Imagine you shared the results of your research on your problem of practice, and it went well. Your team of colleagues is pleased with the way you succinctly captured the key issues and highlighted some potential solutions.
Before jumping ahead with a solution, your team wants to better understand who will be affected and how. Have you thoroughly considered how people will view the suggested changes, and if they’re even the right ones based on everyone’s perspective? Have you looked at the problem from the standpoint of both diversity and ethics?
In the context of the field of education, the effects of ethical behavior, diversity, and civil discourse on individuals and organizations are impossible to ignore. The challenges of adopting a broad view of difference and creating an equitable learning experience for all whom we lead are many, and they are not easily met. However, the professional literature of the field is a rich resource of tools, research, and practical experience and application.
Instructions
In this week’s assignment, you’ll consider your chosen problem of practice through the lenses of diversity, ethical behavior, and civil discourse. This will be in the form of an academic paper, so make sure it is double-spaced.
In your paper:
- Define a problem of practice and its implications on interactions within its setting.
- Analyze the questions of diversity, equity, and inclusion that relate to your given problem of practice, using examples.
- Analyze the ethical issues related to your problem of practice, using examples.
- Describe what civil discourse looks like within the context of your given problem of practice and your environment, using examples.
- Reflect on how your underlying assumptions related to a problem of practice have changed as a result of research and analysis.
- Critically evaluate scholarly literature focused on the connections among issues of ethical behavior, diversity, and civil discourse and a given problem of practice.
Paper Organization
Before you begin your paper, examine the grading criteria in the rubric.
- Title page: Include a title page with the following title: Ethical Behavior, Diversity, Civil Discourse, and (name of the problem of practice you are exploring).
- Overview of problem of practice within its setting: Begin the body of your paper with an overview of the problem of practice you are investigating from the standpoint of systems thinking. Define the problem within the setting, and the interactions and relationships within that setting. Discuss the impact the problem of practice is having on an educational need in this setting and the importance of addressing it. What are the implications of not addressing it from the perspective of the different aspects of that setting?
- Diversity related to (name of problem of practice): Define diversity as it relates to the setting and problem of practice you are discussing. Provide detailed descriptions and examples of how the problem of practice you chose to review relates to diversity of stakeholders, perspectives, and opinions in your setting. How would diverse populations be affected or not affected within your setting by the actions you’re proposing?
- Ethical behavior related to (name of problem of practice): Define ethics as it relates to the setting and problem of practice you are discussing. Provide detailed descriptions and examples of how the problem of practice you chose to review relates to ethical behavior What are the ethical implications of taking action to address the problem of practice or of not acting?
- Civil discourse related to (name of problem of practice): Define civil discourse. Is civil discourse the common framework of discussion and decision making in your setting? If not, how could you promote that through your project? How will you make sure yours is a collaborative effort where all will be involved?
- Underlying assumptions related to (name of problem of practice): Identify the assumptions you started with when completing your first assignment. Reflect on how your underlying assumptions have changed or been deepened based on the lenses of diversity, ethical behavior, and civil discourse you’ve used to analyze your problem of practice.
Remember, be sure you critically evaluate the primary sources as you incorporate them into your paper, not just report on them. Provide reasons for why these are best suited to helping explain your situation and problem of practice.
- References: Your citations must have references and your references should be included within your paper as in-text citations. Use Academic WriterLinks to an external site. for guidance in citing sources and formatting your paper in proper APA style. See the Evidence and APALinks to an external site. section of the Writing Center for instructions on accessing and using Academic Writer.
- Keep the name of the setting and any individuals anonymous in this and all papers you write in the program.
- Display the characteristics of professional voice and civil discourse appropriate for your setting. As not only a scholarly writer, but a communicator in professional environments and the arena of education leaders, there are many forms of civil discourse. Professional voice falls within that. Write in third person.
- In this week’s assignment, you may use that same problem of practice you used previously or switch to one you may have discovered to be more appropriate for your final project. In the early courses of this program, you are exploring possible problems of practice, not making a final choice. The more you research and reflect, the more options you will see for your final problem of practice.
- As a reminder, you can refer to How Do I Find Peer-Reviewed Articles?Links to an external site. for assistance in searching for appropriate reference materials.