Full Project – PERCEIVED EFFECT OF PUNISHMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.

Click here to Get this Complete Project Chapter 1-5

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Punishment is often meted out differently to boys and girls, and for different reasons. Data from various studies showed that, in general, boys experience more physical punishment than girls (Boyle et al. 2002; Alexandrecu et al. 2005). A young school boy in Zambia noted that he “was told to dig five pits for trying to help [someone] out who had missed the lesson the previous day, while his female classmate, who was chewing gum in class, was shouted at by a teacher for being ‘a foolish girl and stupid’” (Soneson 2005). A study conducted in Durban, South Africa showed that boys were expected to be able to tolerate the violence of Punishment as a badge of their masculinity (Kent 2004). The study found that Punishment, in effect, became a technique for grooming boys and teaching them to act like men by tolerating pain. Though boys may experience more Punishment, girls are not immune. Punishment was the most frequently cited type of abuse by girls participating in a study in Malawi (CERT and DevTech 2008). Whether perpetrated against girls or boys, Punishment is a frequently used method of maintaining control of students in the educational setting.

As Banda (2010:2) says, while the physical damage done to the body can be treated, the emotional and psychological effects can also affect the person deeply. Soneson and Smith (2005:5) note that compelling research (88 studies) on Punishment demonstrates strong associations between Punishment and various negative emotional and psychological outcomes. The examples of the negative emotional and psychological outcomes are; eroded trust between parent and child, aggression toward siblings, sadness and anger, crying, fear, embarrassment, withdrawal and compliance, bullying and disobedience, poor mental health, weaker internalization of moral values, anti-social behaviour, poor adult adjustment, depression, withdrawal, sleep disturbances, avoidance of school, learning problems, loss of self-esteem, and delinquency. In addition, studies show that Punishment is not effective as a disciplinary strategy as it does not teach an alternative behaviour because children usually feel resentful, humiliated and helpless after being hit and nevertheless do misbehave but they learn to master not to get caught. Punishment drastically alleviates guilt feelings, that is, when a child is whipped he feels he has paid the price and his guilt is gone and later, especially during the adolescent years, these children will need to be taught the inner controls of conscience and guilt.

According to the Ministry of Education and Sports Report (2005), the number of school going students was recorded increasing from 1986 as a result of the good governance, new education policies and political stability in the country. The education system had a double shift mode of studying where Senior One, Senior Two and Senior Five students used to study during the afternoon while the Senior Three, Senior Four and Senior Six students studied in the morning. This assisted to create a balance between students to teacher ratio of 1:45, as required by the Ministry of Education and Sports. The level of discipline in classes and schools at large could easily be managed then and the level of indiscipline though existed, was not so strange (Ministry of Education and Sports, 2005).

The only existing schools by then were government funded schools where admissions were centralized and thus dismissed students could not easily access other schools without recommendations from previous schools. Students therefore had to maintain discipline for fear of not easily accessing new schools. Most of these schools were day schools where parents could also participate in keeping a watch over their children‟s behaviors at home. Many Nigerians have been going through this education system for a number of decades. Nigeria as a partner of the Education for all (EFA) coalition launched Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997. This resulted into increased enrolment figures from 2.7 million students to 5.3 millions in 1997 and to 7.1million in 2005 (Ministry of Education and Sports, 2005). This also increased capacity for public secondary schools enrollment. Even though this was followed by a drastic increase in the number of teachers and classrooms, the current official average student-to-teacher ratio is 51:1.

Some schools have changed to boarding section as a way of coping up with the increasing stiff competition among students and schools as well as for national level exams. This has also resulted into students spending more time in schools than with parents where they are suspected to get adapted to all various kinds of behaviors such as homosexuality, smoking, abuse of substances, and use of nasty words among other things. There is also concern that indiscipline has taken new forms with increased violence, sale and consumption of drugs, theft, disrespect of school rules and regulations which has resulted into wide spread Punishments, students‟ expulsion and suspension from schools, cases of arsons are on the increase in schools, problems which go beyond educational institutions. This has attracted serious attention from scholars and administrators as well as education stakeholders about the academic performance from such undisciplined students and therefore created a need, which called for this study.

1.2 Statement of Problem

However, Punishment is one of the biggest challenges facing the equitable access to quality education at Secondary education institutions. Currently, a large percentage of students are dropping out of their primary level education. This undesirable situation is attributed to many challenges; prime amongst which is the widespread use of Punishment in schools. The high dropout rate poses a threat not only to completion rates but also to the attainment of gender balance in schools. The girls suffer more from child abuse and harassment through Punishment.

With regard to experiences at school, younger children reported the highest amount of ad hoc physical punishment, while older children reported being harassed or humiliated by teachers. Girls reported a considerable amount of sexual harassment, and one in five girls reported being forced to have sex. A lot of the bullying, teasing and humiliation of girls revolved around their sexuality. Older boys reported the most severe incidents of physical beating, probably due to the prevailing gender stereotypes of physical resilience and notions of tough masculinity. Many older children seemed to mimic the behaviour of adults, and as a result, they victimised younger children. Bullying was reported as a major problem, especially as an experience of girls and younger children.  This has therefore created a big concern from teachers, principals and stakeholders about the lack of opportunity for learners to concentrate on their academic work for attainment in the tests, internal exams and national level examinations as well as the nature of future citizens.

1.3. Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study was to establish Perceived effect of punishment on academic performance of secondary school students in District IV, Shomolu, Lagos.

Objectives of the study

The study was guided by the following objectives;

1) To identify various perception of Punishment on student’s academic performance in public secondary schools in District IV, Shomolu.

2) To identify the alternatives to Punishment of secondary school students

3) To analyze how the administration of punishments by principals affect students‟ academic performance

1.4 Research questions

1) What are the various perception of Punishment on student’s academic performance in public secondary schools in District IV, Shomolu?

2) What are the alternatives to Punishment of secondary school students?

3) How does the administration of punishments by principals affect students‟ academic performance?

1.5 scope of the study

The study considered the following content scope; to identify various perceived effect of punishment on academic performance of secondary school students in District IV, Shomolu; to identify the alternatives to Punishment of secondary school students and to analyze how the administration of punishments by principals affect students‟ academic performance.

1.5.3 Time scope

The study was intended to cover information in relation of five (5) years that is 2010 to 2015 on to assess Perceived effect of punishment on academic performance of secondary school students in District IV, Shomolu, Lagos.

1.6 Significance of the study

The findings of the study are expected to be beneficial to school principals, policy makers in the Ministry of Education and Sports, parents and other stakeholders in Nigeria.

Secondly the study findings may be helpful to the Government of Nigeria in solving the escalating problems of indiscipline that are widely spread in most schools.

Thirdly the study has helped to provide a guide to principals not only in District IV, Shomolu on how to manage school rules and regulations, but also in other schools in the whole country at large and has also provided preventive measures against indiscipline

Operational Definition of Terms

Get the Complete Project

This is a premium project material and the complete research project plus questionnaires and references can be gotten at an affordable rate of N3,000 for Nigerian clients and $8 for international clients.

Click here to Get this Complete Project Chapter 1-5

You can also check other Research Project here:

1. Accounting Research Project
2. Adult Education
3. Agricultural Science
4. Banking & Finance
5. Biblical Theology & CRS
6. Biblical Theology and CRS
7. Biology Education
8. Business Administration
9. Computer Engineering Project
10. Computer Science 2
11. Criminology Research Project
12. Early Childhood Education
13. Economic Education
14. Education Research Project
15. Educational Administration and Planning Research Project
16. English
17. English Education
18. Entrepreneurship
19. Environmental Sciences Research Project
20. Guidance and Counselling Research Project
21. History Education
22. Human Kinetics and Health Education
23. Management
24. Maritime and Transportation
25. Marketing
26. Marketing Research Project 2
27. Mass Communication
28. Mathematics Education
29. Medical Biochemistry Project
30. Organizational Behaviour

32    Other Projects pdf doc

1. Political Science
2. Psychology
3. Public Administration
4. Public Health Research Project
5. More Research Project
6. Transportation Management
7. Nursing

Education

Full Project – PERCEIVED EFFECT OF PUNISHMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.