Case 3: Effective communication within Learning Interactions
Te Kōrero Whai Hua i roto i ngā Akoranga

The focus of this case is improving communication and engagement for ISTEs within their professional interactions. In challenging situations, it is often very difficult for participants to say what they are thinking. But without this degree of honesty, there may be no common understanding to build on, and learning and improvement may be limited.

Catherine Hope is a facilitator with Evaluation Associates. This case focuses on her work with Jack, a teacher at an Auckland school engaged in professional development on assessment for learning. Catherine felt that Jack was not engaged in the professional development and had taken a defensive stance in a post-observation conversation. She and her colleagues, Allan Powell and Michael Absolum, use role play and analysis of dialogue as tools to reveal the interpersonal model informing and guiding the interaction and to shape and practise a more effective model and approach.

Leading ISTE learning for this case

This is a very rich case, with a large number of practice conversations and analyses to discuss. A group could easily spend two half-day sessions on this case. In a single session, after working through the first three screens, you will need to select and concentrate on one, or perhaps two, of the three moments that are analysed in screen 4 (Learning experiences).

The questions below each clip in the Learning experiences section should generate diverse responses, so it will be valuable to prompt group members to support their arguments with evidence from the transcripts. Having considered their own responses to the questions, group members will be interested to hear the thoughts of the case participants, which in most instances are presented in the following clip.

For the question on how Catherine might cue herself that accompanies the final clip under Moment 3, you could discuss how she might:

• identify and watch out for tell-tale behaviours, such as pushing on regardless or switching to “persuasive mode”;
• plan and rehearse strategies to adapt when she notices these tell-tale behaviours, such as consciously presenting one argument at a time and checking with the other participant(s) in the interaction after each one.

How this case reflects the ISTE inquiry and knowledge-building cycle

Diagram text here

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