Preschool teachers’ perception of the influence of corporal punishment on preschoolers’ behaviour in the Ga South Municipality

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers‘ perception of the influence of corporal punishment on preschooler‘ behaviour in the Ga South Municipality. Skinner‘s Operant Conditioning theory underpinned the current study. A crosssectional survey research design was employed to guide the collection and analysis of data collected. Convenience and purposive sampling were applied to identify and select 160 kindergarten teachers to participate in the study. Data collection was done in respect of the study‘s research objectives through semi-structured questionnaire. The data on the research questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the hypothesis. The study findings revealed that corporal punishment exists in the study area. Secondly, the teachers viewed corporal punishment as a useful tool for promoting learning and discipline among preschooler. The teachers, however, showed appreciation of the negative effect of corporal punishment on the overall behaviour of pupils. They enumerated some other alternative methods in disciplining preschoolers. The result on the hypotheses revealed that there was a difference between teachers with less and more teaching experience as regards the commonly administered forms of corporal punishment in preschools. Among others, the study concluded that corporal punishment with its associated effects were, in the view of the teachers, negatively affecting the preschooler‘ behaviour. Therefore, the study recommended among others that the enforcement of Ghana Education Service regulation on the limited use of corporal punishment should be ensured while the use of alternative disciplinary practices is encouraged among teachers.