Corporeal Punishment and its Effects on Students Learning: A Study of Selected Schools in Rawalpindi & Rawat

Saira Batool, Rabia Ali & Sadia Mehmood

Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the causes of corporal punishment
in schools and its effects on students’ motivational level, their class
participation and attendance in schools. The research also unveiled the
perspectives of teachers about corporeal punishment as an instrument to
discipline students. The data for this paper was collected through a mix
method approach. A survey was conducted among students selected from
six schools in District Rawalpindi and Rawat in Pakistan. Qualitative
interviews were conducted with selected teachers from the same schools.
The findings of the paper highlight that the majority of the students
reported to have experienced corporal punishment at schools. From the
teachers perspective large class size, non academic activities, poor school
infrastructure, low availability of teaching tools, high teaching workloads
were reported to be some of the reasons that led to corporeal punishment.
The value of Chi-Square shows significant association between corporal
punishment and school attendance as well as class participation at 5% level
of significance. This paper concludes that corporal punishment has serious
implications on students’ behavior. In the light of the findings it is
recommended that the issue needs serious attention from all stakeholders
including school administration and teachers. Importantly, to reduce
corporeal punishment we need to work on teachers so that their
perceptions about corporeal punishment and its effects on students can be
changed.

Keywords: Corporal punishment; schools; teachers; students’ learning