PSY FPX 5110 Assessment 4

Case Study Overview

Mrs. Jelks-McClellan, a psychology teacher, is in her first year of time teaching in the classroom. Morgan is an 18-year-old university undergraduate who has been distant in class and keeps looking at her phone during class time. Morgan has shunned any of the instructor’s office hours after class, though almost every other student has not. Morgan recently spoke out on behalf of complaints about the case studies that were being provided in class. She furthered that this class does not accurately represent that there are no case studies that have the LGBTQIA+ community involved and that she feels biases from the instructor against the community to which she belongs. Morgan has written an email to the psychology department’s dean. Morgan’s grievance is brought to instructor Jelks-McClellan’s notice by the dean. Instructor Jelks-McClellan stated that she would rather solve this problem by pursuing extra professional development in this area so that she would not use wrong words and could present the rest of the case studies.

Professional Setting: A university The Relationship: Professor-Student

The Relationship: Professor-Student

Respects the dignity and rights of students by treating students with respect by taking into consideration their age, gender, culture, context, and socioeconomic environment.

Demonstrates an ethic of care by seeking to know students’ educational, academic, personal, and social needs and students’ values, beliefs, and cultural background(s).

(Michigan Code of Educational Ethics, n.d.)

Cultural Differences

Mrs. Jelks-McClellan | Morgan

• Late 20s | 18
• Heterosexual | LGBTQIA+
• Black/African American | White/Caucasian

The sexual orientation between the professor and the student, as well as their cultural differences, is causing the conflict. The banning of a group by the professor to which she does not belong is hindering the learning process of the student.

Relevant Biases

Biases

• Race
• Sexual Orientation

Strategies

• Three general strategies were suggested in an article to put an end to implicit bias: approach, expose, and educate. We miss opportunities to avoid harm when we fail to learn about our blind spots. It is also beneficial to be exposed to counter-stereotypes and to pay attention to the individualized people with whom we work. Taking a systematic approach at both the human and institutional levels, and embracing a continuous process of improvement, practice, and reflection, is necessary to attain equity (Edgoose et al., 2019).
• While gender identity and sexual orientation are tackled less in the curriculum than other topics related to diversity despite heightened concerns regarding issues of equality and inclusion within teacher education, many must shift at the individual, institutional, and societal levels if the teacher educator’s self-efficacy towards solving LGBTQIA+ issues within teacher education is to be expanded. Firstly, regardless of the subject matter one is teaching, teacher educators must personally commit to teaching LGBTQIA+ issues in their curriculum (Brant & Willox, 2022).

Ethical Concerns

• Competency
• Sexuality Exclusion
• Suppress subject matters

Ethical Standards

2.03 Maintaining Competence

• PRINCIPLE I: COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENT
• 3.04 Avoiding Harm

(Psychologists pursue ongoing efforts to acquire and maintain their competence. Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct, n.d.)

Utilitarianism Consequentialism

Comparison of Utilitarianism & Consequentialism

Given the uniqueness of each student, it would be best if utilitarianism were the most appropriate theory to resolve the moral dilemma in the case study. Even though a single student complained, other students who may also feel the same way can gain from learning and resolving through case studies that fit them. Some of the students in class can work with the LGBTQIA+ community but perhaps do not know how to. By way of the case studies, they might have experience they’ll need. Obtaining the optimum good and working with the greatest numbers of learners is the appropriate ethics for instructors to practice. Another aspect of utilitarianism is that it is neutral and unbiased. Bliss is monotonous. The maximized good is the objectively regarded good. My good is not superior to anyone else’s. Furthermore, everyone else has to uphold the greater good for the same reasons I have to (Driver, 2022).

PSY FPX 5110 Assessment 4: Educators’ Obligation to Students

Ethical Decision Making with the Fisher’s Model

Step 1

In this case, the instructor has to decide whether leaving out the case studies that are representative of all the students is a professional action. According to her professional and personal principles, she can decide if there is any ethical violation.

Step 2

The instructor has to refer to the APA Ethics guidelines and any corporate university guidelines that she feels may be broken.

Step 3

Search for any relevant local, state, or federal laws pertaining to the ethical issue of inclusion in the classroom. For example, research on civil rights that apply to students.

Step 4

Make a list of all potential participants and what each of their outcomes may be. Potential parties are the instructor, supervisor, deans, and students.

Step 5

Instructor Jelks-McClellan should reach out to higher faculty members to observe how these matters are addressed; she could also speak with Morgan to better understand; she should speak with her dean to obtain resources on more diverse case studies; she should ask for more training on the subject to possess the best information prior to presenting it to the class; and the instructor could also do an exercise where students design case studies and conduct a review of all case studies.

Step 6

I would recommend that Instructor Jelks-McClellan pursue professional development in this area to be more skilled. Because inclusive education is giving a good education to all students, it is important to consider the possible advantages of inclusion for all students (Roldán et al., 2021). Case studies are an excellent way of engaging students. They have a rich, robust history as an effective, engaging, student-centered pedagogical approach to supplement more traditional means of knowledge transfer that help make human stories tangible in a context of reflective, thoughtful sense-making. They argue that case studies can foster critical thinking by allowing students to apply theory to practice, practice decision-making, think from different perspectives, analyze data, and synthesize course knowledge (Sider et al., 2023). Teachers owe a responsibility to students by respecting students by being considerate of students’ age, gender, culture, environment, and socioeconomic status. Interacting with students in the proper settings and sensitively.

Multicultural Issues

Inclusion

• Sexual Orientation
• Community

Each student is different. Teachers need to understand all types of diversity they may face in their classrooms to truly know and acquire cultural awareness. As such, advocates of CRT have proposed that intellectual knowledge and skills must be linked to students’ own experiences and perspectives in a positive and collaborative setting. Learning becomes something rich and engaging this way. (Protecting Students Overview, n.d.)

PSY FPX 5110 Assessment 4: Educators’ Obligation to Students

Best Practice for Working With the LGBTQ+ Community

• Be respectful when applying the language with regard to the LGBTQ+ community.
• Acquire knowledge on the language that applies to the LGBTQ+ community.
• Give people a chance to introduce themselves and not jump to conclusions regarding their names and identity.