TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS ON ALTERNATIVES TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN VHEMBE DISTRICT

Abstract

The overall aim of the study is to investigate the perspectives about teachers’ perceptions on alternatives to corporal punishment in the Vhembe District. Learner misconduct in South African secondary schools is a major concern. There is an increase in public concern about the misconduct of learners at Vhembe District. The main concerns are the late coming of the learners, absenteeism, fighting, bullying, and teenage pregnancy. Learner misconduct is not unique to South Africa. In American public schools, for example, learner misconduct has for many years been the most serious school-related concern. Managing discipline in schools is one of the fundamentals of effective teaching and learning. The study used both mixed techniques for data collection and analysis. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were mostly used because they provide the researcher with an understanding of experiences and perspectives about teachers’ perceptions on alternatives to corporal punishment in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. Random and purposive sampling methods were used for the selection of a sample for the study. Both primary and secondary data were used to analyse the data in this study. Secondary data was obtained from government publications, research publications, and reports. Primary data was obtained through questionnaires and interviews. It is evident that ineffective discipline management in schools would eventually jeopardise the efficacy of teaching and learning. It is thus crucial that legitimate, democratic disciplinary measures and procedures be employed. This investigation revealed that principals and teachers still find themselves in a predicament when applying contemporary disciplinary measures due to lack of training or minimal training regarding alternatives to corporal punishment. The findings were discussed at length to determine the research objectives. Conclusions were drawn after analysing these findings, and recommendations were formulated.