Assessment 2- Case Study

Mugabo is a 10 year old boy who recently moved to Australia. During an outbreak of an ethnic war in Rwanda,
Mugabos mother fled to a refugee camp with her two sons. His father is unknown. Mugabo spent over 2-3 years
in a series of refugee camps and as a result his education has been disrupted. As a part of an UNHCR refugee
humanitarian programme, Mugabo and his family were settled in Australia as refugees. Mugabo currently attends a
local Primary school in Blacktown and is having learning difficulties due to language barriers, however he is able to
express himself through art.
Mugabos possible strengths - Mugabo demonstrates an artistic flair, a strong form of expression in the classroom.
Through art, Mugabo is able to express himself, explore his sense of creativity and build a connection through the
meaning, which his art evokes. Wright (2012) highlights cross-modal meaning making and interpretation can be
overlooked and undervalued however its this means of knowing and communicating that provides Mugabo with a
symbolic way of representing his thoughts and emotions to his school community (p.25).
In addition, as a result of Mugabos strength in art he in turn is classed as a visual learner. Through the use of visual
cues he is able to build meaning and therefore understand various instructions (Tissot & Evans, 2003). Thus through
the incorporation of visual strategies there is a significant sense of ease in overall comprehension (Hodgdon, 2012).

Grace Leva 25/9/2015 5:30 PM

Comment [1]: Please note this is a small
portion of a much greater assessment, it
has been divided up in accordance the
requirements of various focus elements
within standard 1. To see the remainder of
this assessment please refer to focus area
1.5.

Grace Leva 25/9/2015 4:57 PM

Comment [2]: This assessment ensured
that the strengths of students were
identified and supported by research so
that they be used appropriately to support
the holistic learning of students.

Mugabos overall classroom manner ensures that he is able to work cohesively in a team and therefore thrives when
the appropriate measures are put in place in classroom tasks. The curiosity and patience, which is demonstrated by,
Mugabo provide increased opportunities for continued growth and development in more challenging tasks.
Learning needs of the student what are the possible gaps in learning? - Mugabos refugee status means there
is a significant language barrier, an overarching learning need, which requires continued attention and support. Its
known that language skills form the basis for literacy development throughout school in turn providing the
fundamentals for the development of a childs reading and writing. With Mugabos spoken language, regarded as a
learning need inevitability his written language also becomes a learning need due to the strong connection which
these two areas share. The fact that they are like building blocks, which are continually added means, they work
together to support each students general language and literacy competence. Thus making Mugabos language
pivotal for learning to occur within other KLAs

Grace Leva 25/9/2015 4:59 PM

Comment [3]: Based on the strengths of
this particular student, I have been able to
determine the learning needs which can
be supported through the use of the
students strengths.

Moreover, Mugabos overall education was disrupted and as a result there are many gaps in his understandings. Its
recognised that Australia and Rwanda have very different curriculums, therefore Mugabo requires overall support.
The focus this year is within the core subjects including maths, science and English, which will form the basis for
the remainder of his schooling.
Furthermore, having a disrupted education and coming from another country means that Mugabo is required to learn
the social cues deemed appropriate within Australia. With these unknown concepts Mugabo is at a significant
disadvantage within the school community in communicating his thought and ideas.
Possible issues of concern when including this student in the regular classroom- Muagbos inclusion within the
classroom may present some concerns to ensure that he is receiving the most optimal opportunities and learning
experiences. With English as a second language, this is a prime concern and with the appropriate support he will be
able to grow in his understandings and therefore express himself better within the classroom. Based on this
understanding Mugabos lacks social skills. As a result his peer and teacher interaction is limited making it more
difficult to make friends and be engaged within class discussions subsequently deterring his overall opportunities to
learn. With a lack of social skills and limited communication skills Mugabo may lack self-esteem and self-efficacy
(Bergin, 1999).
In addition, with a limited capability to communicate there is significant concern for potential bullying scenarios.
Students may do this unintentionally making them unaware of the way in which this is making Mugabo feel and the
impact this is having on his attitudes towards himself. Research has indicated the significant issues surrounding
bullying in the current primary school classroom. This significant issue is evident in school communities in various
forms and may affect Mugabo. Specifically Mugabo may be affected verbally through threats and name-calling or
relational bullying where various rumours may be spread and exclusion occur (Swearer, Wang, Maag, Siebecker &
Frerichs, 2012). Mugabos difficulty in expressing himself, which stems from the fact that English is his second
language may make him prone to bullying.
Moreover, the past experiences brought by Mugabo to the classroom, will shape his understandings. Given the
significant impact that the various Refugee camps, which he was in will have on him, support and understanding

Grace Leva 25/9/2015 5:02 PM

Comment [4]: Whilst the academic
understandings of students are important
it is identifying and supporting them
holistically that can be achieved when
possible issues of concern are identified.
In this instance, I have been able to find
ways of supporting Mugabo where
cultural, linguistic and socio economic
backgrounds which have been considered
broadly.

will

References

be necessary. His
teachers will also
require some level of

understanding and consideration in units that may bring up such strong past emotions.

Bergin, B. (1991). Communication Disorders: Breaking through the Barriers. Retrieved from:
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1991/02/communication-disorders-breaking-through-the- barriers?lang=eng
Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CFSHE). (2002). Collaborative Learning. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/03/group.html
Hodgdon, L., (2012). Use Visual Strategies: Meeting the Communication Needs in Autism, Aspergers, ADHD and
more. Retrieved April 4, 2013 from http://www.usevisualstrategies.com/visual-strategies/who-can-benefitfrom-visual- strategies/
Swearer. S, Wang. C, Maag. J, Siebecker. A, Frerichs. L., (2012). Understanding the bullying dynamic among
students in special and general education. Journal of School Psychology, Vol. 50, pg, 503-520. doi:
10.1016/j.jsp.2012.04.001
Tissot, C and Evans, R., (2003). Visual Teaching Strategies for Children with Autism. Department of Education.
Brunel University, UK. Early Child Development and Care, volume 173. Issue 4, pg. 425-433.
Wright, S., (2012). Children, Meaning-Making and the Arts. (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.