The Impact of Punishment on the Behaviour and Academic Work of Senior High School Students in the Ejisu- Juaben Municipality of Ashanti Region in Ghana

Eric Opoku-Adusei

doi:10.7176/dcs/11-7-02

Abstract

The study sought to assess the impact of punishment on the behavior and academic work of senior high schools in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality of Ashanti region in Ghana. The researcher administered survey questionnaire to 150 teachers and 3666 students to collect data in three selected public senior high schools in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality. The research design adopted for this study was multiple case studies using the descriptive survey approach to examine the impact of punishment on the behaviour and academic work of senior high school students in Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ashanti Region in Ghana. Students should be counseled through awareness programmes to be polite and respectful to their teachers and obey school rules and regulations. Students should be intimated regarding the usefulness of punctuality, conduction of homework eschew making of noise in class, confirm health and hygiene, and should not quarrel with their school fellows.The results of the study indicated that incidence of misbehavior were frequently exhibited in schools by students. It was however recommended that teaching of Social Studies which includes life skills should be intensified in schools to equip learners with skills necessary in handling life challenges since human beings in their bit to make life face a lot of challenges in this world. DOI: 10.7176/DCS/11-7-02 Publication date: July 31 st 2021

Highlights

Punishment especially corporal punishment has received attention at the international community as a violation of a child's right
Current policy concerning violence in schools states that corporal punishment is banned (Ministry of Education, 1994), we find that it is being widely practiced in basic and senior high schools in Ghana as a common tool for discipline (Nasr, 2004)
1.2 Purpose of the Study The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of punishment on the behaviour and academic work of senior high school students in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ashanti Region in Ghana

Summary

Introduction

Punishment especially corporal punishment has received attention at the international community as a violation of a child's right. Most common students' behaviour problems include coming to school late, not doing assigned work, disrespecting teachers, skipping classes, stealing, and vandalizing school property (Manguvo, Whitney, and Chareka,.2011). Krajewski, Martinek and Polka (1998) reported that not completing assignment, cheating in examinations attacks on teachers, stealing through force, carrying weapons, and sexual activity were the discipline problems among secondary school students. Use of corporal punishment, according to Tan & Yuanshan (1999) has been banned in some countries such as United States, Canada, Australia and lately in Hong Kong, and in South African schools (Cicognani 2004). In Ghana, corporal punishment in schools is unlawful. Corporal punishment is still lawful in homes and practiced in senior high schools both as a sentence for crime and as a disciplinary measure in public institutions (Newell, 2007)

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Results