Answer to Question #191294 in Management for Dyondzo Innocencia

Question

How would you, as a classroom leader, motivate learners from a disadvantaged 

socio-economic setting by applying these Ubuntu principles (Malunga, 2006:3; 

Msila 2014:1109):

• Participatory leadership and decision-making in their class

• The sharing and collective ownership of opportunities, responsibilities 

and challenges in their classroom.

• The importance of people and relationships over things in the classroom.

Answer 1

a) Participatory leadership and decision making in their class.

The class leader can motivate the socio-economic disadvantaged learners by applying value based leadership when making a decision in class. It entails giving the learners an opportunity for equal participation in decision making. Thus, all the students including the socio-economic disadvantaged has a direct participation just as the other students. Therefore, good governance is promoted and efficient decision making is a collective responsibility of the whole class room.

b) The sharing and collective ownership of opportunities, responsibilities and challenges in their classroom.

The class leader should apply compassion as one of the key values of Ubuntu principles. Compassion is the is the quality of human understanding of the challenges that the other students are facing and helping them. The students should reach out to their fellow students and embrace a communal responsibility for each other. This helps the student to socially understand that difficult tasks and goals can only be accomplished collectively. The class leader makes them to understand that what is good for the whole class I good for an individual. Therefore, it is a collective responsibility to help each other to explore opportunities to their fullest potential.

c) Importance of people and relationship over things in classroom.

1) Mutual relationships can help students to see and hold the collective vulnerability and encourage a true collaboration through sharing and supporting each other as a team.

2) A relationship that is mutual in a classroom is the foundation of all information and knowledge for what your neighbor has to offer in terms of experience, knowledge and idea is essential to your own growth.

3) Finally, a mutual relationship helps to develop empathy between the class leader and the learners by creating a creative cooperation, open communication, team work and moral values.