made including observations of the learner’s academic strengths and
weaknesses. The social behaviour and inter-personal relationships of the learner need to

8
be also be reported on. Moreover, information needs to be collected form the caregiver or
the guardian. This needs to be done through an interview with the parents or a guardian and
their perceptions and viewpoints be taken into consideration. In this case Ronald has already
been identified as a learner that experiences difficulties in learning. This is as a result of him
coming to me and informing me as his teacher.

Remedial intervention: The aims and objectives need to be specified just after the problem
has been identified. Long-term aims may be helpful in terms where one ultimately wants to
get. In addition, more specific short-term objectives are also necessary. These objectives
need to be clear and concrete, they also need to be achievable in a very short period of
time, and it should also be possible to assess if they have been achieved or no. The
objectives are just good basic teaching.

Flexibility of method: The method need to be flexible and adaptable in order to meet the
needs of the learner that is experiencing challenges in learning.

Relevance of content: The chosen material and content need to be relevant to the age and
developmental interest of the learner and should draw on their past experiences. Moreover,
it should challenge the learner either to consolidate or to move beyond the point of learning
that they have reached in their particular area of study.

Flexibility rate: The teacher needs to be flexible in how quickly he or she expects the
learners who experience difficulties to master the material. The learners need to be given
enough time. The content needs to be able to be demonstrated in different ways since some
learners may forget.

Attention to basic skills: Attention to basic skills like oral language, writing and numeracy
should be focused, specific and related to the learner’s particular cognitive strengths and
weaknesses.

Motivation: Because learners who have challenges in learning tend to lose their self-
confidence because they may feel as if they are not performing according to their teacher’s
and parents’ expectations. These learners need to be motivated for example by giving praise
for small successes so that they regain they lost self-confidence.

Evaluation: Here the evaluation of the whole process takes place. It is checking if the aims
and objectives are being met and also looking at the study methods to find out if they are
working or not. If the objectives are being achieved nothing is changed. However, if the they
are not met the methods need to be re-looked at and reasons12 why they did not work in the
first place need to be established.

Involvement of support services

The Department of Welfare need to be called in order to report the case of possible child
abuse. The police along with their Child Protection Unit also need to be made aware of this
abusive situation happening to Ronald and possibly his mother is also a victim. The
9
teachers within the school will also be informed about this situation. A circular will be drafted
addressed to all teachers Ronald comes in contact with since he is doing 6 subjects. The
School Safety Committee will also be made aware of the situation via the same memo that
will be circulated. The Social Worker will receive an email immediately after the notice has
been copied to her. The email will provide more details on Ronald’s situation and detail the
possible abuse thoroughly. The social worker will be asked to set up a session with Ronald
as soon as possible and as a matter of urgency. I will also let Ronald know that I am referring
his matter to another person that he can trust who is qualified to deal with such situations
13
and I will inform both Ronald and the Social Worker that I am availing myself throughout the
whole process.

Below is the memo that will be circulated to the relevant parties at school:
NOTICE

TO : All Commerce Educators

CC: School Social Worker
FROM : Ms Xaba
SUBJECT: Ronald Bester
DATE: 15 August 2019

Dear Colleagues,
I regret to inform you that it has come to my attention that Ronald a Grade 10 G learner is
going through challenges at home. You are kindly requested to be sensitive to his
circumstances and exercise a bit of extra compassion, by showing care and empathy
towards his situation. I would also like to request that the matter be kept confidential. In
the vent of noticing behavioural changes to him and learning difficulties, please let myself
and the school Social Worker know. For further information you may contact myself or the
school Social Worker.

Your co-operation in this matter is highly appreciated.

Thanking you in advance.

Ms Xaba
073 503 9419
Nomsa.xaba@yahoo.com
Or I can be accessed at a Commerce Office number 79 , Khanya Lesedi Secondary

Involvement of his Ronald’s parents – His mother

Ronald’s mother need to receive a call immediately and should be offered parental
counselling, this is because her actions and behaviour suggests that she is also a victim of
10
abuse in her home. This is evident when she becomes edgy and tells the doctor that they
were there for an ankle sprain. She was afraid that the Doctor would see the scars and
bruises on Ronald’s upper body. And the fact that Ronald’s mother became teary when the
Doctor was puzzled by the bruises on Ronald. She also ought to be informed that the school
is aware of the situation of child abuse and that Ronald will enter into a remedial teaching
cycle. She also needs to be aware that a call will be made to the Department of Welfare for
intervention in this unbearable and unacceptable situation they are faced with.

Ronald’s father involvement:

Ronald’s father might start to abuse both Ronald and his mother as soon as he realises that
external people now know about this abuse that is happening at home. He should be the
last person to know of my awareness about the abusive situation Ronald and his mother are
faced with. They probably might be abused before a place of safety has been organised for
them. A criminal case will be opened against him and he probably will know as soon as
everything has been arranged in terms of alternative living arrangements for Ronald and his
mother.

After all I am not a qualified educational psychologist and will refer the matter to the relevant
people for them to further intervene. I am just doing my duty as a pastoral educator.

▪ Remedial teaching cycle

A remedial teaching or intervention will instantly be arranged and prepared for Ronald. This
is because remedial teaching is based on good, basic teaching. Ronald does not need to be
left behind in his studies just because of this ordeal, as a result going an extra mile as his
Business Studies teacher would be beneficial. He will be scaffolded to allow for a more
adaptable learning schedule, relevant lesson content will also be made available to him in
terms of handouts of notes, plus the tasks will be broken down into small portions and as a
way to motivate him small victories will be celebrated. This will continue until the current
situation has been resolved. A well-planned study programme will provide him with structure
and ways to tackle his learning difficulties. I will advise Ronald to watch You Tube videos in
order to receive assistance with the content of Business Studies. I will also assist Ronald
draw-up a to do list and a personal study time table in order for him to manage his time
efficiently. I will also give Ronald alternative assessment in a form 14 of a project in order for
him to reach his potential and do better.

Below is a mindmap that will help him understand the Business Studies topic “Creative
Thinking and Problem Solving”

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 Topic: Creative
thinking and
problem solving

The advantages of using

creative thinking:
1. shorter and more
productive meetings
2. better and quicker
problem solving and
decision making
3. more effective and
efficient planning and
management
4. creation of more
innovative ideas that
lead to better
performance
Creative thinking is used to:
1. develop new products
and marketing strategies
2. improve the quality of
goods and services and
customer satisfaction
3. challenge assumptions
and change perceptions
Creative thinking 4. generate alternative
solutions
means using lateral 5. solve conflict in the
thinking to solve workplace and encourage
problems through teamwork.
reasoning and find
new solutions.

Problem-solving steps
(1) Identify the problem and list possible reasons for
the problem.
(2) Collect data and information about the problem.
(3) Analyse all the facts and information in order to
understand the problem.
(4) Find as many solutions to the problem as
possible.
(5) Evaluate and select alternative solutions.
(6) Develop and implement an action plan to solve
the problem.
(7) Monitor and follow-up to check the end result and
ensure the problem was solved.

15

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REFERENCES:

Schoeman, S. (ed.), Jansen, C.A.,Dreyer, J.M., Swanepoel, J.I., Van As, K.H., Vogel,
H.M., Steyn, H.C., and Kruger, J.S. 2011. THE EDUCATOR IN A PASTORAL ROLE.
ONLY STUDY GUIDE FOR EDPHOD8. Pretoria: University of South Africa.

Vusi S.M ,Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 5(3), March 2014 p.416, University of
the Free State
Viewed :26 March 2019, https://www.gov.za/documents/national-crime-prevention-strategy-
summary 16

Viewed: 02 April 2019, www.unesco.org/human-rights/hrfv.htm.

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 RESULTS
Total = 45 / 50 (90%)
 COMMENTS
1 C = 9R = 9I = 8O = 9 G = 10 45 of 50, 90%, Nobela D.T. Outstanding!
2 I = Ronald’s psychological stage of development well identified!
3 C = Good definition of concepts!
4 R = You related so well to the story, well done!
5 R = Ronald needs identified and well elaborated!
6 O = Guidance, counselling and learning problem are clearly elaborated!
7 O = Good guidance statement!
8 C = Good definition of concepts!
9 I = Very informative, well done!
10 I = Well clarified traumatic condition and good work!
11 O = Good parental involvement and counselling strategies!
12 I = Good guidelines, well done!
13 O = Relevant support services involved!
14 I = Very good lesson for practise!
15 I = Good illustrations and educative!
16 G =Relevant references and well done!