“Reach Out, Not Harm”: Navigating between Physical Punishment and Alternative Strategies in Addressing Student Discipline Challenges for a Positive Learning Environment
Keywords:
physical punishment; alternative discipline strategies; models of school discipline; Fair discipline; Teacher roles; Student roles; Positive learning environmentAbstract
Based on the interpretivist ontological assumption that teachers and students hold unique positions regarding school discipline, this study explores their perspectives on using physical punishment and alternative strategies to address challenging discipline problems. 20 teachers (with more than 5 years of teaching experience) and 20 students (aged 16-18 years old) from a secondary school in Indonesia who were identified through purposeful snowball sampling were engaged via semi-structured interviews and an open online survey to capture their perspectives. Data were thematically analysed following Newton’s (1980) comparison of school discipline models to reveal both parties to be in favour of alternative discipline strategies because physical punishment was deemed to have adverse effects and does not educate. The alternative disciplining strategies proposed by the teachers and students match with the characteristics of the following models: Individual fulfilment (approach students, dialogue and negotiation), scholarly discipline (strict adherence to school rules, consistency in rule enforcement, teacher as a role model); and educational technology (reminders of school rules, progressive disciplining process). The “fair disciplining” theme in the students’ data had no model fit. Meanwhile, no evidence suggests inclinations toward the social reconstruction model of school discipline. This study provides a glimpse into the diverse disciplining strategies which are the result of a bottom-up inquiry for addressing students’ challenging behaviours to cultivate a positive learning environment.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.8.12
References
Adesope, A. O., Olusegun, O., & Olorode, O. A. (2017). Effects of corporal punishment on learning behaviour and students academic performance in public secondary schools in Ibarapa East local government, Oyo state. International Journal Of Advanced Academic Reseach, 3(10), 14–20.
Affandi, A. (2016). Dampak pemberlakuan undang-undang perlindungan anak terhadap guru dalam mendidik siswa [The impact of the implementation of the child protection law on teachers in educating students]. Hukum Samudra Keadilan, 2(2), 196–208.
Afifi, T. O., Mota, N. P., Dasiewicz, P., MacMillan, H. L., & Sareen, J. (2012). Physical punishment and mental disorders: Results from a nationally representative US sample. Pediatrics, 130(2), 184–192. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-2947
Ahmad, I., Said, H., Awang, Z., Yasin, M. A.-M. Z., Hassan, Z., Shafeq, S., & Mansur, S. (2014). Effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between corporal punishment and school dropout. Review of European Studies, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.5539/res.v6n1p196
Ahmad, I., Said, H., & Khan, F. (2013). Effect of corporal punishment on students’ motivation and classroom learning. Review of European Studies, 5(4), 130–134. https://doi.org/10.5539/res.v5n4p130
Ajowi, J. O., & Omboto, C. J. (2013). Preparedness of teachers to maintain discipline in the absence of corporal punishment in Bndo district Kenya. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 3(2), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n2p123
Algozzine, B., Barrett, S., George, L., Horner, H., Lewis, R., Putnam, T., Swain-Bradway, & Mcintosh, J. (2019). SWPBIS tiered fidelity inventory. In OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. www.pbis.org
Alsalem, A. S. (2018). Curriculum orientations and educational philosophies of high school arabic teachers. International Education Studies, 11(4), 92. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v11n4p92
Aminudin, M. (2018). Disebut anak setan, salah satu pemicu demo pelajar SMAN 2 Malang [Called the devil’s child, a trigger for student demonstration at SMAN 2 Malang]. Detik.News. https://news.detik.com/berita-jawa-timur/d-3954682/disebut-anak-setan-salah-satu-pemicu-demo-pelajar-sman-2-malang
Arifin, S. (2020). Challenges for teacher profession in contemporary Indonesia: A regulatory analysis. Lentera Hukum, 7(2), 117–136. https://doi.org/10.19184/ejlh.v7i2.17718
Ba-Saddik, A. S., & Hattab, A. S. (2013). Physical abuse in basic-education schools in Aden governorate, Yemen: A cross-sectional study. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 19(4), 333–339. https://doi.org/10.26719/2013.19.4.333
Beazley, H., Bessell, S., Ennew, J., & Waterson, R. (2006). What children say: Results of comparative research on physical and emotional punishment of children in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (1st ed.). Save the Children Sweden.
Bond, R. M., & Bushman, B. J. (2017). The contagious spread of violence among US adolescents through social networks. American Journal of Public Health, 107(2), 288–294. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303550
Bragg, L. A. (2007). Students’ conflicting attitudes towards games as a vehicle for learning mathematics: A methodological dilemma. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03217448
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful qualitative research (M. Carmichael (ed.); SAGE).
Breen, A., Daniels, K., & Tomlinson, M. (2015). Children’s experiences of corporal punishment: A qualitative study in an urban township of South Africa. Child Abuse and Neglect, 48, 2–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.04.022
Brehm, H. N., & Boyle, E. H. (2018). The global adoption of national policies protecting children from violent discipline in schools and homes. Law & Society Review, 52(1), 206–233. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45095071
Bruner, J. S. (1977). The process of education (Revised Edition). Harvard University Press.
Canter, L. (2010). Assertive discipline: Positive behavior management for today’s classroom. Canter & Associates.
Cuartas, J., Gershoff, E., Bailey, D. H., & McCoy, D. (2022). Physical punishment and child, adolescent, and adult outcomes in low and middle-income countries: Protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews, 11, 276. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-02154-5
Demirdag, S. (2015). Self–assessment of middle school teachers: Classroom management and discipline referrals. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 6(2), 45–55.
Din, W. Z. W. (2023). School teachers’ lives and emotions in a context of educational changes from the perspective of life history. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. Universiti Utara Malaysia.
Eisner, E. W., & Vallance, E. (1974). Conflicting conceptions of curriculum. McCutchan.
Elbla, A. I. F. (2012). Is punishment (corporal or verbal) an effective means of discipline in schools?: Case study of two basic schools in greater Khartoum/Sudan. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69(Iceepsy), 1656–1663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.112
Gage, N. A., Whitford, D. K., Katsiyannis, A., Adams, S., & Jasper, A. (2019). National analysis of the disciplinary exclusion of black students with and without disabilities. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(7), 1754–1764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01407-7
Gershoff, E. T. (2017). School corporal punishment in global perspective: Prevalence, outcomes, and efforts at intervention. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 22, 224–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2016.1271955
Gershoff, E. T., & Font, S. A. (2016). Corporal punishment in U.S. public schools: Prevalence, disparities in use, and status in state and federal policy. Social Policy Report, 30(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2379-3988.2016.tb00086.x
Ghosh, A., & Pasupathi, M. (2016). Perceptions of students and parents on the use of corporal punishment at schools in India. Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 8(3), 269–280. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v8n3.28
Heekes, S. L., Kruger, C. B., Lester, S. N., & Ward, C. L. (2022). A systematic review of corporal punishment in schools: Global prevalence and correlates. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 23(1), 52–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838020925787
Helman, D. S. (2017). Constructivist discipline for a student-centered classroom. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 21(3), 64–69. http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/fal2017.htm
Hussain, S., & Muhammad, N. (2017). Social impact of corporal punishment on students in public schools: A case study of selected boyes schools in Multan district. Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 4(9), 27–46.
ICRW. (2015). Are schools safe and gender equal spaces? Findings from a baseline study of school related gender-based violence in five countries in Asia.
Irby, D. J. (2014). Trouble at school: Understanding school discipline systems as nets of social control. Equity and Excellence in Education, 47(4), 513–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2014.958963
Johnson, B., Whitington, V., & Oswald, M. (1994). Teachers’ views on school ciscipline: A theoretical framework. Cambridge Journal of Education, 24(2), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764940240209
Khasanah, A. M. (2019). English teachers’ strategies in enforcing students’ discipline in the classroom. Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
Lansford, J. E. (2017). Corporal punishment and children’s externalizing problems: A cross cultural multilevel analysis. Child Development, 88(3), 938–954.
Lansford, J. E., Sharma, C., Malone, P. S., Woodlief, D., Dodge, K. A., Oburu, P., Pastorelli, C., Skinner, A. T., Sorbing, E., Tapanya, S., Tirado, L. M. U., Zelli, A., Al-Hassan, S. M., & Alampy, L. P. (2014). Corporal punishment, maternal warmth, and child adjustment: A longitudinal study in eight countries. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 43(4), 670–685. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.893518
Lestari, A. (2019). Pengaruh pemberian reward dan punishment terhadap motivasi belajar siswa Sekolah Dasar Islam Terpadu Iqra’ 2 Kota Bengkulu [The influence of giving rewards and punishments on the learning motivation of students at the Iqra’ 2 Integrated Islamic Elementary. An-Nizom, 4(1), 12–19.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
Lwo, L. L., & Yuan, Y.-S. (2010). Teachers’ perceptions and concerns on the banning of corporal punishment and its alternative disciplines. Education and Urban Society, 43(2), 137–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124510380232
Makhani, C. S. (2013). Corporal punishment in schools: A medicolegal view. Jurnal of Forensik Medicine, Science and Law, 22(2).
Marshall, C., Rossman, G. B., & Blanco, G. L. (2016). Designing qualitative research (6th Editio). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Marzano, R. J., & Marzano, J. S. (2003). The key to classroom management. Educational Leadership: Journal of the Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development, 61(1), 6–13.
Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being (2 nd). D Van Nostrand.
Mason, W. A. (2015). Intervention strategies to decrease discipline issues in an urban pre-K-8 public school [Walden University]. http://ovidsp.dc2.ovid.com/ovid-b/ovidweb.cgi
McNeil, J. D. (1981). Curriculum: A comprehensive introduction. Little, Brown and Co.
Moen, T. (2015). Student voice in classroom management: Exploring the influence of student-teacher relationships on student voice. International Journal of Educational Research, 72, 1–9.
Molenda, M. (2008). The programmed instruction era: When effectiveness mattered. TechTrends, 52(2), 52–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-008-0136-y
Morrison, K. (2018). Students’ perceptions of unfair discipline in school. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 53(2), 21–45.
Morrow, V., & Singh, R. (2014). Corporal punishment in schools in andhra pradesh, India children’s and parents’ views. An International Study of Childhood Poverty, January. www.younglives.org.uk
Nadhiroh, F. (2018). Demo pelajar SMAN 1 Gondanglegi berujung kasek dimutasi [Student demonstration at SMAN 1 Gondanglegi in the headmaster being transferred]. Detik.News. https://news.detik.com/berita-jawa-timur/d-4311895/demo-pelajar-sman-1-gondanglegi-berujung-kasek-dimutasi
Newton, R. R. (1980). Models of schooling and theories of discipline. Source: The High School Journal, 63(5), 183–190.
Pereira, V. G. (2021). The impact of corporal punishment for Timorese high school graduates. University of Arkansas.
Portela, M. J. O., & Pells, K. (2015). Corporal punishment in schools: Longitudinal evidence from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Viet Nam.
Prasetyarini, A., Hikmat, M. H., & Thoyibi, M. (2020). Strategies to cope with students’ discipline problems in senior high school. Indonesian Journal of Learning and Advanced Education, 3(1), 40–47. https://doi.org/10.23917/ijolae.v3i1.9474
Prima, E. (2016). Metode reward dan punishment dalam mendisiplinkan siswa kelas IV di Sekolah Lentera Harapan Gunung Sitoli Nias [Reward and punishment methods in disciplining fourth grade students at Lentera Harapan School, Gunung Sitoli, Nias]. Jurnal Pendidikan Universitas Dhyana Pura, 1(2), 185–198.
Rainbolt, S., Fowler, E., & Mansfield, K. (2019). High school teachers’ perceptions of restorative discipline practices. NASSP Bulletin, 103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636519853018
Sadik, F., & Yalcin, O. (2018). Examination of the views of high school teachers and students with regard to discipline perception and discipline problems. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(2), 97. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v6i2.2715
Saldana, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Sage.
Segalo, L. (2018). South African public school teachers’ views on right to discipline learners. South African Journal of Education, 38(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v38n2a1448
Shaikhnag, N., Assan, T. E. B., & Loate, I. M. (2016). A psychoeducational perspective of discipline in schools and the abolishing of corporal punishment. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 14(3), 275. https://doi.org/10.1080/09751122.2016.11890502
Sheridan, M. A., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2016). Neurobiological models of the impact of adversity on education. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 10, 108–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.05.013
Shirley, E. L. M., & Cornell, D. G. (2011). The contribution of student perceptions of school climate to understanding the disproportionate punishment of African American students in a middle school. School Psychology International, 0(0), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034311406815
Sholeh, A., Diana, H., & Prasetyo, S. A. (2019). Bentuk ketegasan dalam proses pembelajaran “dampak sanksi terhadap kedisiplinan siswa di SDN Kaliwiru Semarang" [Form of assertativeness in the learning process: The impact of sanctions on student discipline at SDN Kaliwiru Semarang]. Janacitta, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.35473/jnctt.v2i2.257
Sidik, M. (2021). Perlindungan hukum bagi guru yang melakukan kekerasan terhadap siswa [Legal protection for teachers who commit violence against students]. Jurnal As-Said, 1(1), 66–74.
Silverman, D. (2010). Doing qualitative research (3rd Ed.). Sage.
Sipahutar, A. I., Siregar, T., & Amal, M. R. H. (2024). Legal protection of the teaching profession in enforcing student discipline at SMKN PP 1 Kualuh Selatan North Labuhanbatu. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 11(2), 115–120.
Skerritt, C., O’Hara, J., Brown, M., McNamara, G., & O’Brien, S. (2022). Student voice and the school hierarchy: the disconnect between senior leaders and teachers. Oxford Review of Education, 48(5), 606–621. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2021.2003189
Skinner, B. F. (1968). The technology of teaching. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Sofiani, T., & Askari, S. (2020). Efektivitas penegakan hukum terhadap corporal punishment di sekolah [The effectiveness of low enforcement on corporal punishment in schools. Jurnal Bina Mulia Hukum, 4(2), 224. https://doi.org/10.23920/jbmh.v4i2.267
Takaya, K. (2008). Jerome bruner’s theory of education: From early bruner to later bruner. Interchange, 39, 1–19.
Thompson, C. A. (2015). Constructivist discipline: The art of listening to children. Child Care Exchange, 199, 46–49.
Valente, S., Monteiro, A. P., & Lourenço, A. A. (2019). The relationship between teachers’ emotional intelligence and classroom discipline management. Psychology in the Schools, 56(5), 741–750. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22218
Windari, R., Supanto, & Novianto, W. T. (2018). Overcoming corporal punishment of children: An evaluation toward Indonesian penal policy nowdays. SHS Web of Conferences, 54, 08017. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20185408017
Woolfolk, A. (2021). Educational psychology (14th global edition). Pearson.
Wun, C. (2015). Against captivity: Black girls and school discipline policies in the afterlife of slavery. Educational Policy, 30(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904815615439
Youssef, R. M., Attia, M. S.-E.-D., & Kamel, M. I. (1998). Children experiencing violence I: Parental use of corporal punishment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 22, 975–985. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(98)00077-5
Zak-Doron, I., & Perry-Hazan, L. (2023). ‘You can sue for anything’: Student rights to participate in school disciplinary procedures and legal socialisation. Social and Legal Studies, 0(0), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/09646639231214240
Zhu, J., Yu, C., Bao, Z., Chen, Y., Zhang, J., Jiang, Y., Su, B., & Zhang, W. (2019). The longitudinal association between corporal punishment and aggression: The explanatory mechanism of relational victimization. Child Indicators Research, 12, 1797–1813. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-018-9611-y
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Diana Wulandari, Sarimah Shaik Abdullah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).